Carroll's Blog

In hearing the news yesterday that the NCAA decided that Cam Newton, Auburn’s now most famous player ever, was ruled eligible to play in the SEC Championship game, I was left with the feeling of a certain reality.  That reality is that money and the means taken to obtain it, truly trumps the governed rules, laws and the mere sense of integrity of any organization, including the one that is responsible for the “higher” education of our nations young people.

The money and lure thereof has turned college sports (mainly football and basketball, the big money makers) into a seedy world where lies, under the table deals, and player solicitation are now seemingly an accepted practice!  At least that is the impression that the NCAA has given us by this most recent ruling in the Cam Newton saga.  The money that stands to be made from the promotions and television revenue just proved to be too much for the organization trusted to govern our student athletes to do the right thing. (humm, thats the same thing Cam told the MSU recruiter when he called to say he was choosing Auburn ) After all, who is going to attend or watch the SEC Championship game outside of the state of South Carolina, if Cody Burns is starting at quarterback rather than Cam Newton.  The NCAA was not afraid to do it when Brian Bosworth had to sit out the Orange Bowl game for Oklahoma in 1985 for breaking an NCAA rule.  That was one of the highest rated bowl games in the history of sports.  But even now the money from television revenue has changed, and completely reshaped the way the NCAA has chosen to enforce rules.  At Mississippi State ( the university caught in the middle of this fiasco) you have a basketball player by the name of Renardo Sidney who sat out all of last season, and is sitting out the first half of this season, because he and his parents lived in a house in Los Angeles, California that was reported to be above their income level.  The only facts they have on this case is that Sonny Vaccaro(formerly of Nike and Reebok) has stated that he loaned the family $35K to assist them in moving to Los Angeles where Renardo would be attending high school.  But because he is not playing for Duke, North Carolina or any other teams that generate high television or radio revenue, he gets punished for a season and a half with no evidence of wrong doing, only speculation. But this is how the NCAA has chosen to handle this situation regardless of the evidence and that’s a shame.

The NCAA ruling that yes, Cecil Newton violated NCAA rules by soliciting money for Cam to commit to a school, but Cam is still allowed to play because he had no knowledge of the situation is unreal!!  Remember, he reportedly called the MSU assistant coaches and stated, “I really want to come to State, but the money is just too much”.  Sounds like he knew about it to me. Yes I would hate to see a student athlete be punished for something that their parents had done,(like Reggie Bush) but the rules are the rules.  If you don’t enforce this rule, you are sending a message that this is a practice accepted by the NCAA and further taints the already soiled recruiting process of prospective student athletes from now on.  This further aligns the NCAA with those that are involved in gambling, organized crime, and dealings that will further damage college athletics.  Is this really what the NCAA wants??  For them is it all about the money over the integrity of college sports?  The future will tell us………Or has it already…….

In light of the recent controversy of Reggie Bush giving back the Heisman Trophy that he was awarded in 2005, I wanted to share some insight and opinions that I have.  The trophy was asked to be returned because Reggie Bush received improper benefits while attending and playing football for the University of Southern California.  In a statement yesterday, Bush said that the universities are making money off of the athletes who in return are not paid legally.  He along with many others feels that the athletes deserve something in return for the money that is brought into the school and NCAA.

Now I do have some feelings that the athletes deserve some financial compensation while in school to help them along, but this proves to be an almost impossible task.  There are so many factors that come into play, that it’s not just a simple matter of giving the athletes a check every month.  The student athletes make is possible for the universities to receive money from TV contracts, and games played with other schools that amounts to in many cases millions of dollars.  Head coaches sign large endorsement contracts with companies like Nike, Adidas, Reebok, etc.  that add to a salary that many of us will never ever reach.  These contracts come from the players that they coach wearing uniforms carrying the company’s logo and apparel.  So in essence, the players are a walking billboard for the company and the coaches and universities are the one that are being paid for it.  Another factor is bowl games that are played in football.  The participants of the 2010 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl split a reported $17 million dollars that went directly to each university.   There more than likely was a bonus paid to each coach for their team making it to that bowl game as well.  The players were awarded a ring and apparel for playing in the game.

Being one that believes in balance, here are some of the benefits that the “student” athlete gets for taking part in athletics on the college level.   The athletes are awarded a half or whole scholarship that goes toward their education.  They receive paid for books, meals, and housing on or off campus.  In many case they receive up to $250 a month to go toward meals or entertainment.  They have an opportunity for four years of college education, housing and meals that can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the school.   The biggest and in many cases most important benefit that they receive is a stage to showcase their God given talents that can put them in position to make millions of dollars at the professional level.  And guess what, if they don’t get the opportunity to go pro at their sport, they have an education to fall back.  These things they receive for free all while there is some student at the same college or university that was not blessed with the same athletic skills or ability, that is taking 25 hours a semester and working 30 hours a week!  They are working to pay their own way through school and still amassing a student loan that they will have to pay back after graduation that will more than likely take years to pay back.

The bottom line is, if you pay the athletes, how else do you do it?  Is Reggie Bush value the same as the walk-on kicker or the third string running back?  Who is more valuable to the team?  Is it fair for Division II athletes to make as much as an athlete at the University of North Carolina?  Is it fair for the athlete at Mississippi State to make as much as the athlete at USC when they are not on television as much and may not play in as big a bowl game?  How do you set the standard?  They are amateur athletes, when you take that title away by paying them legally, you run the risk of making college sports more corrupt than they already are!  Yeah they should get paid, I agree. But how do you do it and keep the alleged integrity of the college game??

As a follow up to an earlier blog I wrote about Tiger (aka Eldridge) Woods, I decided to weigh in again on today with the upcoming press conference schedule to take place.

Now I still hold firm to my belief that Tiger does not owe “us” (the American public, the media or even his diehard fans) anything.  The only people that he really owes anything to are his wife and children.  They are the ones that were really harmed in this whole matter.  So all the reports and comments of people saying that he should come out and apologize to is fans, the other players, the people who buy the products he endorses, and those who tune in and watch the tournaments he takes part in, are simply delusional!!  I felt that Tiger should have come out early on and just said he messed up and that it was a private matter between himself and his family and that it was being handled that way.  That should have been sufficient for everyone.  The fact that he did not even do that, was a problem for me, because I think he caused more of a media fiasco by just running and hiding instead of making a privacy statement.

As far as this press conference is concerned, what is it about?  Will he just announce that he is returning to the links, which he is surely missed?  The world of golf needs Tiger to continue to be the steady draw it is becoming commercially.  What I don’t want to hear is that he was struggling as a “sex addict” and has gotten help, and it now fit to return.  That will really tick me off because it will be an excuse and a lie!!  The only addiction that Tiger Woods has is that he is a selfish ego-maniac who made decisions based on who he was and what he thought he was entitled to.  He felt he was at a level that he could do whatever he wanted to in life, and through the faults of our society, he was right.  He lived the life that we helped to create for him by putting him on a pedestal, and making him bigger than life.  Is he a jerk for doing what he did to his family…in my opinion very much so?  Do I have the right to demand or even expect an apology from him for what he did, of course not!  He is not married to me, therefore owes me nothing.

So people stop judging a man for doing something that any man put in the same position has the potential of doing.

It was recently announced that an Orlando promoter named Don “Moose” Lewis was starting an “all white” basketball league with about 12 teams called the All American Basketball League.  The league would comprise of only White basketball players with two White parents both born in the United States.  The league would accept no variations of the before mentioned rules.  Lewis states that the league would allow White players to play “fundamental” basketball rather than the “street” basketball that is played by people of color. Lewis quoted in the Florida Today publication, that he is not racist and that he does not hate people of color.  Lewis claims recent scandals in professional basketball, such as the gun charges against the Washington Wizards Gilbert Arenas have made the creation of all-white teams a necessity.
Lewis plans to base the league out of Atlanta, which ironically is one of the most populated cities for Blacks in the country.  The teams will exist in mostly small cities in the southeast.

The desire to form this league can be spun any way that a person chooses to spin it.  The bottom line is that it goes against the spirit of inclusiveness that this country is suppose to be all about. Do we achieve that 100% in every city in America….I doubt it.  But when you look on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, I think it shows that we are moving in the right direction in a lot of ways.  Does everyone agree with that, probably not.  But the fact still remains that we are a country that consist of people with different opinions, ideas and beliefs, which is what makes this a great nation.  There are some that will think Don Lewis in really on to something with the All American Basketball League, and that is their opinion and therefore their right.  But again if the spirit of this country is going to be inclusiveness, then there can never be a league of any kind that promotes separation by race, color or culture……….

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100121/BREAKINGNEWS/100121013/1006/NEWS01/Orlando+promoter+says+all-white+baskeball+league+idea+not+racist

You know, it’s mighty funny how self-righteous we get when we are on the other end of things that don’t go our way.  I watched in amazement on Sunday as Dallas linebacker Keith Brookings went after the Vikings sideline because Brett Favre threw a late 4^th quarter touchdown pass in their blowout win over the Cowboys.  I bet if the roles had been reversed he would not have felt the same way.  I immediately thought back to October 25^th when the Cowboys beat the Atlanta Falcons, Brookings former team of 11 seasons 37- 21.  After every good defensive play that Dallas made, Brookings would make a point to taunt the Falcon players on the sideline.  One play after making a tackle for loss close to the Falcon sideline, Brookings gestured and mocked the Falcon players and coaches, many of whom he played at least one of his 11 seasons in Atlanta as a teammate.  Brookings took advantage of every opportunity he could to rub it in their face when he made a play.  So guess what Keith, “turnaround is fair play”!  You reap what you sow!!  It’s no fun when the rabbits got the gun! You are a professional athlete, so stop you’re whining and banging on the Vikings for doing what they are suppose to do……score points.  The object of the game is to score more points than your opponent, until the final whistle blows.  If you don’t link it, then stop them from scoring.  If you can’t do that, then it’s you teams fault, not the Vikings. Again, this is professional sports, not high school or college.  There is no mercy rule!  You don’t cry “uncle”.  In the words of former Green Bay Packers linebacker Tim Harris during a game, “this ain’t no tennis match”

A definition of class-less, is Yates High School in Houston beating Lee High School 170 – 35 in boy’s basketball.  When you are demoralizing teenage boys by beating them by 135 points because you pressed them after every made basketball of the game until the end.  Now that is class-less!!