The Sins Of The NCAA

Blessed Me Father For I Have Sinned, It Has Been, Well Lets Say A Long Time Father Since My Last Confession…

Now, I know there are greater sins against mankind, sins that will make my slip in judgment pale in comparison.  And perhaps, you might even say, it really isn’t a sin, my son, maybe just a false sense of the truth…perhaps bad judgment on your part, or even blame it on my hope, and dreams that there is a place where we are true to ourselves…But Father, you see, I understand how you might feel that way, and I felt that way as well before, sure I wasn’t hurting anyone, nobody lost their life because of my actions, but lately, I feel like I in some way perpetuated a lie for so long…

You see Father, for so long, I promoted, no not promoted, I PREACHED that NCAA Athletics focused on the competition, the education and the player more than business.  I even stated, no not stated more like DEMANDED, that those that participated in college athletics should be called Student Athletes and not just athletes.  But in the end, I gave in.  I gave in to the TV Network Contract Money, the New Stadiums, The Practice Facilities, The Sponsorships, The Tailgate Parties, The High Rolling Boosters – Father, I am weak  for the prestige of have a high profile winning team ranked in the TOP Ten, A BCS Bowl Team, A Final Four Team...

I am trying Father to make amends for my past sins.  I mean, this past month, Coach Calhoun, a Hall of Fame coach by winning standards, (I don’t even know what the Connecticut Men’s Basketball Team graduation rate is) was given a THREE Game Suspension in the 2011-2012 season for violating guidelines on how many times your staff can contact a recruit.  By way Father, the recruit is U Conn’s best player, Bronx native, Kemba Walker.  Did you see how Walker drained the winning shot against Pittsburgh in the Big East Tournament sponsored by Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!  It was incredible!   

And we just suspended, Ohio State Football Coach, Jim Tressel for TWO GAMES in the 2011 season (against Power House College Football programs, Akron and Toledo) for not letting the Ohio State University President or the NCAA know that he had knowledge of his players selling Ohio State trinkets and memorabilia before the start of the 2010 College Football season.  I mean Father, the guy just wrote a book entitled “Life Promises for Success: Promises From God On Achieving Your Best.”  This suspension will surely hurt his book tour and subsequent book sales.  Not to mention, once we finished our investigation in December, we suspended the Ohio State players involved for FIVE GAMES in the 2011 – 2012 season.  I know some people outside the NCAA were saying we should have suspended the players for the Tostitos BCS Bowl Game in January against Arkansas, but that would just upset the TV networks, the sponsors, the boosters, not too mention all those people who bought tickets, hotel rooms, airline tickets, and rental cars for their trips to Florida to see the game.  I mean what would have that proved.

Father, you see, I’m trying to redeem my broken ways, and I am dedicating the rest of this month to cleaning my act, and getting ready to bring College Athletics back to where it belongs.  I promise Father, right after the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament brought to you by FORD, GEICO Insurance, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, I will clean up College Athletics.