Is it Possible to Win In the NCAA without Cheating?

[kasjaws]

It seems that the NCAA football and men’s basketball programs across the country are mired in cheating. Someone offers hundreds of thousands of dollars for Cam Newton’s services. Reggie Bush and his family accept illegal benefits. The scandal at Ohio State grows daily. And finally the disgrace at Miami “The U” tops it all. I am an avid sports fan and my love for college athletics if right up there. However I am becoming completely disillusioned and cynical about what it takes to win a national championship in the NCAA at the highest levels.

So many commentators respond to the OSU and Miami debacles this summer with a call for athletes to be paid. I think that misses the point. I think even if we paid the athletes there would still be cheaters. The NCAA has a culture of cheating now and even if you put in processes like paying the athletes, allowing contact with agents, allowing more interaction with coaches in the recruiting process, there would still be cheating. It would just happen on a different level. The money being passed around in NCAA member schools is obscene. The lack of institutional control seen at Miami and OSU reveals how hapless the NCAA infractions committee is.

Only real punishment will be a deterrent. Only if a coach can’t run off to the NFL after embarrassing a college in the manner of Pete Carroll and now Jim Tressel will coaches care enough to not engage in cheating. Only if the student athlete knows that he will be personally harmed in his college and pro career will he care. We NEED the death penalty back in NCAA enforcement and it needs to be applied to the Miami program. Strong sanctions such as vacating last season and bans from future bowls needs to be applied to Ohio State today. Only strong action by the NCAA will have any impact on this culture. Unfortunately the NCAA seems interested only in hand slapping, not problem solving.

Kasjaws

[Lon]

It's not only sports. It seems our entire society has gone off kilter. From politicians, actors, CEO's, youth. family you name it. I can't remember too many times in my lifetime where so many things have been out of balance, and getting worse.