The purpose of NCAA rules is to teach kids about hypocrisy before they're old enough for politics. -Daniel DreznerThe suspensions of 5 Ohio State players has a lot of wrongs. Ignoring the good for I but not for thee hypocrisy of selling jerseys it was wrong/stupid of the players to sell their stuff. It was wrong of tOSU to throw their compliance department under the bus. It was wrong of Kirk Herbstreit to use his national perch to settle a grudge he has against a 21 year old kid. It continues to be wrong of ESPN to spout falsehoods that the NCAA (they make $12,000 off the Sugar Bowl) or universities profits from bowl games (nearly all schools lose money for bowl games). The only ones who profits from bowl games are ESPN, the bowls themselves, and possibly political candidates that get donations from the bowls (cough John Mccain cough cough).
But what takes the cake in this is the NCAA make it up as they go along rulings. AJ Green was suspended immediately for 4 games for selling stuff. Buckeyes get to wait a year and suspended 5 games? Why? Why not? Why is Cam Newton walking around scott free thanks to claims of ignorance but claims of ignorance in this case resulted in simply delaying the punishment? Not to say any of the punishments were right or wrong but can anyone see a shred of consistency here? Can any interpretation of the NCAA's actions be anything but they're making it up as they go along trying to weigh pressures of key stakeholders? I certainly don't....
1 comment:
I have a lot to say about this... in fact too much for one comment. Essentially, I think OSU did nothing wrong because these items became their personal property. it was not school property (i.e. jerseys). Also, if no one barteres on their likeness (i.e. autographs, signed jerseys, posters, etc) then there really should be no punishment.
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