NCAA Investigations: the Real Violations

NCAA vs Sports Agents and paying college athletes, what's the real violation?

NCAA rules prohibit players from accepting gifts or improper benefits from agents or their representatives. What if the college athlete doesn’t have an agent or a representative? Does that mean college athletes can not accept friends request from Sports Agents on facebook? What if a fraternity is throwing the best party on campus and everyone who attends, including the college athletes, are not charged to drink the Jungle Juice (or Tim Tebow for the fruit punch) is that considered an improper gift?

A South Beach party at Club Liv in the Fontainebleau hotel in May has been the subject of an investigation by the NCAA and several high profile schools, including defending National Champion Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. These investigations will only lead to punishment for the schools and the current players. But in the USC investigations, the punishment for violating NCAA agent rules affected the current players who were not even students at USC when the violations took place.

The only punishment that is consistent is that the agent is never the victim and agents are never punished for going after top prospects. According to the NCAA, only 39 states have a law that can punish the misbehavior of agents. However, these laws are rarely applied. So who is really violated? College students meet with future employers about future jobs. Future employers can fly out future employees to interviews or any company function that might persuade the future employee. How is a student interview different from student athletes interviewing future Sport Agents?

What is different is paying current student athletes with a paycheck to play the sport. They are paid: it’s called a college education without student loans. I hate to say it, but I disagree with one my favorite sports reporters, John Saunders and the rest of the sports reporters on this issue. On Sunday’s edition of the show the lead story was about the NCAA and agents and if players should be paid to play. Saunders ended the segment by saying; “room, board, books and tuition; there should be a little more money going around I think..” I’m guessing that he and Mike Lupica, Mitch Albom, and Pedro Gomez didn’t have student loans when they graduated from college.

There are brain surgeons who will graduate medical school over a hundred thousand in debt. Reggie Bush left college with zero debt, maybe a Range Rover and the skills on the field to make millions. Yes, Reggie Bush made USC millions from his jersey sales and the hype of watching him play, but USC gave Reggie Bush the opportunity and the branding that lead to Reggie Bush signing a NFL contract and earning millions. He was paid, just not in paper presidents and so were all the athletes who proved themselves in professional sports.

Any college student is going to be tempted to anything that’s “free”. In my opinion, if the University isn’t writing the check for any legal, “free” gifts or trips I don’t see the big violation. Paying student athletes to play is a violation to all students. When non-athletes are paying thousands of dollars in tuition and will graduate with 30 years of debt so that the student athletes can leave college without ever owing the University a penny, is enough. Paying athletes would only lead to an increase in student’s tuition and that should be considered a real NCAA violation.

Witness the Biggest BreakUp

LeBron James didn’t choose to grow up in Ohio. He never had a national signing day and he’s never be able to choose where he would play. Cleveland crowned him the Chosen One to build a seven year relationship that was based on hope he could save a city. LeBron James didn’t choose to save Cleveland.

The idea of a national TV special to announce his decision of free agency is not shocking. I can’t be the only one who expected this type to attention on a day that we all saw coming.

LeBron James is more than an athlete, he’s an international brand! Of course the world wanted to ‘witness’ HIS decision. The problem is that the city of Cleveland took it as a public breakup and a slap in the face of un-loyalty. I would argue that the city of Cleveland is the crazy ex-girlfriend in this breakup. Burning LBJ’s jersey, riots, and the deepest burn came from the nasty words of Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert. This isn’t Lane Kiffin, this is a six time all-star and a two time MVP. He played his heart out in a Cavalier jersey! If he wanted to “rub it in” he would have sat behind a table lined with team hats, smiled and cheered while yelling “South Beach baby”. Instead, he made it a charity opportunity, had a conversation -not a press conference and held back tears as he announced he would be heading down south.

The pressure of his decision was written on his tired face and shown in his glossy eyes. He carried the weight of not only a franchise, but the weight of an entire city. No one would choose that pressure and no one could succeed alone. It takes a team to win a championship and a team to save a city.

Even when LeBron showed signs that he had an interest in other cities, Cleveland fans sill worshiped him. Remember when he wore a Yankees hat to an Indians game? He has openly stated that yes, he grew up in Ohio, but he also grew up a Yankees fan, a Dallas Cowboy fan and a Chicago Bulls fan-why else would he wear “23”?

He didn’t breakup with Cleveland for more money. He’s said all along that he plays to win. Seven years of sell-out games and ESPN highlights without a championship in a Cavaliers jersey can only leave LeBron the one with a broken heart. So yes, breaking up is hard to do.

I respect LeBron more for admitting that it’s not about the money and that he can’t do it alone. By joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh- the Miami Heat just got hotter. Professional sports are fueled by ego’s and dollar signs. To see a team that chooses to ban together to build a team fueled by passion and teamwork is almost an unheard of relationship. A team that has chosen to give up their individual net worth to build the teams net worth is so rare and inspiring –and quite possibly the best illustration of teamwork in the NBA. Now, we can only count down the days until we witness a championship team.

The Donovan Affect

I’m not going to lie, watching ninety minutes of running made me tired. I even called my cable provider because there was an annoying buzzing sound coming form my TV. When the customer service representative told me that my cable connection was fine I started to believe a fly was stuck in my ear.

I’m a huge sports fan, but when it comes to the most popular sport in the world, something is missing in American soccer. I think American fans are too ADD (attention deficit disorder) to watch a ninety minute game with such low scoring. Fans need more instant gratification to keep their eye on the ball and their debit cards in the stadiums. Sports fans have so many choices when it comes to which sports to watch and support. Teams that already have championship banners to confirm success have captured fans for their life time. Besides, Americans are too competitive to invest in a sport that can end in a tie. Seriously, all that running for a tie!!!??

The United States has Americanized the sport football by naming it soccer. Why did we stop there? Maybe we should have Americanized the game more towards corporate entertainment to drive a fan base of consumer spending. A large TV audience and a strong, supporting fan base are the fundamentals for a successful team/league. In a sport with no time outs, there’s no time for commercials- only a fifteen minute break at halftime. Don’t get me wrong; I have satellite radio in my car because I can’t stand commercials so watching a game without interruption is great. The down side is that the sports that have altered rules of their game to become more TV friendly have created a billion dollar industry that is a house hold brand-except soccer.

Deep down, I’m a dork and there are not enough stats for me to tell who on the field is a star and who is a superstar. I know of Clint Dempsey because of story Jeremy Schapp showed on E:60. Until an ESPN commercial with Landon Donovan and a copy machine, I was unaware that he is the all-time leader in scoring and assists for the United States national team. In 2007 the Beckham Effect was Major League Soccer’s plan to be in the same league as the NFL, MLB, NBA and the NHL. Temporally, it created hype and when Beckham actually played, the plan worked. However, the Beckham Effect didn’t pack a local bar at 8:00AM for an afternoon soccer game like a United States World Cup game.

The best moment for the United States during the World Cup was seeing the excitement that the team created among Americans. Maybe it was just the red, white and blue that united sports fans on a field where no one, including the World Cup referees wanted the United States to be successful. But, I have hope that Landon Donovan’s game winning goal against Algeria was the play that years from now we will look back and say that was the goal that created the Donovan Affect on American soccer.

P.S. Vuvuzelas should be banned in the United States.

A Perfect Ending

There have been only 20 official perfect games over the past 135 years of Major League Baseball. Last year, White Sox pitcher-Mark Buehrle became the only pitcher to throw a perfect game in the past five years. This year, both Dallas Braden and Roy Holladay have pitched perfect games. With one out to go last Wednesday, Cooperstown was clearing room to add Armando Galarraga to the perfect game hall of fame.

In only a crowd of 17,738 in Detroit with one out to go, Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera moved to field the grounder by Jason Donald and fired to Galarraga covering first-base for out 27. The crowd was cheering for the first perfect game in Tigers history the announcers called Donald out and then umpire Jim Joyce yelled “safe”. The cheers quickly became boo’s, a franchise record quickly became a nightmare and a pitcher just smiled.

As a fan of the game you find yourself rooting for Galarraga even if you’re not a Tigers fan. The caliber and prestige of a perfect game makes you a fan of baseball and everyone watching wanted to pass down the memory of the night they witnessed a perfect game. But what I will remember from the game is the reaction of Galarraga. He just smiled while the world of baseball called Joyce every name in the book. He didn’t go for an ejection, he didn’t throw his hat/glove; he just smiled and finished his game.

Joyce tearfully spoke to the media after he watched the re-play and he admitted that he made a mistake that cost Garlarraga a perfect game. It was the biggest call of his career and he blew it. He spoke to Garlarraga and apologized in person. "You don't see an umpire after the game come out and say, `Hey, let me tell you I'm sorry,'" Galarraga said.

Baseball fans needed more than a night to walk off the fury for the blown call. As Jim Joyce walked on the field for Thursday’s game, his emotions were shown in the bags under his eyes. Death threats didn’t stop him from being a man and facing a crowd of boo’s and the player whose dream he took away. Tigers manager Jim Leyland had Galarraga present the lineup up card as a way to defuse the uproar of the pervious night

When Jim Joyce and Armando Galarraga shook hands, Jim Joyce wasn’t the only one with tears. When most fans wanted to punch Joyce, Galarraga shook his hand and kept a smile on his face. It might be one the classiest moment in sports. I give Joyce, Galarraga and Leyland all a standing ovation for handling the situation with such character and class. In the game of sportsmanship- baseball won.

King of What?

Have you checked the LeBron Tracker on ESPN.com? It’s a full page dedicated to what the two time MVP, LeBron James will do with free agency. The opinions and polls are endless and vary from one reference to the next. For the next 44 days the LaBron Tracker will continue to update with any news about if the King will stay in Cleveland or build his castle in a bigger city.

KINGJAMES23 is the name of the fantasy basketball league I play in. I couldn’t help but ask the league manager (my twin brother) what is KingJames King of? His response was that in the world of baseketball, LeBron is the King. Yes, I remember him on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he was a sophomore in high school and I know that he skipped the experience of playing at the college level to be the number one draft pick in 2003. The state of Ohio and SI appointed LeBron as the Chosen 1. As a three-time “Mr. Basketball” recipient of Ohio high school basketball, they nicked named him “King James”. So what will we call him if he actually wins a ring…? KingGodJames..? KingHasARingJames..?

Don’t get me wrong, I love LBJ and I’m pretty sure he would beat me in a game of horse. But, Charles Barkley and Steve Nash are some of the past league’s MVP’s and they never held a Championship trophy. They were (are) superstars but we didn’t call them King, maybe Sir, but they played the in the league and earned their Super-Star status. LeBron was the King of the NBA before he graduated high school.

With six more weeks of speculation, I just want to know that LeBron isn’t going to pull a Ricky Williams and that he will be playing in the NBA next season. All this New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Cleveland; it’s more like Jay Z vs Obama vs Ohio. If President Obama thinks “LeBron will look great in a Bulls uniform” and when anything is “speculated” from John Calipari’s reps it’s a pretty good sign that the Chicago Bulls are turning into Looking at Lucky in this race.

I just hope that one day my twin brother and I can WITNESS King James with Ring.


PS: Phil Jackson: Nash didn’t carry the ball.

Is Washington, DC on the ineligible list for a Championship?

Dear Sports Gods:
Please remove Washington, DC from the list of teams banned from winning a Championship. Thanks, -Alison

The Washington Capitals won the Presidents Cup, Strasburg should make his major league début this month and Dan Snyder still has more money than God. Sounds like championship city, but the Capitals haven’t held the Stanley Cup, the Nationals haven’t celebrated a World Series win and Dan Snyder still can’t buy a Super Bowl ring.

The city is still morning the loss of the NHL conference quarterfinals. The Capitals lost to the Canadians and some say it was the biggest sports upset in Washington. There was no Obama bailout for the Caps and the number seven doesn’t seem so lucky in Washington, DC. How dose the best team in the league lose in the first round? Is Halak on HGH? Can Ovechkin win in the post season? Some questions may remain unanswered, but all the talent of: Ovechkin, Green, Backstorm, and Semin will return next year and the feelings from game seven will skate the Capitals back to the playoffs.

I always laugh when I hear “And now for the main event…The President’s race” at the Washington National’s games. Is that the main reason to spend $8.00 on a bottle of domestic beer? For the first time in five years the Nat’s have a winning percentage above 500 and a $15.1 million dollar draft pick who has a fastball clocking 100 miles per hour.. maybe there’s a prospect for a winning future…

Mr. Snyder Sir, money buys championships for the Yankees. However, it’s not paying off for the Redskins. Jason Taylor and McNabb are just a few of the over paid superstars whose careers have already peaked and are full of disappointment. I wouldn’t say you are the worst owner in the NFL, but I can’t say you’re the smartest either.

I’ve met Mr. Snyder before and I will admit he wasn’t the jerk he’s made out to be. I enjoyed the conversation and I know he’s better than a 80-90 record. Honestly, I think he’s just as frustrated with the team and at least he is trying to buy wins. Just invest in draft picks, not the leftovers.

Washington, DC has talented athletes, an investment in a fastball, the money to win championships and still the Capitals and the Nationals remain on the banned list and the Redskins have been put on the ineligible list for the past 18 years.

If you believe in Sports, pray. If you believe in God, pray. Sports in Washington, DC need a lot of prayer for a Championship team.

Do you believe in Magic?

An NHL hat trick is the term for a player that scores three goals in a single game. To honor the player the fans litter the ice with hats -“hat trick”. This tradition dates back to the 1950’s.

But what happens when the player scores four goals in a single game? Personally, I think the hats should be replaced with toy rabbits- (watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat). Who doesn’t love a magic trick?

Now, for some real magic… The Capitals dream of Stanley.

Alex Ovechkin said Saturday’s win was because Montreal’s Halak was suffering from some playoff jitters… I hope Ovechkin’s hockey stick becomes a magic wand for the playoffs.

The Washington Capitals have Alex Ovechkin- arguably the best player in the NHL, the best fans in hockey and consecutive sellouts for all their home games, but they haven’t tasted champagne from the top bowl of the Stanley Cup trophy. Will this be the year that for the first time in team history “Washington Capitals” is engraved on the Stanly Cup? If you believe in magic; Rock the Red or Rock the Hawk- and just believe in the C-A-P-S CAPS! CAPS! CAPS!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Brackets are busted, the azalea’s are in bloom and hot dogs just taste better this time of year: It’s the most wonderful time of year in sports.

Tomorrow is the NCAA men’s Championship game between number one seed Duke and number five seed Butler. While Duke is the number one seed, no one was talking about taking the Blue Devils to the Championship game. And I wouldn’t call Butler the underdog if center- Matt Howard stays out of foul trouble. The name Duke has a ring to it. To say “91’, 92’, 2001 and 2010 NCAA National Champions” is a phrase that just sounds right.

I’ve always said that college is where the heart is. The words team and coach have a different meaning and every game played is about building a stronger team. No one is worried about a paycheck; they just worry about each other. The heart of the game was apparent as everyone who watched WVU’s coach Huggins fall to his knees to console an in-pain Da’Sean Butler. It didn’t matter who you were rooting for, we all felt their emotions. The reaction by Huggins to Butler was like a father and his only son. Their interaction broke the hearts of everyone watching. Referees are always trying to speed up the game, but for those moments on the court no one was worried about the clock, just the broken hearts that embraced on the floor.

In sports, there’s no off season. When one season ends, another one begins.

The Masters begins tomorrow and the tournament goes beyond golf and becomes The Master of tradition. Not much has changed since Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts dreamed of having the most prestigious tournament in golf. It’s one of the few sporting events that is rich in the tradition of the game and not rich in the media. There’s meaning on every inch of the grounds. The walk through Magnolia Lane that leads to Founders Circle and then meets at the clubhouse is beginning of the sincerity for the next eighteen holes. Amen Corner is landmark for being able to lift an embedded ball and drop it without penalty. President Eisenhower suggested the perfect place for a pond and Roberts named it Ike’s Pond.

Tiger will return and with limited media coverage, it’s just how the Masters should be: Only about The Maters.

The sounds of summer are back. There are no other sounds that are more associated with sports than the crack of the wooden bat and a 90 mile an hour fastball going deep into left field. The sound of a change-up hitting the catcher’s mitt while the batter swings and miss. The deep voice of an umpire calling a strike and hot dogs taste better when you hear “HotttttDogs! Get your HOTDogs!” It’s a long season, but once you hear the sounds of summer, you’ll know it’s the most wonderful time of year.

The Last ONE Standing

Out of the number one seeds from each region 86% of the brackets picked Kansas, 65% picked Syracuse, 67.1% picked Kentucky and 56.1 % of the 5.4 million brackets completed on ESPN.com picked Duke to reach the final four.

The Blue Devils are the last one standing.

Baylor’s size worried Duke Fans. Baylor’s average size outranked Duke by five inches. That’s a huge size difference and an advantage in college basketball. If this was baseball, Baylor would have been mentioned in the Mitchell Report.

The Bear’s held junior Kyle Singler to just five points the whole game. The close game back and forth had Duke fans praying to Christian Laettner Gods. No coincidence that it was the 18th anniversary of his game-winner that beat Kentucky in 1992. But the Laettner Gods didn’t send a miracle, instead they sent an untouchable Nolan Smith who scored 29 points- a career high.

It came down to last three minutes of the game and Baylor’s size didn’t matter as Nolan Smith hit a 3-pointer and John Scheyer followed putting Duke on top 67-61.

Duke won 78-71 and will return to the final four for the first time since 2004.

O-D-Who?

The first game of NCAA tournament and we are already on upset alert!

But was it really an upset? Of the brackets completed on ESPN, only 14.9 percent of them picked ODU to advance although they were the slight favorite.

The 11th seed Old Dominion University Monarchs knocked off the 6th seed fighting Irish of Notre Dame. The luck of the Irish held for most of the game until a 3-point attempt from Carleton Scott in the closing seconds that rolled off the rim and the Monarchs to a 51-50 victory and a second round game.

But for those of us who know anything about college basketball we know that the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) is a conference that can make a lot a noise. Remember the Cinderella story of 2006? We were all cheering for George Mason as they upset Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State and Connecticut.

VCU upset Duke in the first round of last year’s tournament (only the second time Duke has ever lost in the first round in the last 25 years).

In the last six seasons, ODU won 145 games; a school record and the most wins among Virginia’s division I schools. No wonder Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg ended their contract to play Blaine Taylor’s Monarchs; the Monarchs are 4-1 over the Hokies.

Greenberg knows the chant goes O-D-U!

The beauty of March Madness is when your brackets are busted! Who would have thought the Sweet 16 would be without Georgetown, Villanova AND number one seed Kansas? Who would have thought Cornell and St. Mary’s looked so sweet? I LOVE it!

I admit, I’ve been a DUKE fan for as long as I can remember and I expect them to play smart and to shoot well. To me, Cameron indoor is one of the 8th wonders of the world and it’s an experience that any college basketball fan should add to their bucket list. But, the next best thing in college basketball is the MADNESS of March Madness.

Today is my favorite holiday: Selection Sunday!

This is the time of year when suddenly, EVERYONE becomes a college basketball fan. And while I love that March Madness brings out seasonal fans, I know that the true fans were apart of the madness that took place all season.

Finally, DUKE swept a 16-16 UNC and reclaimed the ACC Championship! John Scheyer’s facial expressions became the official hazing banner for all ACC home games and the defending Champs- UNC didn’t do much defending or scoring the whole season.
Maryland fans still fear the classroom as their only crowd chant is the F bomb followed by the visiting school’s name or player(s) name. Clemson, Georgia Teach, Wake Forest, and Florida State all proved they are still competitors in the ACC.

But does being a fan the whole season boost your bracketology? There’s always that one person in your office bracket that didn’t watch a game all season and they pull off the biggest upset of the year by selecting who has the best dancing shoes.

I like to treat Selection Sunday as a national holiday and I dedicate the entire day to bracketology. Before the teams are announced I wonder if the best 65 teams will get an invitation to the big dance and why isn’t Coach Knight on the selection committee? While most of the committee members are college Athletic Directors, have they had time to really watch the season outside of their conference games?

As the teams are announced I start thinking: Will Wofford (who upset South Carolina and George and almost pulled off the upset on Pitt) be this years Cinderella story? Or could Siena, Cornell or ODU be the mid-major upset? No one wants their brackets to bust, but it’s so exciting to see a mid-major upset!

Can Tennessee standout more than Pearl’s orange blazer? Can Syracuse and their seven starters get their endurance back; will Kansas State knock them off? Will DUKE’s shooting and coaching outrank Villanova’s athleticism or Kentucky’s size?

So many possible outcomes and only one bracket: let the Madness Begin!

The State of Sports

On Friday, the world came to a pause as Tiger Woods addressed the media. All three major news networks covered his public statement and millions of viewers were waiting to hear what Tiger was going to say. The world paused for a 13 minute speech from Tiger Woods; not the President, not the Pope but for the man who has dominated the game of golf for the past decade. I couldn’t help but wonder… can an athlete impact our lives the way they impact the game?

Yes, they can.

I too was one of those viewers and yes, I rescheduled a meeting so I could view his speech live. I can’t say I've ever rescheduled any part of my life for a State of the Union address, but when it comes to the State of Sports, I can’t take my eye off the ball.

I knew Tiger was sorry. I just wanted to know when he would return to golf. I felt like Tiger just made a bogy when his speech was over. The word golf was only mentioned twice. I’m awestruck by Tiger’s ability to play the game of golf, not for his ability to play the field. Unlike most women, I see Tiger as the most successful golfer to ever play the sport and not as the world’s worst husband.

I’m not saying that I agree or support his game off the course, but I’m not surprised either. Not that I thought Tiger was a bad husband before Thanksgiving, but given his fame and fortune Tiger had no one telling him "No". His wife has a dozes reasons to call him a cheater. As a fan of golf, I’m not calling him a cheater because he never cheated the game of golf.

I do believe that Tiger will return to golf and when he wins his next PGA Championship we all will be calling Tiger a winner.

For the Love of the Game

Today is Valentine’s Day and I dedicate this blog to the true love of my life: SPORTS!

Thank you for always giving me a reason to believe that you can love something more than yourself. No one else can bring out my emotions the way Zorn calls a fake field goal or the sight of an 83 year old Yogi Berra saying goodbye for the last time in pinstripes.

JoePa smiles and I see that our love will never be too old. You’ve taught me that Coach Knight’s passion, intelligence and sense of humor are the keys to finding love. And if I’m honest and play smart, I can find love my way.

Ted Williams and Charles Barkley remind me that love comes from each season. Sometimes even the best to ever play the game find that true love is in the game itself and not in the prize at the end.

With every George Mason and Appalachian State you remind me that love is blind and yes, mid major upsets inspire us all to believe that a little love can go a long way.

My love for you continues to grow every time DUKE beats UNC in Chapel Hill and no one will ever come between my love for 762* and 162.

So tonight while couples are out to dinner, I will stay home with you and listen to our song, DaNuhNuh DaNuhNuh and enjoy my HD view of just how clear our love is.