OT, but a debate I want to start

greenminer · September 19, 2006

A few quick facts for exposition:

Tom Zbikowski (Notre Dame safety) got paid to fight in a professional boxing match that lasted :49. And that, apparently, is OKAY with the NCAA. happy gridironing, my friend

Rhett Bomar (OU quarterback before season) got paid for a job that he went to for :49, and that’s not OKAY. He -Bomar- ended up penalized on so many levels, he is no longer on the OU team.

Anyone remember the Jeremy Bloom crap a few years ago through U of Colorado? wow...

And now, the NCAA is threating USC with a forfeit of all their games/titles/awards that accumulated through Bush's stay, because he took money from a sports marketing firm. okay okay, it was reportedly $100K; but that's not my point...read on.

Now here's the twist:

The NCAA, more specifically, the PAC-10 has suspended the refs from the OU-UO game for blowing the end of that game this weekend (really, instant replay guys. How did they mess this up? where's the dignity?).

Here's my question: If they are goign to strip USC of all those games (and Bush of his Heisman, mind you), calling for accountability, why are they not taking it themselves when Stoops, OU, and Co. have been denied their request to erase this past game from the record books?

if NCAA is going to ask USC to be held accountable for mistakes it (the NCAA) failed to find at the time of occurance, isn't it only fair that they be held accountable for the OU-UO game and erase THAT game from the record books?

This organization is so cloudy, it's a shame. Thoughts, please.

-gm

good_ken · September 19, 2006

I think a big difference is that OU at least gave the illusion of doing the right thing by kicking Bomar off the team.

When fronted with the Dwayne Jarrett thing, and now the Reggie Bush deal, Pete Carroll has chosen to do nothing. Sending a message that absolutely nothing went wrong, or that they don't care.

Jarret admitted to wrong doing, so it must be that thye don't care.

I really hope that Yahoo Sports doesn't let this go. I want to see the NCAA forced to deal with one of their darling children.

Gator · September 19, 2006

I think a big difference is that OU at least gave the illusion of doing the right thing by kicking Bomar off the team.
When fronted with the Dwayne Jarrett thing, and now the Reggie Bush deal, Pete Carroll has chosen to do nothing. Sending a message that absolutely nothing went wrong, or that they don't care.
Jarret admitted to wrong doing, so it must be that thye don't care.
I really hope that Yahoo Sports doesn't let this go. I want to see the NCAA forced to deal with one of their darling children.
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You will know they are serious when you see Notrs Dame with its neck on the chopping block. Remember a few years ago when several players got financial help from a female booster. Nothing of consequence came of this.

good_ken · September 19, 2006

You will know they are serious when you see Notrs Dame with its neck on the chopping block. Remember a few years ago when several players got financial help from a female booster. Nothing of consequence came of this.

I remember that. The only difference is that Yahoo Sports will not drop this story. The rest of the media loves the USC/Notre Dames too much to write these. That's why I said that I hope Yahoo Sports doesn't let up.

Cr1028 · September 19, 2006

The difference is that Zbikowski got consent before the fight. I don't think Bomar called the NCAA and asked if he could go work a few minutes and get paid for a few hours.

gksmith · September 19, 2006

Also, Zbikowski's boxing career is completely different from his football career. I think there have been other football players that played minor league baseball, received pay, and were not in violation of NCAA rules.

Bomar's case if just flat cheating from back in the 70's and earlier. "Come play for my school and I will pay you $XXK to water the Astroturf...." That wasn't all the booster's fault too. Bomar should have been smart enough to know that it is a violation if you put in a time card that says you work 40 hours at a job and you didn't work 40 hours and you play football at an NCAA school. The NCAA can't do anything about the booster, but they can about the player and school.

THOR · September 19, 2006

Also, Zbikowski's boxing career is completely different from his football career. I think there have been other football players that played minor league baseball, received pay, and were not in violation of NCAA rules.
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jeremy bloom's skiing career was completely different from his football career, yet he was denied. notre dame bias???? ding ding ding!!!

Edited September 19, 2006 by radiogreen

gksmith · September 19, 2006

notre dame bias???? ding ding ding!!!
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YYyyyyy...no.

keith · September 19, 2006

jeremy bloom's skiing career was completely different from his football career, yet he was denied. notre dame bias???? ding ding ding!!!
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The Bloom thing was because of his "professional" endorsements. I don't think the is anything against getting paid for actually performing a job. There is something against getting paid cash by a booster and attempting to cover it though bogus payroll schemes.

Keith

keith · September 19, 2006

A few quick facts for exposition:
Tom Zbikowski (Notre Dame safety) got paid to fight in a professional boxing match that lasted :49. And that, apparently, is OKAY with the NCAA. happy gridironing, my friend
Rhett Bomar (OU quarterback before season) got paid for a job that he went to for :49, and that’s not OKAY. He -Bomar- ended up penalized on so many levels, he is no longer on the OU team.
Anyone remember the Jeremy Bloom crap a few years ago through U of Colorado? wow...
And now, the NCAA is threating USC with a forfeit of all their games/titles/awards that accumulated through Bush's stay, because he took money from a sports marketing firm. okay okay, it was reportedly $100K; but that's not my point...read on.
Now here's the twist:
The NCAA, more specifically, the PAC-10 has suspended the refs from the OU-UO game for blowing the end of that game this weekend (really, instant replay guys. How did they mess this up? where's the dignity?).
Here's my question: If they are goign to strip USC of all those games (and Bush of his Heisman, mind you), calling for accountability, why are they not taking it themselves when Stoops, OU, and Co. have been denied their request to erase this past game from the record books?
if NCAA is going to ask USC to be held accountable for mistakes it (the NCAA) failed to find at the time of occurance, isn't it only fair that they be held accountable for the OU-UO game and erase THAT game from the record books?
This organization is so cloudy, it's a shame. Thoughts, please.
-gm
←

Zbikowski actually did something to earn his money (nothing wrong with that) and I don't think he signed with an agent or made any product endorsements.

Bomar got caught cheating, plain and simple. He and the people handing him the cash knew it was against the rules of the NCAA and chose to ignore them.

Same (apparently) with Reggie Bush.

Officials are human. Humans make mistakes. It's part of the game...it always has been and always will be. The instant replay system was put in place specifically for that reason, but it's not fool-proof. You don't penalize on the basis of a fundamental human trait. I think you would need to prove willful misconduct....evidence that the refs knowingly and purposefully "rigged" the final outcome of the game.

The transgressions of Bomar and Bush (and possibly the institutions) were not "mistakes."

Keith