On Saturday evening, Cameron Newton settled in at a glitzy Heisman Trophy ceremony where he won the prestigious award given annually to the country’s most outstanding college football player. There were smiles and handshakes all around. Earlier that day, Mark Madoff’s body was being hauled off to the Medical Examiner’s office in lower Manhattan. Mr. Madoff , the 46 year-old disgraced son of Bernard Madoff, had hung himself with his dog’s leash in his Tribeca apartment, while his two-year old son Nick slept nearby. His death came almost exactly two years to the minute from the time that federal authorities, acting on a tip from Mark and his brother Andrew, arrested Bernie Madoff for masterminding a massive $18 billion Ponzi Scheme. Facing possible criminal charges in New York and London, Mark Madoff ended his anguish, leaving his wife and children behind, and millions of Americans, including this one, shocked and saddened by this tragic turn of events.
As many college football fans are well aware, Cam’s Newton’s father Cecil has his own legal issues. Mr. Newton is currently being investigated in an alleged “pay for play” payment scheme in which he sought to extort up to $180,000 from coaches at Mississippi State in exchange for his son’s commitment to play football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. While this crime obviously does not compare to the heinous scheme concocted and pepetuated by Bernie Madoff, it is clearly something that Heisman voters were concerned about. Moreover, Cam had his own issues with the law, having transferred from the University of Florida where he had been charged with burglary, larceny and obstruction of justice (those charges were later dropped), and reportedly was facing expulsion or suspension for three instances of academic cheating.
According to published reports, Cecil chose not to attend the Heisman Trophy award ceremony because he felt that his presence might “rob Cam and the event of a sacred moment”. He should be thankful that he was was free to make such a choice, A year earlier, Mark Ingram, Sr. was unable to attend the Heisman Trophy ceremony for his son Mark Ingram because he was serving time in prison on fraud and money laundering charges. Who knew there was so much stealing going on outside of Wall Street?
I have no issue with Cam Newton winning the Heisman Trophy. He is by all accounts a great kid who made some youthful mistakes, and his talent on the field speaks for itself. I also happen to know many people who knew Mark Madoff, and consider him to have been a wonderful man who suffered needlessly for the sins of his father. Many, I suppose, believe the Madoff boys must have known what was going on. I say let Mark Madoff rest in peace. In any event, I hope that Cam Newton realizes how fortunate he is to have had the opportunity to win this award, and to still have his future intact, notwithstanding his father’s transgressions. He has his Heisman Trophy, and his father is free to cheer him on next year in the NFL. Mark Madoff is sadly gone, and his father will thankfully spend the rest of his life rotting in prison. Probably not even a day free to attend his own son’s funeral.
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