HBO says Auburn athletic officials chose not to comment for a report in which four former players said they were paid during their recruitment or college careers, according to the Associated Press.

Auburn issued a short statement to HBO before the telecast. HBO did not ask to speak to coach Gene Chizik, an Auburn official said.

HBO spokesman Ray Stallone released a statement Thursday, a day after Chizik said he wasn’t contacted ahead of Wednesday night’s episode of “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.” Chizik said the show was not balanced, calling it “pure garbage.”

Chizik was asked if HBO had contacted him for a comment.

“Absolutely not,” Chizik said.

Stallone said producers called the sports information department and “read to them in detail” allegations made by Stanley McClover, Chaz Ramsey, Troy Reddick and Raven Gray.

via HBO says Auburn officials chose not to comment | al.com.

FORT LAUDERDALE — Former Dillard High football coach Ken Scott is angry.

Scott was surprised when former Dillard football star Stanley McClover said he had received money from Auburn University football coaches during recruiting visits on the Dillard campus.

McClover, in an interview with Andrea Kremer for HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” which aired Wednesday night, said his decision to attend Auburn had to do with more than a gut feeling and that he received money to sign there.

Scott said he was led to believe the HBO story would focus on a positive relationship Dillard has had with Auburn over the years.

“I thought the interview would talk about Stanley as a role model,” Scott said. “I wasn’t happy with the people involved for not giving us a heads-up what this was about.”

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Present during the interview that took place at Dillard in February, Scott said he was shocked that McClover said he had taken money from Auburn coaches inside the school football office.

“Nothing like that ever happened,” said Scott, a security guard at the school. “I was at every meeting and I’m not sure why he would throw Dillard under the bus like that.

“I was always in the football office when a coach came to the school to recruit and talk to players. They were never there speaking with a player without me being present.”

The Dillard football program has been a pipeline for Auburn dating to the early 1990s, when James Bostic, Otis Mounds, Frank Sanders and Calvin Jackson went to play at the university. It continued with players such as Junior Rosegreen, Charles Dorsey, Pat Sims and most recently with Antoine Carter, who just graduated from the university.

“How Stanley said it puts doubts in my mind what he is saying is true,” Scott said. “No one from our school can confirm what he is saying.”

Despite McClover’s statements, Scott said he still supports him.

“I’ve told him back then if you are in a bind, I’ll support you if you’re upfront with me,” Scott said. “I told him not to get caught up in things.”

McClover, who graduated from Dillard in 2003, played in the National Football League for the Carolina Panthers in 2006-07 and one season for the Houston Texans in 2008. He was placed on injured reserve in September 2008 and later re-signed by the Texans in early 2009. A persistent

via Former Dillard football coach denies McClover’s accusations – South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com.