Want to end corruption in college basketball?
It is time to end the charade of insisting that a young man play one year of college basketball before playing professionally. The rule prohibiting a player from going straight to the NBA from high school is not only unconstitutional but is tearing the heart and soul out of college basketball. Why do I say that? Let´s discuss the constitutional aspects first. Why should anyone have the right to demand an American citizen to suffer the loss of millions of dollars of income to satisfy the demands of the NCAA and NBA Players Association. The student-athletes are not part of a collective bargaining. The NCAA wants to maintain their plantation mentality. Both parties are intent on keeping the status quo despite some lip service to the contrary. The Player´s association wants to control the influx of players into the league. The NCAA wants to keep a de facto professional league on the floor. The player provides the talent. Without the talent, the NCAA can´t provide the product to make an insane amount of money for the member institutions.
I know that some argument might be offered to convince us that 18-year-olds do not have the emotional and physical demands to enter the adult world of the NBA. The young men in today´s world more mature today than they were in the previous generation. Exhibit A to prove that belief is Lebron James. If young men can fight and die in wars for America, surely our nation owes them unfettered access to a livelihood. I listened to a radio broadcast regarding the shame that coaches and players have brought amateur sports. The hypocrisy of that belief is apparent. The fans and the NCAA want a good product. They want it for free. College sports are the epitome of capitalism - increase demand, protect the brand, and keep labor to the lowest possible price.
If the NCAA wants to reduce the amount of ¨cheating¨ then the one and done rule needs to be abolished. Eliminating the one and done will help control an out of control AAU. How ironic that AAU purports to be about amateur sports. I believe the AAU is breeding grounds of corruption on so many levels it is impossible to name all of them.
The agent situation skyrocketed after the Cam Newton ruling by the NCAA. Newton said he knew nothing of his father´s dealing with various NCAA member institutions. Most people felt that Newton got away with what would have been others led to major sanctions. Who knows? Perhaps Newton did not know. It has opened the door to an affirmative defense of ¨Uh, I didn´t know.¨ Auburn´s case regarding an assistant coach is clear - an assistant coach knew what was going on. That should mean if Alabama didn´t know about Collin´s taking money they should be clear. Cheating will never end. We can lessen the severity of the cheating by ridding ourselves of the one and done.
One other suggestion that might help - if a school signs a one and done player they lose that scholarship for the next season. If a school signs three one and done athletes they lose three Scholarships the following years. Harsh? I don´t think so if we want amateurs back in the game. The hypocrisy of member institutions make millions of dollars and pretending to be upset when a kid gets some cash or an automobile doesn´t pass the sniff test. I rest my case.
The agent situation skyrocketed after the Cam Newton ruling by the NCAA. Newton said he knew nothing of his father´s dealing with various NCAA member institutions. Most people felt that Newton got away with what would have been others led to major sanctions. Who knows? Perhaps Newton did not know. It has opened the door to an affirmative defense of ¨Uh, I didn´t know.¨ Auburn´s case regarding an assistant coach is clear - an assistant coach knew what was going on. That should mean if Alabama didn´t know about Collin´s taking money they should be clear. Cheating will never end. We can lessen the severity of the cheating by ridding ourselves of the one and done.
One other suggestion that might help - if a school signs a one and done player they lose that scholarship for the next season. If a school signs three one and done athletes they lose three Scholarships the following years. Harsh? I don´t think so if we want amateurs back in the game. The hypocrisy of member institutions make millions of dollars and pretending to be upset when a kid gets some cash or an automobile doesn´t pass the sniff test. I rest my case.
