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Latest doings of the NCAA cartel

Here’s an interesting speech from the NCAA Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby [sic]: http://newsok.com/bowlsby-gets-serious-with-cheating-pays-pronouncement/article/5011747

“Enforcement is broken,” said Bowlsby, one of the most respected men in collegiate sports. “The infractions committee hasn’t had a hearing in almost a year, and I think it’s not an understatement to say that cheating pays presently. If you seek to conspire to certainly bend the rules, you can do it successfully and probably not get caught in most occasions.”

By “cheating”, the NCAA infractions committee, which UO’s Faculty Athletics Representative Jim O’Fallon (Law) sits on, generally means trying to compensate athletes in violation of the cartel’s rules. For example, if a booster gives a player’s mother money to come to a game, or pays for medical care, or a player tries to sell their own autograph, they make the player pay a fine and/or hound him out of college sports. College athletics money is for the coaches, not the players! So it’s good news the infractions committee isn’t doing much.

And there’s some more good news for the players on the O’Bannon lawsuit: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2014/07/23/ncaa-lawsuit-ea-sports-video-games-proposed-settlement/13074005/ At least I think it’s good news, I’m no sports law expert like UO’s Rob Illig (Law).

And finally, a piece in the Atlantic from civil rights historian Taylor Branch, on the recent congressional hearings on the NCAA and the dim prospects for internal reform. Elevator version: university presidents don’t have the stones to even try: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/07/the-ncaa-tells-congress-its-going-to-reform-itself/374948/

3 Comments

  1. nom 07/24/2014

    “By “cheating”, the NCAA infractions committee, which UO’s Faculty Athletics Representative Jim O’Fallon (Law) sits on, generally means trying to compensate athletes in violation of the cartel’s rules.”

    Right. But don’t mistake this meager “athlete compensation” as some benevolent action towards a poor family. What you’re railing against here is big cheating vs minor cheating, (which is marginally ok?) where big cheating at a rich school like UO buys better athletes, even ones with sexual assault accusations.

    • nom 07/26/2014

      I “would probably appreciate this” ? Yes, I can observe it and appreciate it but not support it. In my view, generally unions aren’t the answer, but rather a necessary stop-gap response to an increasingly untenable situation that reeks with elements of dishonesty and deceit.

      What is most prescient in this article is the statement: “Which raises the question: How will things change?”

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