A (Derrick) Rose By Any Other Name *Is* Just As Sweet

I'm working on very little sleep but had a few things on my mind and needed to vent (I have the good fortune of needing to unwind and watch TV when I get home, no matter how late it is...), so here goes:

As we all suspected, the University of Memphis basketball player whom the NCAA is investigating about his involvement with some academic integrity issues (i.e., having someone else take the SAT in his stead and changing a high school grade from a D to a C) is none other than your now-NBA (Sprite? KIA? Quicken Loans? (not just yet)) Rookie of the Year, Derrick Rose. Of course they're interviewing everyone under the sun from the NCAA to students at Memphis to the NBA to discuss the potential impact of this. I just heard a lawyer explain why all of his endorsers are watching this closely and yada yada yada. I don't have the time to get into this like I'd like to so I may need to revisit, but needless to say if you've been here before, I find this all to be a bit ridiculous. Rose actually seems reasonably intelligent and learned, but even given that, let's be honest: did Memphis really recruit him for his academic prowess? Is he the only athlete who has ever had a grade changed? Sure, it's not a good thing to have someone take the SAT for you, and there should be punishment for that.

But that's not what this is about. I don't know if people truly understood the great lengths that the NCAA goes to pursue their goals of free labor and higher revenues. They have succeeded in convincing people that they have a genuine interest in the education of their athletes and that playing for nothing more than the "love of the game" (while the schools and the organization rake in millions of dollars every year) is sports at its most "pure." And, oh yeah, that "one and done" rule the NBA adopted? Well, one year of going to class and socialization is better than none, right? Two years would just be overkill.

When I was in law school, having played college sports myself, I considered filing a lawsuit on behalf of other NCAA student-athletes to get the organization to change its oppressive system but then I realized that I wasn't the first person who had tried nor would I be the last. Instead, I settled for writing a paper on the topic. And, thankfully for the NCAA, I'm not a big fan of litigation. Ha.

But the point remains the same: Everybody in and around basketball knows the deal. It's not that these kids are dumb, it's that people don't even want them to try for fear that they won't succeed and, therefore, won't be able to play. (Then we wonder why they have trouble trying to balance life as an adult...) How genuinely surprised would folks in the NCAA or NBA, or companies handing out these millions of endorsement dollars really be if it turned out that every single NBA star had received a grade they didn't deserve at some point in their scholastic careers? Considering that people representing each and every single one of these groups have been following these kids since they were in 7th and 8th grade, I'd have to say not many. No one can claim they were left in the dark, and in many cases, these same folks now crying foul (no pun intended) were the ones providing the "light." After all, the [insert name of basketball shoe/clothing company] guy who came to all of their high school games is the same guy who connects the kid with his college team, which team often leads him to his NBA agent, who leads the kid back to the shoe/clothing guy. Given all of this, I find it hard to believe that the NBA, NCAA and endorsers are banking on the fact that these kids are actually doing their own work; rather, I'd say they're banking on you and I not thinking about that.

Now, the NCAA wants to strip Memphis of the games they won (including their tournament run) if they find these allegations are true. But even if they take away the games from the "record books" (they must be kept in a library and not on the Internets), there will always be an asterisk there, not to mention that people have memories - they can't quite erase those.

So if the NCAA, the NBA (the "A" apparently used to stand for "academia"), and Rose's endorsers decide to distance themselves from him now that he (and more likely, if this is true, the others around him) allegedly had low academic integrity a few years ago (he is a pro now, last I checked), that's fine. As long as they don't mind being called on the hypocrisy.

I've got at least one more bone to pick this week. Stay tuned . . .

The Real 'Criminoles' Are Actually Paid To Be There

I don't usually say this, but this one makes me want to say, "Oy vey." What in the world were these people thinking?

Somebody thought it was a good idea to have the Florida State University football team take internet classes, even though they attend a perfectly good university where they can attend classes in person. It was interesting when Boston College started having its football team take night classes, but on-line class? That sounds fishy already. You've heard me wax philosophic on the farce that is NCAA's alleged emphasis on student-athletes, but this fiasco is near the top of the list of reasons why I don't buy what they're selling.

Instead of actually taking the exam themselves, some bright teacher's assistants and tutors decided that it would be a good idea to give multiple football players (as many as 25) and other student-athletes the answers to the internet exam. In addition:

The school's investigation found that a tutor gave students answers while
they were taking tests and filled in answers on quizzes and typed papers for
students.

According to one tutor, this had been going on since the fall of 2006.

Now these up to 25 football players may be suspended from playing in the upcoming bowl game - the upcoming terribly monikered bowl game, the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, and from playing in the first three games of the 2008 season. On another note, I really believe that they ought to re-think this whole name the bowl after the company sponsoring it idea.

I don't want to say that this is not surprising, but this is not surprising. It's also terrible, not least of all because it involved cheating. No, the most disappointing part of this story is that there are people in positions of authority and they think they are helping these kids when in actuality they are just doing them an extreme disservice. Then they "graduate" and can't function so well in the real world.

The kids (some, not all, since at least one blew the whistle) think it's cool because the teacher is cheating for them, but there's nothing cool about never being mentally challenged. Football of all sports is a short-lived experience, even if they do make it to the pro ranks. The least they could do is develop some skills, or just practice learning, so they can make a living after football. Someone else had to know this was going on and let it go on, and whomever they are, they should all be fired. FSU's athletic director, Dave Hart, Jr., pictured above, will be stepping down at the end of the year.

It should be interesting to see how this affects the Gaylord Hotels game. Ick.

My Post-Super Bowl 41 1/2 Round Up: Canned Fans? Battle of Just the QB's?

So much has been said about yesterday's game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. But I have two things to say.

First up, were the Colts playing unfair?

Like the Patriots several weeks ago, the Colts have also been accused of cheating. (For irony, see the sign behind Brady in the picture above.) This alleged cheating is actually kind of interesting. First, they're saying that the Colts piped in the canned sound of fans to make it extra loud while the Pats were on offense yesterday. Presumably so that the Pats couldn't hear any signals.

Now, I am surprised because I actually noticed this yesterday. I thought I was hearing things, or a mic had changed positions, but lo and behold, I heard what could become "Coltgate." The idea that the Colts would purposely pipe in fan sounds is quite comical for its genius.

However, CBS says blame it on them. And the NFL looks like they're going to go with that, too.

There were having some audio problems at the Colts' home that prevented Bill Belichick from communicating with his beloved Tom Brady, which required them to have to signal plays in to Brady.

Well, it didn't matter in the end because the Colts didn't win anyway, proving once again that alleged cheaters never prosper . . . but confirmed cheaters do.


My second point: why do the quarterbacks on these teams get all of the accolades? I found myself falling into that trap yesterday. Caught up in the hype of the battle between the QB's that I unwittingly framed the game as "Peyton's showing up" when I was referring to the whole team. It seems that not enough credit is given to the Colts' running back, Joseph Addai, or Brady's receivers (including my own fantasy team's Wes Welker, and Randy Moss, Donte' Stallworth). The commentators are in on it, too. I'm not sure if it's the nature of the beast (that the QB runs the show) or something else . . .

Update #2: No 'Pat' On the Hand

Our favorite commissioner, Roger Goodell, has fined Bill Belichick the NFL maximum $500,000, and the New England Patriots must pay $250,000 for stealing offensive and defensive signals. They also have to fork over next year's first-round draft choice if they reach the playoffs, or give up their second- and third-round picks if they don't make the playoffs.

This is a low moment for the NFL. The referee debacle was bad for the NBA, but it's worse when a coach is the one cheating. This is really heinous and utterly unprofessional for a coach to be involved in a scheme like this.

How come he doesn't have to sit out any games?

Cheaters Never Prosper . . . But They Can Win Super Bowls

What's up with this charge that a New England Patriots cameraman was spying on the NY Jets, recording the Jets' hand signals for defensive plays during their game yesterday? A game that the Patriots ended up winning.

Apparently, you can lose a draft pick for such an offense. I would have said it was sour grapes, except the Pats - and specifically, the cameraman in question - have a history of cheating.

This is just dumb. Can't be worth the risk, even if you do have "that's just my baby daddy" Tom Brady to help you out on the other end . . .