'Pony Excess' Fallout Led Directly To Miami Scandal

"It's déjà vu all over again." -- Yogi Berra
"The more things change, the more they stay the same." -- Alphonse Karr, French novelist
The quotes seem appropriate considering the revelations coming out of the University of Miami from Yahoo! Sports' 11-month investigation.
Twenty-five years ago, a disgruntled linebacker from Southern Methodist University sat down with me on camera. David Stanley told me he received $25,000 cash for committing to SMU in 1983...
Reporter Who Broke SMU Scandal: 'Pony Excess' Fallout Led Directly To Miami Scandal
Longtime wrote:Hansen offered some great insight during "Pony Excess" - especially about how SMU bungled its interview with Ch. 8. I wouldn't mind listening to him talk about those days and tell some of the behind-the-scenes stories.
He didn't "make his career" because of the SMU scandal. He was already the No. 1 sportscaster in town, which is why David Stanley ran to him when he wanted to get revenge on SMU. The SMU story is merely the one journalistic highpoint of Hansen's career, which is really built on his oversized personality and opinions.
Stanley dumped the story in Ch. 8's lap. Producer John Sparks did the real legwork - Hansen was just the face for the story. If they hadn't uncovered it, someone else would have - David Stanley was out to get SMU.
The story linked here says it was a former Daily Campus member who tipped off Sparks about players receiving money under the table. It wasn't exactly the world's biggest secret that SMU was still paying players, but only one player talked to the media: David Stanley.
You want to be mad at someone, be mad at the whistle blower, not the guy who merely held the microphone.