When push comes to shove, I actually think the NCAA isn't doing a terrible job. I'm aware that this would put me in the vast minority, but so be it. The boys in Indianapolis are coming down hard at Bowden and FSU and however you want to look at "one-and-done" merry-go-round of elite players in basketball, the fault lies squarely on the NBA. To put blame anywhere else is foolish.
So, it pains me to hear about Memphis vacating their magical 2007-08 run under coach, and Moon Area grad, John Calipari. It's not the vacated wins that bother me, rather the fact that it's ONLY vacated wins. That is what has had me pacing around for the past hour.
Unlike the Bowden situation, where a man has now been hopelessly placed out of reach of the all time wins race, Calipari has already moved to a bigger program and fatter paychecks. Most of all, he's moved away from the mess he left for the Tigers.
Except, it's not really a mess. Memphis isn't losing scholarships, nor are they being left out of tournament play. They just move on. Wiser to the fact that cheating can occur, as long as the head coach and administration are kept far enough away from the cheating. Lessons will be learned here, I bet ya!
For Calipari, even less to worry about. No sanctions will be coming for the head coach. Except, the head coach is just that, the head coach. If responsibility doesn't lie with the head coach, who else is there? Even if he didn't know it happened, his failure to monitor the players he recruits, and the staffers he hires, makes him liable, regardless of knowledge.
Maybe I'd be more sympathetic if this was a first offense, but it isn't. UMass has a final four trip they can't recognize, also while Calipari was the man in charge. Oddly enough, Calipari had again skipped town before the "hammer" (term used loosely) came down.
People will charge that it's unfair to punish the people left behind for the actions of the departed. Maybe, but that's hardly justification to under-punish for clear rules violations. Hit Memphis with a couple of scholarship losses, then tack on a few post-season bans. See if they choose to monitor their employees and recruits better. I have a feeling they would. For Calipari, he can take a year off, and try to find work with a "show-cause" sanction attached to him for the next three years. I'm confident that John would be overlooking all aspects of his team, the next time he was put in charge of one.
The problem is that schools and individuals can run the risk-benefit analysis and see that any sanctions they may occur are far outweighed by the attention, money, and prestige that an ill gotten season can bring. I think it's time for the NCAA to go so extreme in it's punishments that institutions and individuals would get buried for cheating the system. If schools knew that they could face the death penalty for any type offense related to a players eligibility or amateur status, you'd be hard pressed to see schools bring in the OJ Mayo's and Reggie Bush's.
Your move, NCAA. Don't be afraid of being in charge.
/Steps off soapbox
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