Houston and Rice Involved in some stripper action
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 10:15 pmHere's something for some perusal, if you haven't seen it already.
The scandal at the University of Colorado took another twist Tuesday with reports that football players hired strippers to perform at recruiting parties as recently as two weeks ago.
The same company, Hardbodies Entertainment, also provided topless dancers for parties at Houston and Rice without the knowledge of the institutions, according to Steve Lower, president and chief executive officer of Hardbodies.
The Colorado report in the Rocky Mountain News stunned Peter Steinhauer, president of the university's Board of Regents.
The regents have set up a special commission to investigate allegations that the school uses alcohol and sex to entice top high school recruits in a bid to stay competitive.
The claims were raised in federal lawsuits filed by three female students who say they were raped during or after an off-campus party for recruits in December 2001.
The university and coaching staff have denied trying to lure recruits with alcohol and sex, and no one suggested the school was involved in strip parties.
Last week, football coach Gary Barnett suspended four players, including one for taking a recruit to a strip club.
Lower told the Rocky Mountain News his strippers have been hired by football players for years.
"They'll strip for [the recruits], do lap dances for them, and then they'll dance for the rest of the guys," he said. "There's nothing illegal here. They're definitely not ordering prostitutes."
Lower said student-athletes paid for the Houston parties, but he later characterized them only as students.
"Yes, these have been our girls doing it and no, the college has absolutely not paid for it, condoned it, or been aware of it," Lower said. "It's a tradition handed down from player to player to player."
The scandal at the University of Colorado took another twist Tuesday with reports that football players hired strippers to perform at recruiting parties as recently as two weeks ago.
The same company, Hardbodies Entertainment, also provided topless dancers for parties at Houston and Rice without the knowledge of the institutions, according to Steve Lower, president and chief executive officer of Hardbodies.
The Colorado report in the Rocky Mountain News stunned Peter Steinhauer, president of the university's Board of Regents.
The regents have set up a special commission to investigate allegations that the school uses alcohol and sex to entice top high school recruits in a bid to stay competitive.
The claims were raised in federal lawsuits filed by three female students who say they were raped during or after an off-campus party for recruits in December 2001.
The university and coaching staff have denied trying to lure recruits with alcohol and sex, and no one suggested the school was involved in strip parties.
Last week, football coach Gary Barnett suspended four players, including one for taking a recruit to a strip club.
Lower told the Rocky Mountain News his strippers have been hired by football players for years.
"They'll strip for [the recruits], do lap dances for them, and then they'll dance for the rest of the guys," he said. "There's nothing illegal here. They're definitely not ordering prostitutes."
Lower said student-athletes paid for the Houston parties, but he later characterized them only as students.
"Yes, these have been our girls doing it and no, the college has absolutely not paid for it, condoned it, or been aware of it," Lower said. "It's a tradition handed down from player to player to player."
