Oklahoma State WR Bryant ruled ineligible

Update: On November5, the NCAA upheld their suspension of Bryant despite Oklahoma State's appeal. Bryant is currently being projected as a first round pick in the next NFL draft.

This has to go into the file of "Huh?". The NCAA has ruled that Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant (below) is ineligible until October, 2010. The investigation was initiated due to interaction that Bryant had with Deion Sanders.


The university is appealing the decision in the hopes that Bryant could rejoin the Cowboys later this season. The outlook, however, is grim.

Head coach Mike Gundy provided this statement on the appeals process:

"There is nothing new. We've had no response. I think everybody has given up."

Unfortunately, we may have seen the last of Bryant in a Cowboys uniform. And that is sad. It is rumored that Bryant will now go pro due to this decision. All because the NCAA has totally fumbled this situation. It's a turnover that should have never been committed.

In a story from Fanhouse, the investigation into possible NCAA infractions arose when it was thought that Bryant went to a Dallas residence owned by Sanders. It is then suggested that Sanders submitted Bryant to a workout, bought Bryant a meal, and then attempted to build a working relationship between Bryant and agent Eugene Parker (the same agant representing Michael Crabtree).

Amid questioning from the NCAA, Bryant denied all claims, but it was later established that Bryant did visit Sanders (left) in May. The workout and Parker's "involvement" were claims that were unfounded. Bryant was still given his suspension based on NCAA bylaw 10.1 in that Bryant was "...knowingly furnishing the NCAA or the individual's institution false or misleading information."

I underatand that lying to the NCAA is a bad thing, but outside of tha 10.1 bylaw, no rules were violated by Bryant. Did you get that, NCAA? There are reports that Bryant gave the false info to NCAA investigators because he feared that he did, in fact, break a rule. So you take away a kid's year of eligibility because he lied? The only thing Bryant should be accused of is being a kid.

What happens to coaches and programs when they knowingly and repeatedly break NCAA bylaws and rules? If they are found guilty of improprieties, do they receive a suspension? We don't have to wander to far back in the past to see the answer. John Calipari (right) and the Memphis basketball program (and now, the whole John Wall eligiblity issue) and the Alabama textbook scandal are the two of the more prominant issues recently in the news regarding violations. What happened to these institutions?

Both Memphis and Alabama were stripped of wins. There are no reports of any "student-athletes" being given any type of suspension for their participation in the breaking of NCAA rules. Memphis also had to forfeit monies they received from their last Final Four appearance. One of Calipari's players at Memphis, Derrick Rose, is now making a bit of change in the NBA. Did that stigma of the Memphis (and don't forget UMass) program prohibit Calipari from putting a bit of coin in his own pocket?

You might think I'm comparing apples to oranges here. While Calipari's name never surfaced in the Memphis findings, he was still the man in charge. Same for all the Bama coaches. Nothing happened to any of them either. Were these institutions totally forthcoming in their allegations? Doubt it. I once head the expression "if you ain't cheatin', you're not tryin'."

Yet Bryant didn't cheat and is handed a year suspension for giving false information. It's a simple case of the "little guy" get stomped while "the big boys" can rule. Almost like getting bullied. The NCAA is the bully and OK State is the little guy.

Talk about a hypocrisy.