Pearl Out at Tennessee

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Many sources have indicated that Tennessee has in fact fired men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl. This incident does bring forth an interesting dilemma that is quickly becoming a firestorm on Twitter.

Why? Some are of the opinion that Pearl should not have told the NCAA the truth. He should have kept lying about breaking the rules. He would still have a job if he had. Pearl gained nothing for coming forward with these truths. It all presents a moral and ethical dilemma more than anything.

I cannot believe anyone would suggest that Pearl should have kept lying. The truth will come out in the end whether you want it to or not. Ask Pete Carroll. Ask Tim Floyd. Ask Reggie Bush. Ask O.J. Mayo. Ask Mike Garrett. Nothing became of hiding and lying for USC. While the violations may not be as severe for Tennessee, you can't help but think of USC in this instance.

Or even the current plight of Ohio State football and it's head coach Jim Tressel. While it's a different matter (but it really isn't), it is being suggested that Tressel's problem was non-disclosure while Pearl lied. Not sure if I buy the difference only from this point. It is only a guess.

Now I'm reading (on Titter again) that Tressel's "failure to disclose" is the same as lying for the Buckeye bashers. Not necessarily true. Read on...

The NCAA should have questioned Tressel on the subject if he knew of the sale of items by his players. If he wasn't, then shame on the NCAA. But if he was and Tressel said no, then he's on the exact same level as Pearl. Maybe that's why we had the two-game suspension extended to five games. It does give you pause to think because the NCAA is still investigating the Buckeyes football program.

The Vest in Distress

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Another day, another case of college football gone awry. It's getting as tiresome as taking about PEDs in baseball.

We've endures the Auburn-Cam Newton fiasco. Just the other day it was brought to light that the University of Oregon used a service in order to land a recruit...and doled out $25,000 in that process. Now, Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel is alone in the spotlight.

The Ohio State University held a media gathering last evening to which Tressel addressed issues surrounding the suspensions of five OSU players previous to the Sugar Bowl. The five were given five game suspensions and another player was levied a one game suspension. All were found to have sold memorabilia to a local tattoo parlor in exchange for "discounted" rates.

Okay. I get that part.

Then, Yahoo! Sports (the same that "exposed" the memorabilia bit) revealed yesterday that Tressel knew in April of last year that these shenanigans were happening. In last evening's presser, Tressel revealed that there were other circumstances that were involved...like an investigation by the Feds.

OSU levied a self-imposed two-game suspension and a $250,000 fine. The two games Tressel will "miss" are against Akron and Toledo.

Where to start with this...

Pryor, Herron, Posey and 2 Others Suspended

Now, before you Ohio State think that I'm taking great pleasure in the news that a total of six Buckeyes are suspended, I'm not. And it's not because I'm a Big Ten "homer" either. Here's why.

According to Yahoo! Sports, QB Terrelle Pryor, RB Daniel Herron, WR DeVier Posey, OL Mike Adams and DE Solomon Thomas will be suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season. All five must repay anywhere from $1,000-$2,500 to a charity for the improper benefits they are deemed to have received. LB Jordan Whiting must sit out the first game of 2011. His sanctions are not as severe as the others because his benefits were "discounted" due to his stature as a Buckeye player.

Pryor, Herron, Posey, Adams and Thomas are accused of selling different forms of memorabilia (awards, gits and apparel) in return for receiving improper benefits. One of which was tattoos for autographs. Yahoo! also states that Pryor has denied the allegations in a tweet, but the tweet has since been removed.

With that out of the way, here's where I have difficulty in accepting this.

First, why the first five games of 2011? I understand the "findings" are severe. But why hold off? Oh, there's no way the NCAA would want the Buckeyes to be short-handed going into the Sugar Bowl against Arkansas. Who would watch? In other words, ratings = $$$$$! The NCAA will profit on a higher rating versus taking these guys off the field at the Superdome. Lame. Completely lame.

Second, the NCAA stated Ohio State had not properly advised its players on this matter. From NCAA.com:

The decision from the NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff does not include a withholding condition for the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The withholding condition was suspended and the student-athletes will be eligible to play in the bowl game Jan. 4 based on several factors. These include the acknowledgment the student-athletes did not receive adequate rules education during the time period the violations occurred, [Kevin] Lennon said.

Lennon is the NCAA vice president of academic and membership affairs. This quote goes along, to an extent, with my first point, too.

While OSU athletic director Gene Smith agreed with this fact, I have a hard time believing that head coach Jim Tressel and his staff would overlook such a thing. It's simply not in their blood. Something smells here.

Finally, again, the NCAA. The complete and utter futility of the body as a whole. So, Reggie Bush's parents can have a house and the whole program is deemed as rogue. Probation and scholarship reductions are attached as penalties due to "lack of institutional control". Six Buckeyes, count 'em, six, are found to have received improper benefits and that program as a whole is not even slapped on the wrist. Granted, there is a significant difference between a home and tattoos. Six on one in any contest is unfair to the one.

Jeremiah Masoli plead out of a deal where he was accused of stealing laptops from an Oregon fraternity. What did that get him? Ducks head coach Chip Kelly booted him from the team, but Masoli transferred to Ole Miss and played...this season. In other words, the words inconsistent and NCAA go hand in hand. There is no form of consistency from the NCAA in doling out punishment.

But here's what really sticks in my crawl. With all the stories out there about student-athletes being suspended for various "infractions", why would these players put not only their own eligibility in peril, but that of the team? Why jeopardize your entire team for your own personal selfishness?

And that's exactly what it is, selfishness. Get mine and the others will have to deal with possible consequences even though I created the problems.

Yep. It is a "me" thing.

USC Turns Page on Garrett Era with Haden

The move, inevitable. With a new president Max Nikias coming into the fold at USC, one of the more pressing issues was finding a successor to AD Mike Garrett...by any means necessary.

After an extensive NCAA investigation uncovered major violations within the USC football, men's basketball and women's tennis programs, USC will made the long overdue move to replace Garrett and will replace him with another former Trojan, Pat Haden. USC has also made strides to further distance itself from the fiasco by removing any and all references to those student-athletes responsible for the sanctions. USC will even return Reggie Bush's Heisman to the Heisman Trust.

All of the "players" in the scandal are gone. Bush, O.J. Mayo, Tim Floyd, Pete Carroll are just a few that have since departed. Other lesser known names have followed. The last to "fall" was Garrett. He's not leaving the program as much as it looks like he's being forced out.

And what strikes me funny is that to this second Garrett barely even acknowledged the findings and sanctions. Oh, we heard that USC would appeal the sanctions levied against his beloved football program, but the only other peep he voiced was to a gathering of boosters. He stated that those that levied these penalties were jealous because "they wish they were all Trojans".

Defiant? Not a strong enough word here. Arrogant is more like it. Garrett snubbed his nose at the NCAA. How dare you penalize my sacred program? That was not the attitude USC needed then, or now. After all, the cash cow known as the football program has been placed in deep waters due, in part, to his office's inept handling of the situation. One football player. One men's hoops star. One women's tennis player. And then, the AD's office is the common link.

Garrett will receive a retirement package from the university. "Retirement" sounds better than "being replaced" or "terminated" or "released" or "fired". Let him have some dignity...

But now, the house has been cleaned, a new era of USC athletics will be born under Haden. And does this guy have intangibles.

In his days at USC, Haden personified a term that's so misused today, "student-athlete". He's a Rhodes Scholar and a two-time National Championship QB. Haden bring an air of respectability and class with him. Haden also serves on USC's Board of Trustees and has held that position for 19 years. He knows the way it should be and the way it will be under his watchful eye.

"We want to compete ferociously and win in every sport, but we want to do it ethically and within the rules. We're going to have a culture of compliance around here. Every meeting is going to start with the No. 1 item as compliance. ... We're going to try to be perfect. When we make mistakes, we're going to fess up, and we're going to try to do better next time."

Ethically and within the rules. Something that is lost far too often in college athletics as a whole these days. The whole "if you're not cheating, you're not trying" thing has sailed. Compliance. Another lost trait.

As you can gather, Haden is also media savvy, a glaring weakness of Garrett's. His days as the color commentator on Notre Dame football telecasts over the past decade are done. He's got a bigger job at hand and he realizes that.

"We're going to do better. We have to do better. We don't have any choices here. We stub our toe, there's going to be some problems."

A higher ground will be in order now. By bringing Haden back to USC full-time, the shame that has been brought on the athletic department can now attempt to restore the shine it once held.

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.

Michigan to launch investigation

UPDATE: An emotional Rich Rodriguez addressed the media today in Ann Arbor in the wake of allegations that he and his staff have repeatedly broken NCAA regulations. On several occassions, Rodriguez had to pause to collect himself. It's no secret that Rodriguez wears his heart on his sleeve and today's press conference confirms that. Also of note, the Big Ten Conference has had investigators in Ann Arbor since yesterday.

I don't think Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez wanted the season to start like this. After coming off a dreadful 3-9 season in 2008, the University of Michigan will be investigating allegations that Rodriguez is not complying with NCAA rules regarding off-season mandatory workouts during 2008 and 2009. Hardly a way for Rodriguez to attempt to get back into the good graces of the Ann Arbor faithful.

The Detroit Free Press published a story on Sunday in which current and former Wolverine players accuse Rodriguez of going too far regarding off-season workouts and the amount of time spent on "football activities". As is always the case, it depends on who you talk to as to which story you get.

The NCAA has a rule that only 8 hours a week are required for the off-season workouts. Players state that they would spend two to three times that allowable 8 hours. The players can exceed the 8 hour limit, but it must be voluntarily and not mandated. One anonymous player paints a different picture.

“It was mandatory,” the one player said. “They’d tell you it wasn’t, but it really was. If you didn’t show up, there was punishment. I just felt for the guys that did miss a workout and had to go through the personal hell they would go through.”

If it was truly a voluntary workout, attendance shouldn't be taken, right? According to NCAA rules, there should be no coaches and/or staff (except for a trainer in case of injury) present during voluntary workouts. The above statement provides a totally different view. The coaching staff knew if a player did not attend the workout due to the "personal hell" statement. How could the coaches know? Two ways. Players ratted on their teammates or there was actually staff present. I know which option sounds more logical.

But the alleged violations do not stop there.

The NCAA mandates a 4 hour daily limit on football activities. On Sundays after games, the players were spending about 9 hours on the same activities. The NCAA also mandates a weekly limit of 20 hours. Reports from players say that amount of time was regularly exceeded as well.

It is also alleged that Rodriguez's quality-control staff were seen watching 7-on-7 drills. Again, a trainer can be present, but no other coaches and/or staff are permitted to be in attendance of these drills. These drills are to be strictly voluntary and run by the players themselves. The QC staff are to provide administrative and other support functions for coaches; however, they are not permitted to interact with the players during games, practices or workouts. The mere fact they were present at these drills could be deemed as a violation.

Rodriguez and the University of Michigan issued a statement on Saturday to the Free Press concerning the allegations. The coach offered this:

“We know the practice and off-season rules, and we stay within the guidelines. We follow the rules and have always been completely committed to being compliant with all NCAA rules.”

So it looks like Michigan is preparing for two opponents: its own coaching staff (and possible NCAA investigation on top of its own) and the Western Michigan Broncos. The Broncos are not to be taken lightly. They were 9-4 in 2008 and averaged almost 30 points a game. The passing game is extremely potent with QB Tim Hiller and WRs Jamarko Simmons and Schneider Julien. The Wolverine defense will be severly tested.

This situation/investigation could get ugly. Michigan has long been considered a "clean program". These allegations shed a new light on the U of M football program. The reputation is going to be tested. In one corner, you have the players. They are saying that the rules are regularly being broken. Then you have the "administration" in the other corner. They state just the opposite. The rules are being followed and there are no worries.

Someone's lying.