Hypocrisy, thy name is NCAA

We have spent the past year learning all about the foibles and transgressions of various Ohio State coaches and football players, each of whom was adjudged to be in violation of one or more rules as decreed by their judge, jury, and executioner, the NCAA.

While many people (especially locally) have decried many of these rules as stupid, outdated, unnecessary, and in other non-flattering terms, it comes down to this: a rule is a rule, and when you sign on the dotted line for good old State U, you agree to abide by said rules, on which you are tutored and instructed regularly. If you fall afoul of these rules, you (usually) have yourself to blame.

One of the transgressors from our dear old State U was penalized for accepting an improper benefit in the amount of $200.00, allegedly for work he did not perform, but for which he received recompense.

Many people are not aware that it is a violation of NCAA rules for a fan/booster/follower of dear old State U to do something so simple as, say, see an athlete in your local McDonald's and tell him, "Great job last week!. Here, let me get that Big Mac for you."

Nope! Said athlete is instructed to tell the person making the offer that it is not permitted for you to buy him so much as a sandwich, because he would be receiving that benefit solely because of his athletic expertise, UNLESS you are going to offer to buy a Big Mac or other like delicacy for any/all other students who attend dear old State U. If you do it that way, you can then pick up the tab for that sandwich. Another oddity is doing something (real case cited here) as simple as dropping off a plate of homemade cookies to athletes, even those from non-revenue sports, puts you/them in violation of the heretofore agreed upon rules of conduct. Since you are offering a free plate of homemade cookies to a university sports team you must be doing it simply because of the abilities of said athletes.

And then one reads an article in the sports pages of the Sunday December 25, 2011 edition of the Columbus Dispatch newspaper, wherein it is detailed the amount of "swag" (their term) the football players from Ohio State are legally (NCAA definition) allowed to receive simply by showing up to participate in this year's Gator Bowl football game. Each player is permitted to receive up to $550.00 in merchandise this year. That is merchandise that is given to the student-athletes solely on the basis of their athletic skills.

So, the rest of the student population of, in this case, The Ohio State University, is not entitled to get this sack of swag because they do not possess the necessary skills to put them in the position to be able to receive a bag of swag.

One Big Mac is an NCAA "crime", punishable by however the NCAA feels this week, but a bag o' swag is OK for the athletes to receive, solely because of their athletic abilities.

As stated above in the title of this piece,...

Oh, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to one and all.