The Gutless NCAA

Just last week, the NCAA powers to be showed exactly how gutless they were when they suspended 5 Ohio State players for selling sports memorabilia and taking discounts on tattoo's. Star Quarterback Terrelle Pryor and 4 other players were suspended for the first 5 games of next year. The Buckeye thugs sold Big 10 Championship rings and treasured "Gold Pants" pins as well as other items. I applaud the NCAA for actually handing down suspensions, however why were they not suspended for this years Sugar Bowl game on January 4th against Arkansas. I'll tell you why, because TV ratings would be down and the NCAA would lose precious dollars. If Pryor didn't play, Arkansas would win by 20 in a blow out. Instead the yellow bellied NCAA people suspend them for the first 5 games of next year which are against the Akron Zips, The Toledo Rockets, The Miami Hurricanes, The Colorado Buffalo's and The Michigan St Spartans. Not a real powerhouse of a first 5 games. Michigan State should be the only competition for the first half of their season. My guess is that Terrelle Pryor will somehow find his way back into the line up for that game.

The other problem that I have with this entire thing is don't all of these items that the players sold actually belong to them? Just because these guys have no dedication or allegiance to their team doesn't mean they can't sell these items to pay for a few tat's. However, the NCAA rules are clear and for now it is a violation. Maybe the NCAA needs to take a look at these types of things and rethink their rules a bit. Shit, they have the dumbest rule in all of sports. If a players knee touches the ground even if he has not been hit by an opponent, he is down and they play is over. Several times this year I saw a punter go down for a low snap and his knee hit the ground. By rule, he is down and the other team gets the ball. It is just plain stupid.

Anyway, a thug is always a thug and we see rules violations all of the time. Look at Reggie Bush. Christ, it took the NCAA 5 years to hand down a ruling on Bush. By the time they made him give his Heisman back he really didn't give a crap because he was making millions in the NFL and still is. Speaking of the Heisman, an NCAA rules violator, Cam Newton won that award this year. The most prestigious award in college sports has become a total joke. Cam's father solicited bribes from people for the services of his son. That is a total violation of then rules and it was swept under the NCAA carpet. It appears that the NCAA has a closet full of brooms as well as some skeletons.