UT's compliance office looking into Chism's videos with business owner

UT basketball player Wayne Chism

Wayne Chism’s attempt at doing reality videos over the past week could result in Tennessee having to self-report a secondary violation.

Chism, a rising senior of the Tennessee men’s basketball team, was ordered by the university to remove the two dozen or so videos he posted on YouTube and Facebook over the past week.

Chism shot the videos with Mike Norton, a personal friend who is the owner and manager of All Pro Truck Tire Service in Knoxville.

Norton’s business was named in a few of the videos, and Chism was wearing a shirt that appeared to bear the logo of All Pro.

Collegiate athletes are not allowed to be associated with endorsements for businesses, even if the act is incidental or unintended, thus Chism’s videos could result in UT self-reporting.

Tom Satkowiak, UT’s basketball sports information director, issued a statement on behalf of the university on Friday.

“When the athletic department was made aware of the videos, Wayne was immediately asked to remove them from the Internet,’’ Satkowiak said. “Some of the videos didn’t portray Wayne in a good light, and he understands that he did not meet the men’s basketball program’s expectations. We’ll use this entire situation as a teaching moment for our student-athletes.

“Our compliance office also has been made aware of the situation.’’

UT coach Bruce Pearl was driving back from the SEC spring meetings in Destin, Fla., on Friday, and declined to comment until he’s able to see the videos.

Norton said he has received phone calls from Pearl inquiring about the footage. Norton said he could tell Pearl was not happy.

“We didn’t mean to get anybody in any kind of trouble,’’ Norton said.

Chism’s final video revealed that UT had instructed him to remove the videos because of the language he used in some of them.

“I didn’t ever think anyone would go snitch on me like that,’’ Chism said in the final video posted on YouTube. “I need to stop making videos because I didn’t think anybody would call the University of Tennessee basketball office and talk about, ‘He (Chism) is cussing a lot on YouTube.’ ”

Chism appeared in the various videos with Norton, and in a few he cursed as he made jokes about such every day activities as driving a stick-shift truck.

Chism also made a self-deprecating joke about the difference between a white man and black man running through a neighborhood as he worked out on an elliptical trainer in another video.

“Wayne’s just a friend of mine; he doesn’t work here,’’ Norton said. “Wayne never got any money or anything.’’

Norton said he and Chism started shooting and posting the videos last weekend.

Chism was shown in short videos riding a four-wheeler, slinging tires, riding and jumping a bicycle at a skate park, driving a truck, playing video games and eating wings.

“To the people who liked the videos we appreciate you watching,’’ Chism said on the final video. “You’ll look on Facebook and YouTube and see all the videos gone.

“The people that called and snitched on me, not cool. But I guess I appreciate that because they said they don’t want to make my image bad.’’

Chism said he made the videos because he was bored, and he was helping Norton out at All Pro because he wanted to get away from basketball for a while.

“That’s all we were doing was goofing off with a video camcorder,’’ Norton said. “Some of our videos were shot here (at All Pro Tire), but most weren’t shot here.’’