The curious case of Renardo Sidney

Have you heard of Renardo Sidney? He was a top player in the 2009 class who was ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA for accepting excess benefits given a relative slap on the wrist by the NCAA despite numerous allegations of improper benefits. Lets examine the roots of these allegations, most of which are summarized in a LA Times article. 

Sidney is originally from Mississippi, but in 2006 his family moved to Los Angeles, and despite nobody in his family having a job other than his Dad being an AAU coach, the Sidney's somehow managed to stay in three different multi-million dollar houses:

"Bruins and Trojans sources both say they were wary of potentially intense NCAA scrutiny prompted by these issues: Despite what was perceived as a limited income, the family moved multiple times and resided in upscale homes during Sidney's high school years; and stepfather Renardo Sr. directed a club basketball team with financial backing that was unclear beyond a relatively modest shoe company sponsorship."
"A UCLA source said one of the school's prime concerns was the family's residence until September of last year: a home rented when Sidney transferred from Artesia to Fairfax that, according to public land records, is valued at $1.2 million. Located near Hancock Park, the home is owned by Sherman Oaks lawyer Leslie Klein, who said Patricia Sidney paid him by personal check what was "fair market value" -- between $4,000 and $5,000 a month. (More recently, the family rented another home up the street, the owner of which has not returned several telephone messages left by The Times.)"

So how did they afford to spend 5,000 a month on rent alone despite nobody working?  After living in LA for a year with Renardo playing for controversial coach, Pat Barrett's AAU squad, Rendardo's Dad decided to form his own AAU team, LA Dream Team.  They even got tax exempt status for claiming to be an "educational organization".

"Sidney played for Barrett's team one summer, then in 2007 became the cornerstone of the LA Dream Team, a new club coached by his stepfather. Asked why Sidney would leave his superior team for an upstart, Barrett said, "The dad wanted his own shoe deal."

This whole ordeal sounds very shady, but it gets even worse.  LA Dream was partially funded by Reebok executive Sonny Vaccaro:

"Vaccaro, who at the time was working for Reebok, says he gave Renardo Sr. about $20,000 for the family's move west, where Sidney first played for one of the most well-known and controversial club coaches in the nation, Pat Barrett, who guides a program called the Southern California All-Stars."
It is not known how much Vaccaro gave the Sidney's LA Dream Team, or what other sources of funding the team recieved, perhaps enough to afford a lavish house and luxury cars?  All in the name of a nonprofit organization of course.

So when you watch Kentucky play Miss State tomorrow night and see Sidney on the court, remember that the NCAA is allowing this scum bag to play but Enes Kanter must sit on the bench and watch after being declared permanently ineligible.  Good call NCAA.

Go Cats!