Coach Tressel

[Noney]

[Tim Hancock]

Sad to see him go. I could care less if a student trades some OSU stuff for a tat so long as it is not my kid getting a tat.

[VincentVega]

Lots more than just a few tattoos. The clean cut image turns out it was just that.

[Noney]

Yep, same here. I'm a former Buckeye and I feel duped by the whole thing. I thought he was the real deal but I guess you never really know. I don't think it was that big of a deal either, but you can't fuch around with that stuff with the NCAA.

Adios amigo...

[peppy]

How can a coach police his team and their families? Some of these alumni that are " giving deals to players families" are the ones that should be in trouble.

I just don't get how you make the coach the scapegoat for something alumni or fans do for players. If a coach turned them in, the alumni would have his head.

[Seahawk]

College sports are broken...the distinction between amateur and professional athletes is a sorry anachronism, especially in major college sports: when billions of dollars are at stake, there are no virgins.

The current system is a burrito, wrapped in science fiction inside dim sum.

[nostatic]

There is little or no honor left in professional, college, and even many HS sports. Maybe it is time to pull the plug.

[schamp]

Caught dirty. Real dirty, otherwise he would have made them fire him and gotten the money left on his contract. I think the day will come when Auburn makes some more headlines.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by nostatic

There is little or no honor left in professional, college, and even many HS sports. Maybe it is time to pull the plug.

There was a time. My favorite baseball player when I was younger was Mays, then Rod Carew, then later Tony Gwynn. Here is just a fine man speaking about another fine man. I am not so silly to think they were perfect, but they at least knew where to look:

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by peppy

How can a coach police his team and their families? Some of these alumni that are " giving deals to players families" are the ones that should be in trouble.

I just don't get how you make the coach the scapegoat for something alumni or fans do for players. If a coach turned them in, the alumni would have his head.

Agreed. One or two low-life ghetto thug players cheat and the entire university gets put on probation, loses 1/3 of their scholarships, and no bowl games for a couple of years. Doesn't seem fair. unless of course they do it to USC, then it's perfectly fine

Lets see if there is any NCAA balance or fairness when it comes down to handing out punishment, I doubt there will be.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by peppy

How can a coach police his team and their families? Some of these alumni that are " giving deals to players families" are the ones that should be in trouble.

I just don't get how you make the coach the scapegoat for something alumni or fans do for players. If a coach turned them in, the alumni would have his head.

The alumni should indeed be in trouble. They should know better. If they really cared about the school and the team they wouldn't tempt these kids.
As for Tressel, he certified to the NCAA that all rules were being followed when in fact he knew they weren't. That's what he got in trouble for. If he had been ignorant of the infractions it would have been the kid's heads. Since he knew what they were doing and didn't turn them in, it's his. Somebody needs to be the adult in the room and it was his job. His $5 million a year salary should have been enough incentive for him to do it properly.

[McLovin]

Most of these big programs, like OState, USC, etc. are very dirty, esp. with recruiting. They all have a lot of low character, barely literate thugs on their teams, b/c those are not characteristics these programs are interested in. It's only about getting the ball in the hoop or the end zone, character means nothing.

And, like most penalty situations, it's a situation where the school in question "looked the other way" on rules violations to protect the violators or to help with recruiting. Things like "not seeing" what was happening ("What, there were recruiters/agents in the locker room every day?" "Our star player from a poor family is driving a new Range Rover to school?" "I'm shocked!"), even though it is obvious and out in the open. And then lying about it/covering it up later.

That's what happens, over and over again, at these dirty schools. It's not one or two dirty players who take down the program. It's a program that willfully looks the other way and refuses to follow the rules that takes itself down.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by McLovin

Most of these big programs, like OState, USC, etc. are very dirty, esp. with recruiting. They all have a lot of low character, barely literate thugs on their teams, b/c those are not characteristics these programs are interested in. It's only about getting the ball in the hoop or the end zone, character means nothing.

That's what happens, over and over again, at these dirty schools.

How was the Harvard v. Yale tilt ratings on the tube...you watch?

Of course not, because they aren't the best, "barely literate thugs". All you sanctimonious fans who demand standards vote with your TV rating, don't watch in all your horror at the transgressions.

The SYSTEM, not the athletes, is broken.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

College sports are broken...the distinction between amateur and professional athletes is a sorry anachronism, especially in major college sports: when billions of dollars are at stake, there are no virgins.

The current system is a burrito, wrapped in science fiction inside dim sum.

Damned well said!

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

The SYSTEM, not the athletes, is broken.

I agree. But those in the middle of the system don't see that it's broke. Remember when the NCAA imposed academic standards and John Thompson claimed it was wrong to deny inner city ball players an education just because they were too stupid to do college level academics?

It's wrong that a school rakes in hundreds of millions on the backs of "student athletes" and the system says the same athletes can not share in the revenue. I think pro basketball and football need to find a different way to prepare their future players. Baseball uses farm teams. The "barely literate thugs" who want to play ball can play for a farm team for a salary and the serious student athletes can play for their university for free. But I'm afraid the current system is too good at generating revenue for it to change that drastically.

[nostatic]

There was a documentary on SMU that I caught some time back on ESPN. Was fascinating. The fans are in fact the big part of the problem. The alumni have some sick need to have their team win (whole 'nother psychological study), and they are willing to cheat to get what they want. Everybody looks the other way because "everyone else does it." Then you have players behaving like spoiled children on and off the field. I quit watching most sports because I got ill watching the inane celebrations after every play, charging the mound, showing up opponents, etc. All bush league crap elevated to high art by television and the viewing public who somehow thinks it is cool to have no class.

Put 'em all on probation. Or better yet, do away with sports scholarships entirely. This would require a serious revamp for most universities but that has to happen anyway. 'nother rant as well...

[sammyg2]

My brother played baseball at a state university. Not gonna say which one, but he took em to their first world series win.

In college he rarely went to class. He had tutors do that for him. In fact I know he passed courses he didn't even know he took.
The tutors would meet with him and teach him only what he needed to know to pass the tests.
They'd write his papers for him and call them "notes".

He had to sign with the pros after his junior year because he kept forgetting to show up for mid-terms and finals and despite all their efforts, he lost his academic eligibility. Not an easy thing to do back then.
It was much dirtier back then.
Those same things would be much more difficult to get away with today, unless the university is part of the SEC

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

My brother played baseball at a state university. Not gonna say which one, but he took em to their first world series win.

I'm guessing Fullerton...doesn't matter, he could play.

Here is what I would do, which addresses the players and those that get left behind (most of them):

- For every year you are on scholarship, you get two years on the school to get a BS/BA: Meaning, once they used you up, you get to go get a degree. It is amazing how when one door closes another should open. This gift should not have an expiration date. Books, tuition, dorm room, the works. I want educated folks, given a chance, after the athletics, when the school has benefited.

- You can try and turn pro whenever you want. If it doesn't work out? Go back and play. Name one industry that proscribes "eligibility". Still can't make the pros? See above.

- Pay. Always the rub. Establish a maximum, say Texas, at the top tier, so the little schools can decide if they want to pony up the bucks: Texas sets aside 2% of total revenue for paying players, which they can, like the NFL, decide HOW they want to spent it. Smaller schools, with big pocket boosters, can match the "Texas" spending limit in any way they want. Pay more and get the talent.

Let us admit that college sports are broken...

[sammyg2]

One of the biggest problem with college sports is PRO sports.

Talented young kids get big ole dollar signs in their eyes because everyone they know tells em they're gonna get rich in the show.
They don't care about getting an edumacation, they care about becoming a gazillionaire and getting paid millions to do Nike commercials.
it doesn't help that allot of them come from poor backgrounds and are surrounded by leeches hoping to get some of that future money.

How about if they made these rules:
any college player that gets busted for NCAA rules violations regarding recruitment, agents, financial transactions or promises, is INELIGIBLE to pay professional baseball, football, or basketball for a minimum of 7 years after GRADUATION. Sorry Reggie Bush, it's retroactive. You gotta sit for 7 years.

All players hired to play professional baseball, football, or basketball would have to be graduates from an accredited university (4 year degree), AND would have to pass a compentency test administered by an unbiased third party that would represent minimum college skill levels.

If they can't read or write they can't play pro ball.
If they cheat they can't play pro ball.
If they don't graduate they can't play pro ball.

The world needs ditch digger too Danny.

It'd clean up college sports and it's do a heck of a lot to improve the class of pro sports.

Of course if anyone really tried to do that they'd probably be called a racist.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Let us admit that college sports are broken...

I agree with that. It's fixing it that's the hard part.