NCAA Hammers Paterno & Penn St

In Tweet earlier I asked if it was unfair what the
NCAA had done to Penn State and Joe Paterno today,
and I answered my own question by saying: "Let's
put it this way, in comparison to what those boys
went through, they were light", and I don't think
that anyone can truly argue with that.

Do the people who are presently at the school and
had zero to do with it deserving of such penalties?
I think it's easy enough to say no, but collateral
damage is always common in these cases, and they
have an the opportunity to go elsewhere in many
cases if they are too directly affected by these
sanctions and fines. Unfortunately it's not always
easy, but many will get to do this if they want.

I think the least of the penalties handed down
today is the vacated wins. Joe Paterno isn't #1
one on the wins list anymore? So what? If you
were a player on the field and won that day, you
won, no decision on paper can take that away from
you and your effort. If you were on the field and
lost that day, the last thing you want to hear is
that some guy in an office just handed you the win,
because some idiot did the wrong thing OFF THE FIELD.

Not the NCAA nor anyone in a position to do something
could pretend that what happened in court was enough.
Some of the people involved will never see a day of
prison or lose a dime of wealth, and the University
as an institution will eventually get past this, even
if it does forever remain ingrained in history books.
Something had to be done, and none of this will ever
come close to the pain and suffering inflicted on the
innocent involved at the pain Jerry Sandusky and the
silent inflicted on them.

These kids, named or not, out or not, will never be
the same. No money or conviction will ever change
that. Just be glad you or a member of your family
hasn't and doesn't ever become a victim to something
like this in your life.

Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

March Madness All About Money For The NCAA

AP Photo

A great many of us get excited this time of year
as March Madness and the Tournament of 64 68 is
about to begin, but at the risk of being redundant,
I can't help but get annoyed at the newest format
the NCAA has installed. As you can see I almost
wrote that there are 64 teams in this tournament
when if fact this year we go from 65 not 64 to 68.
It's obvious that the powers that be at the NCAA
felt it necessary to add a play in game a few years
ago so that one of the #16 seeds would have to earn
the right to get play a #1 seed, this still wasn't
enough. Enough what you ask? I say $Money$, they
say excitement. They even considered doubling the
size of the tournament and making it 128 teams.

The greediness here is certainly nothing new, and
nowadays it's almost expected, it's just that it
would be nice if institutions like the NCAA would
be a better example instead of standing for the
very same things they punish student athletes for,
GREEDINESS. College basketball & football create
so much revenue for schools and the NCAA it's mind
boggling, and yet whenever a student athlete is
caught trying to make a few extra dollars on the
side in a non illegal way, the NCAA punishes the
school and the athlete. It's way overdue that the
folks at the NCAA start looking in the mirror and
instead of worrying about the BCS or whether the
the tourny needs 64, 68 or 128 teams, they worry
about showing these kids a better example and also
finding a way to help them better financially.

Some of you out there may be rolling your eyes,
and wondering what the big deal is, or why I am
such a spoil sport, but this is about sports too.
When was the last time a #16 team beat a #1 seed?
You know the answer, NEVER. Will it, or could it
happen again? Sure, but it's not very likely, and
though the #15 has beaten the #2 seed four times,
the odds are still slim that this will happen again
anytime soon. These new play in games are for teams
that basically aren't even good enough to be seeded
sixteenth, so how do you expect them to provide any
thing more than a scrimmage for a #1 seed?
It's clear that this wasn't about anything other than
money, and given time you will see this tournament
either expand to the previously considered 128 team
format or another format that was considered a that
time as well, 96 teams. Welcome to the NCAA watered
down tournament of March (you to death) Madness.


Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis