Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Culture of Cheaters

With the resignation of Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel for impropriety's and rules violations of NCAA regulations, I wondered why so many coaches and universities seem to fall on such hard times.  I know coaches, as well as fans want to win so they push the envelope of opportunity and operate in as many grey areas as possible.  Winning certainly is important, after all that's why they play the games, or is it about something else. 

Have you noticed how much the big time college programs pay their coaches?  Have you noticed how much money ESPN and other major networks pay college sports programs for the right to televise and broadcast their games?  Have you noticed how much money the NCAA earns each year?  It's billions! 

As a fan I want the best facilities, the best coaches, and the best players.  Before the NCAA hammered out their billion dollar contract with the major networks, there were these same impropriety's, coaches and fans still wanted to win, and every few years we would hear about a program that had crossed the line.  Now it's a monthly occurrence.  The NCAA claims that they have the best interest of the student athlete at heart, but only if it's not at their expense.  They never think they are the bad guys, after all they are just looking out for the integrity of armature athletics.  But somewhere along the way, while they were harboring a culture of integrity in athletics, what they didn't see was the culture of greed, and now they are stuck with lots of money and a culture of cheaters.

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