Good Idea, Bad Cause
The biggest story going in college sports at the moment is probably the bizarre saga of the St. Bonaventure basketball team, and their decision to not play their remaining games after one of their players was declared ineligible, and they were forced to forfeit six games and banned for their conference tournament. This has caused no end of hue and cry, from sports columnists denouncing the team, the coaching staff, and the university for this decision. Their conference is even making noises about kicking the school out entirely, an unprecedented move (evidently, the Atlantic Ten has a certificate from the Richard Cheney School of Diplomacy).
I have to say, though, that my initial reaction on hearing this was "Good for them." In recent years, the NCAA has become infamous for bizarrely draconian eligibility decisions, and there's really nothing that coaches or players, or even university presidents, can do about it. NCAA decisions can be appealed to... the NCAA. Shockingly, the NCAA is batting close to 1.000 on such appeals. Or, you can move to the federal courts, where you probably won't win, but the case will drag on for years, during which time the NCAA will continue to hold absolute power over the team and players.
On an abstract, tactical level, then, I approve of the St. Bonaventure kids' decision. It's the only weapon they have to fight what they consider an unjust decision by the NCAA and the conference, and it strikes at the one vulnerable spot the NCAA and the conference have: the wallet. Refusing to play the games means lost ticket sales, and lost tv revenue, and the only thing that makes the NCAA sit up and pay attention is an attack on the cash flow. The counter-arguments all appeal to the purity of sports, which is a load of crap-- sports have been impure for years, and the NCAA is all about the money. The only way to fight them and win is by going after the money.
On the other hand, though, they could hardly have picked a worse cause. This whole thing is over a junior college player who was allowed to transfer in, not with the required Associates degree, but with a welding certificate. I can't even begin to imagine what was going through the minds of the geniuses who thought this one up. That would be beneath even Jerry Tarkanian or Jim Harrick.
I'm all in favor of the method, but pick a better cause, fer Chrissakes. You want to cancel some games in protest, how about protesting the absurdity of a system where the NCAA gets somewhere in the neighborhood of ten billion dollars for the rights to televise its basketball tournament, but players aren't allowed to earn spending money during the school year? I'd love to see, say, Duke and Michigan schedule and then boycott a pre-season game to boost the cause of getting some sanity into the scholarship system.
But over a welding certificate? I don't think so.
Posted at 9:34 AM | link | follow-ups |