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| Very appropriate |
In the past 6 months there have been enough college football scandals to last a lifetime. Ohio State, Boise State and a host of others have been under the NCAA microscope with Miami being the latest casualty.
I will be the first one to tell you that I have always though the Hurricane's have been thugs. From the teams of the 90's to Kellen Winslow being a 'solider'. When Ohio State beat them in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl to win the national title that year, I couldn't have been happier! Not only was it the first championship for Ohio State in my lifetime, but it came against a team that I despised, almost as much as that team up north.When we beat them handily last fall in Columbus, I cheered some more!
When the allegations came out about the inappropriate benefits (and actions, behavior, etc.) from Yahoo! Sports, I kind of turned a deaf ear. I was tired of hearing the NCAA come down on someone because they failed to catch Cam Newton and Gene Chiziek, but as I followed the story further, I knew, without a doubt that most of the allegations had to be true. The Ohio State situation has to be proof of that. The NCAA has been doing their homework and not casting allegations out just to be on the front page. No one thought after the Sugar Bowl that Jim Tressel would no longer be the coach, that Terrelle Pryor would be in the NFL or that the other four would have stayed to serve their punishments (I applaud and appreciate the respect they are showing to Coach Tressel, Coach Fickell, the staff and fans by doing that.)
- Improper benefits to at least 72 players from 2002-2010 including: cash, prostitutes, entertainment in his home and on his yacht, paid trips to high end eatery's and nightclubs, jewelry, bounties for on the field play (including injuring other players), travel, and abortions for female companions.
He also admits the coaches knew about the benefits which also included a $50,000 lump sum to Vince Wilfork as a recruiting tool for his sports agency. All in all, he could potentially have broken multiple parts of FOUR major NCAA bylaws and possibly more. His cast of 'characters' reads like a Who's Who list of Miami players....including 12 players currently on the roster.
If SMU can get the death penalty in 1987 for violations which in my eyes PALE in comparison (21 players, $61,000) to what Shapiro did at Miami...why aren't the talking heads screaming about doing the same thing now. If Ohio State was the example the NCAA needed to make because of Auburn, then so be it. Miami needs to be an example for everyone in the nation!
In my opinion, the death penalty is the only way to go here. Anything less is a slap on the wrist and will NOT stop it from happening else where. And I would go for a two season death penalty....we must take a stand now if we ever want to see college football in this country respected again. Jim Tressel took the fall for his players and university....the only person in Miami around to take the fall is the football program.
Let them sit!
