When will the NCAA stop shooting itself in the foot? It can't decide what to do with its constituents: ignore them, straight-up screw them, or even break the rules for them.
Anyone who has covered NCAA sports for any brief period of time knows that the NCAA is just as corrupt, unethical, and ridiculous as some of the unions that Jimmy Hoffa controlled in the 70's. We were recently exposed to a heavy dose of this NCAA idiocy when Reggie Bush had his Heisman Trophy "taken away" for receiving improper benefits during his tenure at USC.
It took five years to conclude that Reggie Bush had received his ill-gotten gains. It would take me 17 hours to drive from my home to his, only to see that these gains were well spent. It would only take me another 2 or so hour to drive from his San Diego home to his home at the time, the University of Southern California, to see further proof of his impropriety.
But it's not all "better late than never" justice being ladled out upon USC Trojans past, present, and future. The NCAA even sometimes catches the scared. Dez Bryant was a promising wide receiver for Oklahoma State, and even at the time (of his season-ending suspension) was No. 9 on Mel Kiper's Big Board of top NFL Draft prospects.
Sometime in May of the same year, Dez Bryant had visited the home of NFL great Deion Sanders for dinner. Further inquiry also revealed that he had been with Sanders on other occasions. It turns out, he was being mentored by Prime Time. Sanders was helping him avoid the pitfalls of the college and professional football world. Just to be clear, this isn't uncommon, for instance, Charlie Batch mentors Ohio State standout Terrelle Pryor, which includes texts, phone calls, and visits.
When asked about his relationship with Sanders in an NCAA inquiry, Bryant wasn't sure about the rules in this area, Bryant was a 20-year old kid, Bryant panicked, Bryant lied. I can see myself playing the scenario in my head over and over. Six times out of ten I lie, the other four times, I plead the fifth...but I can't even do that, because it constitutes a violation.
"Refusal to furnish information relevant to an investigation of a possible violation of an NCAA regulation when requested to do so by the NCAA or the individual's institution."
Welcome to NCAA Bylaw 10.1, otherwise known as "Unethical Conduct." The above is Section A. It's kind of hard to feel like you're an American when you can't even access your unalienable rights. Dez Bryant is not an enemy combatant, he's not a spy, and he's not even a politician, but the NCAA still couldn't afford him the same right that Mark McGwire half-heartedly tried to use in front of the Congressional Steroids Hearing in 2005.
That being said, Dez Bryant did in fact violate Section D of the bylaw by furnishing false information to the NCAA. He would then go on to recant this statement in a second interview with the NCAA (after properly advised to do so). What was Bryant's reward for admitting his wrong and doing the right thing? A suspension through the end of the year...how strange to think that he would’ve been in the same position had he continued to lie. It's a damn good thing he landed on his feet with the Dallas Cowboys.
And here we have another prime example of the NCAA mucking up the works in the case of Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton. Except it hasn't taken five years to get a bearing on whether he is ineligible like with Reggie Bush. I must applaud the NCAA; it took substantially less time to find out the same information!
Cameron Newton is, in fact, eligible.
Apparently, his father (Cecil Newton) received somewhere around $180,000 from a Mississippi State booster for getting Cameron to attend Mississippi State (which he didn't). Naturally, Cecil Newton denies this allegation, but doesn't deny the allegation that he has in fact had conversation(s) with, middleman, Kenny Rogers. Bill Bell, the booster, says that he had discussions with Cecil Newton in which the elder Newton did ask for money to have Cameron attend Mississippi State, but would not divulge any other details.
Regardless, Cameron Newton is, in fact, eligible.
Curious, considering what NCAA Bylaw 12.3 says:
"a student-athlete may not accept transportation or other benefits from an athlete agent. This prohibition applies to the student-athlete and his or her relatives or friends."
This is from a "Latest news" update from the NCAA website. Ironically, this was originally posted to explain exactly why Reggie Bush was liable for his complicity in the USC scandal. Now, I would like to draw your attention to the final portion of this section that reads, "relatives or friends." It seems to reason that Cecil Newton is Cameron Newton's father. Even if the younger Newton never saw a dime of that money, you can bet that he at least can see where it was spent: on a home, on a vehicle, maybe even on a church. Hey, I'm not saying...I'm just saying.
I would now like to submit Exhibit B to the court:
"At a minimum, the student-athlete will be required to repay the value of the impermissible benefits and will be withheld from a certain number of contests, based on case precedent."
It sounds like Cecil Newton, via Cameron, should have to repay the $180,000. Additionally, Cameron should be removed from a certain number of games based on precedent. I'd say the closest case on file is...Reggie Bush, whose family received somewhere over $100,000 in illegal benefits from an agent. According to the current logic from the NCAA Bylaw 12.3 (the case precedent notion), it follows that Cameron Newton should've been ineligible this entire season, which also includes the SEC Championship this weekend and any other National Championship game thereafter.
Regardless, Cameron Newton is, in fact, eligible.
Fast forward five years into the future...
Cameron Newton, now a hot shot QB who has spent several years following in the footsteps of Michael Vick--no, not those footsteps--and Donovan McNabb, solidifies the position of the Black quarterback; a man who can beat you with his feet, his arm, and his mind. He is able to perform all of these tasks despite the looming horror that stands before him. Auburn University has vacated 13 wins from its 2010-2011 season, including the National Championship victory and the crystal football that symbolizes it. Now, the Heisman Trust is demanding something from him that they never even asked of Reggie Bush, "give us back our trophy."
Regardless, Cameron Newton was, in fact, eligible.
Anyone who has covered NCAA sports for any brief period of time knows that the NCAA is just as corrupt, unethical, and ridiculous as some of the unions that Jimmy Hoffa controlled in the 70's. We were recently exposed to a heavy dose of this NCAA idiocy when Reggie Bush had his Heisman Trophy "taken away" for receiving improper benefits during his tenure at USC.
It took five years to conclude that Reggie Bush had received his ill-gotten gains. It would take me 17 hours to drive from my home to his, only to see that these gains were well spent. It would only take me another 2 or so hour to drive from his San Diego home to his home at the time, the University of Southern California, to see further proof of his impropriety.
But it's not all "better late than never" justice being ladled out upon USC Trojans past, present, and future. The NCAA even sometimes catches the scared. Dez Bryant was a promising wide receiver for Oklahoma State, and even at the time (of his season-ending suspension) was No. 9 on Mel Kiper's Big Board of top NFL Draft prospects.
Sometime in May of the same year, Dez Bryant had visited the home of NFL great Deion Sanders for dinner. Further inquiry also revealed that he had been with Sanders on other occasions. It turns out, he was being mentored by Prime Time. Sanders was helping him avoid the pitfalls of the college and professional football world. Just to be clear, this isn't uncommon, for instance, Charlie Batch mentors Ohio State standout Terrelle Pryor, which includes texts, phone calls, and visits.
When asked about his relationship with Sanders in an NCAA inquiry, Bryant wasn't sure about the rules in this area, Bryant was a 20-year old kid, Bryant panicked, Bryant lied. I can see myself playing the scenario in my head over and over. Six times out of ten I lie, the other four times, I plead the fifth...but I can't even do that, because it constitutes a violation.
"Refusal to furnish information relevant to an investigation of a possible violation of an NCAA regulation when requested to do so by the NCAA or the individual's institution."
Welcome to NCAA Bylaw 10.1, otherwise known as "Unethical Conduct." The above is Section A. It's kind of hard to feel like you're an American when you can't even access your unalienable rights. Dez Bryant is not an enemy combatant, he's not a spy, and he's not even a politician, but the NCAA still couldn't afford him the same right that Mark McGwire half-heartedly tried to use in front of the Congressional Steroids Hearing in 2005.
That being said, Dez Bryant did in fact violate Section D of the bylaw by furnishing false information to the NCAA. He would then go on to recant this statement in a second interview with the NCAA (after properly advised to do so). What was Bryant's reward for admitting his wrong and doing the right thing? A suspension through the end of the year...how strange to think that he would’ve been in the same position had he continued to lie. It's a damn good thing he landed on his feet with the Dallas Cowboys.
And here we have another prime example of the NCAA mucking up the works in the case of Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton. Except it hasn't taken five years to get a bearing on whether he is ineligible like with Reggie Bush. I must applaud the NCAA; it took substantially less time to find out the same information!
Cameron Newton is, in fact, eligible.
Apparently, his father (Cecil Newton) received somewhere around $180,000 from a Mississippi State booster for getting Cameron to attend Mississippi State (which he didn't). Naturally, Cecil Newton denies this allegation, but doesn't deny the allegation that he has in fact had conversation(s) with, middleman, Kenny Rogers. Bill Bell, the booster, says that he had discussions with Cecil Newton in which the elder Newton did ask for money to have Cameron attend Mississippi State, but would not divulge any other details.
Regardless, Cameron Newton is, in fact, eligible.
Curious, considering what NCAA Bylaw 12.3 says:
"a student-athlete may not accept transportation or other benefits from an athlete agent. This prohibition applies to the student-athlete and his or her relatives or friends."
This is from a "Latest news" update from the NCAA website. Ironically, this was originally posted to explain exactly why Reggie Bush was liable for his complicity in the USC scandal. Now, I would like to draw your attention to the final portion of this section that reads, "relatives or friends." It seems to reason that Cecil Newton is Cameron Newton's father. Even if the younger Newton never saw a dime of that money, you can bet that he at least can see where it was spent: on a home, on a vehicle, maybe even on a church. Hey, I'm not saying...I'm just saying.
I would now like to submit Exhibit B to the court:
"At a minimum, the student-athlete will be required to repay the value of the impermissible benefits and will be withheld from a certain number of contests, based on case precedent."
It sounds like Cecil Newton, via Cameron, should have to repay the $180,000. Additionally, Cameron should be removed from a certain number of games based on precedent. I'd say the closest case on file is...Reggie Bush, whose family received somewhere over $100,000 in illegal benefits from an agent. According to the current logic from the NCAA Bylaw 12.3 (the case precedent notion), it follows that Cameron Newton should've been ineligible this entire season, which also includes the SEC Championship this weekend and any other National Championship game thereafter.
Regardless, Cameron Newton is, in fact, eligible.
Fast forward five years into the future...
Cameron Newton, now a hot shot QB who has spent several years following in the footsteps of Michael Vick--no, not those footsteps--and Donovan McNabb, solidifies the position of the Black quarterback; a man who can beat you with his feet, his arm, and his mind. He is able to perform all of these tasks despite the looming horror that stands before him. Auburn University has vacated 13 wins from its 2010-2011 season, including the National Championship victory and the crystal football that symbolizes it. Now, the Heisman Trust is demanding something from him that they never even asked of Reggie Bush, "give us back our trophy."
Regardless, Cameron Newton was, in fact, eligible.
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