The consistently inconsistent NCAA

By Joe Ovies
Aug 31, 2011

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The NCAA ruled Tuesday that eight Miami Hurricanes football players will have to sit out a varying amount games and repay benefits they received from Ponzi scheming booster Nevin Shapiro. Throw in the indefinite suspension of wide receiver Aldarius Johnson and the U will be without nine players for the season opener against Maryland.

Considering the Hurricanes will be without Jacory Harris, Sean Spence, Travis Benjamin, Marcus Forston and Adewale Ojomo for just one game, the news isn't as devastating as so many predicted. There will be a ton of new names on the field when the Canes take on the Terps, but opening contests have a quirky way being toss-up affairs despite perceived roster advantages. By the time Miami gets into the meat of their conference schedule on October 8th, the majority of their suspended players will be back. Not that the Hurricanes are expected to take the Coastal Division, but they'll at least be competitive when it matters.

At first blush, it's interesting that all the sound and fury from Shapiro's bomb dropping on Coral Gables resulted in anticlimactic punishment. Just ask North Carolina fans, who are somewhat confused over the NCAA's swift justice. In comparison to Miami's turnaround time from ruling players ineligible to getting results from the NCAA before the season kicked off, the Tar Heels got rulings from the NCAA in chunks. After North Carolina held out 13 players from the season opener against LSU, the Tar Heels were in player limbo through October.

Obviously the "academic prong" of the scandal, the scope of improper benefits that included other players from other schools and NCAA's utter hatred of Chris Hawkins complicated matters in comparison to Miami's situation, but it won't stop fans from getting frustrated by the NCAA process. And I don't blame them.

The NCAA insists that they had been investigating Shapiro's claims about Miami five months prior to the exhaustive Yahoo! Sports report was released. However, it's curious that there wasn't even a hint of possible suspensions for several Hurricanes players until Charles Robinson did his thing. So sorry if people aren't buying it, NCAA.

It's also foolish to believe this is it for the Hurricanes. In the NCAA release, the governing body claims players received varying levels of recruiting inducements and extra benefits "from university booster Nevin Shapiro and athletics personnel." That last part is damning for Miami because it throws out the "how could we know?" defense. It also proves that despite Shapiro's hustling past, he wasn't lying about hooking these players up.

Miami is going to get hit hard. We're not talking about the death penalty, which is a foolish discussion to begin with, but the Hurricanes should expect scholarship hits and bowl bans. As former AD and NCAA Committee on Infractions chair Paul Dee would say, it's all about strict liability.

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RE: The consistently inconsistent NCAA

The violations of both schools are bad, and of course, if you're against UNC, you're going to make them out to be the Devil and the others are just minions. UNC had 14 players in question, 7 of which were later cleared. There was an assistant coach dealing with an agent and a tutor that helped a player plagiarize a paper and it's confined to a single sport. Yes, it's more in depth than that, I know, I'm purposefully being general here.

Miami had players receiving benefits from a booster spending 20 years in prison for masterminding a $930 million ponzi scheme. As many as 72 total players, including 12 current players and 10 coaches in BOTH football and basketball have been named. A LOT of the players named and none of the coaches aren't even there anymore. This means that this has been going on for some time and the "cooperation" only came after the allegations were made.

Carolina did wrong and will, and should, be punished. However, when you look at the number of people and players involved and the history of those people, I don't see how the argument can be made that what happened at UNC is worse. Comparable at best, but not worse.

RE: The consistently inconsistent NCAA

Super simple solution to these NCAA violation issues: Student-athletes get up in the morning, go to class, make good grades, graduate in 4 years, play hard in their respective sports, obey the rules related to their scholarships(they're well aware of these rules upon accepting the scholarships)and then work during the summers(yes, they are allowed to have jobs; there are some stipulations, but yes, they are allowed to have jobs). T.J. Yates and Russell Wilson did it, so why can't all players do it? And the rules don't change just because you came "from a poor family". It's all kindergarten-level in its simplicity.

RE: The consistently inconsistent NCAA

One program cooperated and the only issue was one booster - so they got a swift answer. The other stonewalled, was involved in (1) academic fraud, (2) had agents and runners everywhere (including a coach - something NO program has ever been accused of), and (3) numerous players received improper gifts from various sources - and new infomation continues to come out even now. What's hard to understand? The 2 situations are not comparable.
- Posted by bppack2

Have you even read the Yahoo article and the claims this Shapiro has made. Many of which are confirmed by former players and independent documentation and sources. There are 12 current players in trouble but this involves probably a hundred players.

Let me help.

http://sports.yahoo.com/investigations/news?slug=cr-renegade_miami_booster_details_illicit_benefits_081611

The U should have their day in court so to speak, but if half of it is true, the death penalty should be coming or the NCAA will lose the little credibilty they still have which is pretty minute.

RE: The consistently inconsistent NCAA

One program cooperated and the only issue was one booster - so they got a swift answer. The other stonewalled, was involved in (1) academic fraud, (2) had agents and runners everywhere (including a coach - something NO program has ever been accused of), and (3) numerous players received improper gifts from various sources - and new infomation continues to come out even now. What's hard to understand? The 2 situations are not comparable.

RE: The consistently inconsistent NCAA

Trying to get consistency out of the NCAA is like trying to get water out of a rock. And if you're looking for fair, forget it. Fair only comes once a year. It's a large agricultural exhibition with a ferris wheel and greasy food.

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