No one that knows me will ever accuse me of being a fan of USC (Southern Cal) sports teams or a sympathizer of their athletic program. They have pretty much every advantage you'd want: a rabid fan base, a mega-successful football team that makes beacoup bucks and an ideally located campus that looks even better when you're a potential recruit from a foul-weather area. And much more.
But when student athletes get punished for doing nothing (in this case, the USC men's basketball program) it once again demonstrates the stupidity with which the NCAA handles these situation.
Ever since the National Basketball Association decided several years ago that no one under a certain age can play in their league — and with good reason — a lot of high school hoopsters have signed up for college teams with the notion that they'll play one year, turn 19, and head to the pros.
One of those guys was former USC Trojan OJ Mayo, a talented kid whose name was a gift to sports headline writers everywhere. Apparently, Mayo was so sure he'd only play one year of college hoops that he decided he'd go ahead and accept a few gifts, since he was about to leave anyway.
You know, the kinds of goodies that young gifted athletes are offered but that the NCAA tends to frown upon (cash, gifts, etc). Hell, Mayo figured he'd be long gone by the time anyone figured it out. And he was right.
As college sports fans know, if the NCAA finds out said verboten goodies were indeed accepted, it will assess harsh penalties to the school where the athlete plays.
That part, I understand. Commit the crime, do the time.
Sadly, there are many elite college athletes that must say 'no' to these handout offers. It's sad because, with the substantial exception of an education, college athletes are mostly uncompensated. No laundry money, nothing. The temptation is real.
Not all of those athletes refuse those gifts. Apparently, OJ Mayo received money — some of which came through then USC coach Tim Floyd — and a few nice things like a flat-screen TV.
Here's the part I don't get: as punishment, USC's basketball program will be taking it in the gym shorts for the next coupla seasons: no scholarships and now postseason tournaments, for starters.
Did I mention OJ Mayo is no longer at USC? He is now a star guard for the Memphis Grizzlies making the first chunk of what will likely be many millions he will eventually take home before his professional playing days are over.
Coach Floyd is outta there, too. He split after the fumes of corruption got too strong and resigned his position. But not before coming close to accepting the head coaching job at Arizona, my alma mater. Thankfully, that fell through, though Floyd did get a sitdown interview with UA's athletic director. Wow. Close one.
[It should be noted that, knowing the wrath of the NCAA was on its way, USC has decided to penalize itself with the aforementioned sanctions. But that was just because they know that if they didn't do it, the NCAA would, and likely impose even harsher penalties. This is typical behavior for schools that know they're about to get whacked by the NCAA.]
So why penalize USC now? Mayo and Floyd crapped on the program two long years ago. And then ran. They're gone, you NCAA knuckleheads.
Mayo's in the NBA, probably couldn't give two runny shits about what's happening to the USC basketball program, and he gets off scot-free. What happened two years ago — at a place where he was only gonna hang out a year, anyway — doesn't even soil the reputation of an NBA star.
Same for Tim (no relation to Pink) Floyd who supposedly passed along an envelope full of cash that eventually went to Mayo. Those fuckers are GONE. But the NCAA can't punish them, so they crap on the current regime instead.
That makes no fucking sense. At all.
As big of a college sports fan as I am, I do hope that at some point in my lifetime the NCAA softens its focus on making as much money as it possibly can and gets a clue on matter like this one.
There's a whole lotta stupid bouncing off the walls of that institution and has been for a long time now.
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