Speculation Running Wild on Source of Eric Bledsoe Transcript Leak

Since the initial near panic set in when news of an Eric Bledsoe investigation came out on Friday night, things have calmed down a bit. I think most people are pretty optimistic that UK will escape serious trouble from this whole ordeal, barring the release of some other new information.

Having calmed down, many UK fans have turned their energies to speculating on how Eric Bledsoe’s high school transcript managed to find its way into the hands of the New York Times’ Pete Thamel. ‘Cats fans, unsurprisingly, want to show no mercy to the responsible parties.

Where’s Jack Bauer when you need him?

If we turned the 24 star loose having told him of the injustice of this leak and somehow connected it to an imminent act of terror, no more than 24 hours from the second he started hunting, there would be no fewer than 50 dead bodies strewn about Alabama and odds are, we would learn that the Russians were the source of the leak, because when Jack Bauer is involved, the Russians are always pulling the strings.

As it is, Jack Bauer is not a real person. Instead, we have the likes of Larry Vaught, Matt Jones, and Jerry Tipton investigating the story, a significantly less intimidating bunch, even though Tipton, if you read the linked article, apparently has a private investigator on retainer, ready to consult at the first sign of a potential Calipari violation.

Vaught and Jones have two different theories as to the source of the leak that seem to be the two most popular opinions as to who violated the privacy of Eric Bledsoe. If information is out there proving responsibility for the leak, those found responsible could face legal and civil repercussions. Anyway, let’s take a look at what Jones and Vaught have to say:

Vaught – Larry Vaught’s sources tell him that the target of the leak is not Bledsoe or Calipari, rather Maurice Ford, Bledsoe’s coach for his senior season. Ford fields excellent teams year in and year out in Alabama and apparently has made enemies for it in Birmingham. Those enemies, according to Vaught, may be looking to bring him down a notch in leaking the information in question.

Jones – This one is a bit juicier and could be a much bigger story locally and nationally. It’s a story that has been repeated by other outlets and has become the most common opinion on the leak. Jones says that a national media source tells him that the source of the leak is a college assistant coach.

He concludes that only Memphis, Kentucky, and Florida were the only three schools to view his junior transcripts and also that Memphis and Kentucky were the only schools to access his senior transcripts. I’m pretty sure it would not have been a UK assistant to leak the info (unless the Russians are involved), so we’re down to Memphis and Florida.

Speculation elsewhere has pointed to former UofL assistant Richard Pitino of Florida and former UK assistant Glenn Cyprien of Memphis. Both, on the face of things, would have reasons to want Kentucky to suffer. Little Richard is the popular choice according to most. How much that is based on actual reason and how much is based on people wanting it to be true is unclear.

Now, we are a long way from anybody proving anything on this subject. Frankly, I will be surprised if this goes anywhere past rumor and hearsay. Regardless, it’s another nugget you can be sure will come up in not so friendly debates between UK and UofL fans.

Category: Kentucky