Imprisoned Nevin Shapiro, who has been blamed for most of the controversy surrounding allegations of widespread NCAA rules violations at the University of Miami, sounds like a person determined to destroy the Hurricanes' athletics program, according to reports on the Miami Herald website on Sunday.
"The public is going to hate me worse in the next coming months," Shapiro said in one of several emails sent to the Herald. "It's going to be severe and catastrophic. My feelings are getting inflamed and I'm going to pop off pretty soon with regards to them and the NCAA. I'm coming for them both [UM and former players] and I'm going to be successful."
"I'm taking that program down to Chinatown and the former players and links to that program. Why? Because the U.S. government lined up 47 former players to testify against me in open court if I went to trial. That in itself is motivation to shove it up their collective [butts]."
Miami officials don't seem to be paying much attention to Shapiro's threats. They believe the NCAA will dismiss any of Shapiro's claims it cannot corroborate, and, according to the Herald, the NCAA is having trouble corroborating most of them.
One Miami official told the Herald he expects "one more bowl ban, maybe two at most" plus undetermined scholarship losses.
The NCAA hasn't contacted many former players implicated by Shapiro. Only current players are required to testify.
Shapiro, 42,"must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence, equal to 17 years, for orchestrating" the $930 million Ponzi scheme.
