GoVolsDogg
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2004
- Messages
- 650
- Likes
- 0
By Cecil Hunt at www.tidesports.com
It seems that I might owe the NCAA Enforcement Staff an apology. During the Logan Young trial in Memphis, I wrote that members of the Enforcement Staff were probably monitoring the case -- unless they were too busy whitewashing the pending Ohio State case."
Well, it turns out that I was right about what they were doing, not that predicting a whitewash took any great insight. But where I transgressed was in underestimating their speed and efficiency. After all, I wrote that in late January -- and the NCAAs enforcement guys had already wrapped up their investigation" into Maurice Clarett in time to beat the Christmas rush.
Ohio State, earlier this week, released its official letter of inquiry from the NCAA, and that letter included no mention of Clarett, the star running back on Ohio States 2002 national champions and, most recently, a young man who accused the Buckeyes of a long list of NCAA infractions. Instead, the letter focused almost entirely on potential basketball violations, mentioning football only once.
To be honest, that was so predictable that I originally didnt even intend to write about it. No investigation into Big Ten football ever amounts to anything. The last Big Ten football team to receive a postseason ban in football was Minnesota in 1991. Ive probably got 25 years or so of college football observation left, and Im likelier to see Vanderbilt win a national championship than I am to see a Big Ten team get a bowl ban. Just for the record, in the 15 years since it last happened, the SEC has seen Alabama (twice), Auburn, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Mississippi State receive penalties. Its reached a point, though, where most college football fans just shrug about that inequity. It doesnt make any difference to Alabama, which has served out the penalties in its most recent probation. Its just the way things are.
Of course, Big Ten fans will argue that there have not been any penalties because their programs are all pristine. The proof? Well, if the NCAA hasnt imposed any penalties, they must be clean -- or so the tautology goes. I dont know about that. I do know that a Michigan booster was paying $600,000 to players in basketball, which isnt the main sport at Michigan. (The NCAA Enforcement Staffs original finding in that case, by the way, was that there were only secondary violations.") I do know that Albert Means recruitment was a cesspool and the team that traveled the greatest distance to jump in and swim around was Michigan State. I do know that Clarett was driving a quick succession of nice vehicles while he was playing at Ohio State. So color me skeptical about the pristine" thing.
Nonetheless, the case wasnt likely to be column material. That was until someone at the NCAA decided to comment.
Now, an NCAA comment isnt all that valuable in and of itself. In the first place, its probably no better than 50-50 on whether any given NCAA official is telling the truth or not. On the other hand, when someone at the NCAA does deign to comment about a pending case, it is revealing. First, the comment is usually means that the NCAA has been stung by some particular criticism. Second, the comment usually reveals more about the NCAA agenda than the spokesperson intended to reveal.
Thats what you can tell from the words of David Price, the NCAA vice president for enforcement services, earlier this week. Price indicated that the NCAA had tried for nearly a month to call Clarett, and he never called them back.
Over the course of a month in November and December 2004, phone calls were placed to Mr. Claretts reported cell phone numbers, relatives, former legal representatives and friends," Prices statement said. But the messages left were never returned. In addition, attempts to contact him in person failed."
No kidding, Mr. Price? Your crack staff devoted a whole month to finding Clarett, then gave up because he didnt return a phone call?
Thats a little different than the years spent pursuing some of the individuals in the Alabama case. Some of those individuals werent too co-operative, either, like Lynn Lang, who never said a word to the NCAA until after Alabamas penalties were handed down. In that case, the lack of an interview was no deterrent. The NCAA just used confidential sources."
One thing is obvious, and thats why the Broncos drafted Maurice Clarett as highly as they did. Not only does he seem to be super-strong, since he apparently fashioned the SUVs he drove in college with his bare hands, but he is also able to become invisible at will. Considering that he was a constant television presence in the build-up to the NFL draft, reporters and others seemed able to find him pretty easily. It wasnt so easy for an NCAA investigator, though, and the best course for them was just to give up after a few weeks.
Lets all face facts. The NCAA enforcement staff didnt find Clarett, or pursue his allegations, because it didnt want to pursue them. The Ohio State case will drag on for a few more months of procedure, although I will save everyone a lot of time by summarizing the results in one sentence. Someone on the Committee on Infractions (presumably not chairman Gene Marsh, an Ohio State graduate) will say shame" on the basketball program, then congratulate Ohio State for a diligent self-examination and everyone can say 'case closed" and engage in mutual back-patting.
I never doubted that would be the outcome. I just never expected the NCAA to admit that it made such a half-hearted effort to investigate. And even I never thought they could apply a coat of whitewash so quickly and so cleverly that even Tom Sawyer would be proud.
It seems that I might owe the NCAA Enforcement Staff an apology. During the Logan Young trial in Memphis, I wrote that members of the Enforcement Staff were probably monitoring the case -- unless they were too busy whitewashing the pending Ohio State case."
Well, it turns out that I was right about what they were doing, not that predicting a whitewash took any great insight. But where I transgressed was in underestimating their speed and efficiency. After all, I wrote that in late January -- and the NCAAs enforcement guys had already wrapped up their investigation" into Maurice Clarett in time to beat the Christmas rush.
Ohio State, earlier this week, released its official letter of inquiry from the NCAA, and that letter included no mention of Clarett, the star running back on Ohio States 2002 national champions and, most recently, a young man who accused the Buckeyes of a long list of NCAA infractions. Instead, the letter focused almost entirely on potential basketball violations, mentioning football only once.
To be honest, that was so predictable that I originally didnt even intend to write about it. No investigation into Big Ten football ever amounts to anything. The last Big Ten football team to receive a postseason ban in football was Minnesota in 1991. Ive probably got 25 years or so of college football observation left, and Im likelier to see Vanderbilt win a national championship than I am to see a Big Ten team get a bowl ban. Just for the record, in the 15 years since it last happened, the SEC has seen Alabama (twice), Auburn, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Mississippi State receive penalties. Its reached a point, though, where most college football fans just shrug about that inequity. It doesnt make any difference to Alabama, which has served out the penalties in its most recent probation. Its just the way things are.
Of course, Big Ten fans will argue that there have not been any penalties because their programs are all pristine. The proof? Well, if the NCAA hasnt imposed any penalties, they must be clean -- or so the tautology goes. I dont know about that. I do know that a Michigan booster was paying $600,000 to players in basketball, which isnt the main sport at Michigan. (The NCAA Enforcement Staffs original finding in that case, by the way, was that there were only secondary violations.") I do know that Albert Means recruitment was a cesspool and the team that traveled the greatest distance to jump in and swim around was Michigan State. I do know that Clarett was driving a quick succession of nice vehicles while he was playing at Ohio State. So color me skeptical about the pristine" thing.
Nonetheless, the case wasnt likely to be column material. That was until someone at the NCAA decided to comment.
Now, an NCAA comment isnt all that valuable in and of itself. In the first place, its probably no better than 50-50 on whether any given NCAA official is telling the truth or not. On the other hand, when someone at the NCAA does deign to comment about a pending case, it is revealing. First, the comment is usually means that the NCAA has been stung by some particular criticism. Second, the comment usually reveals more about the NCAA agenda than the spokesperson intended to reveal.
Thats what you can tell from the words of David Price, the NCAA vice president for enforcement services, earlier this week. Price indicated that the NCAA had tried for nearly a month to call Clarett, and he never called them back.
Over the course of a month in November and December 2004, phone calls were placed to Mr. Claretts reported cell phone numbers, relatives, former legal representatives and friends," Prices statement said. But the messages left were never returned. In addition, attempts to contact him in person failed."
No kidding, Mr. Price? Your crack staff devoted a whole month to finding Clarett, then gave up because he didnt return a phone call?
Thats a little different than the years spent pursuing some of the individuals in the Alabama case. Some of those individuals werent too co-operative, either, like Lynn Lang, who never said a word to the NCAA until after Alabamas penalties were handed down. In that case, the lack of an interview was no deterrent. The NCAA just used confidential sources."
One thing is obvious, and thats why the Broncos drafted Maurice Clarett as highly as they did. Not only does he seem to be super-strong, since he apparently fashioned the SUVs he drove in college with his bare hands, but he is also able to become invisible at will. Considering that he was a constant television presence in the build-up to the NFL draft, reporters and others seemed able to find him pretty easily. It wasnt so easy for an NCAA investigator, though, and the best course for them was just to give up after a few weeks.
Lets all face facts. The NCAA enforcement staff didnt find Clarett, or pursue his allegations, because it didnt want to pursue them. The Ohio State case will drag on for a few more months of procedure, although I will save everyone a lot of time by summarizing the results in one sentence. Someone on the Committee on Infractions (presumably not chairman Gene Marsh, an Ohio State graduate) will say shame" on the basketball program, then congratulate Ohio State for a diligent self-examination and everyone can say 'case closed" and engage in mutual back-patting.
I never doubted that would be the outcome. I just never expected the NCAA to admit that it made such a half-hearted effort to investigate. And even I never thought they could apply a coat of whitewash so quickly and so cleverly that even Tom Sawyer would be proud.
