By Christopher Wright
Yes, I am back on my high horse when it comes to the NCAA. Frankly, I will never understand why so many Miami fans seem to be nonchalant about what is happening to the football program with the NCAA. The hardcore fans that follow Miami football think the NCAA can just do whatever they want so there’s need to even be concerned about what they have been doing to the University’s Program.
My original bitch session focused on the NCAA making a convicted felon, Nevin Shapiro, their star witness. They wanted to tell everyone who would listen how Miami was said to be doing things so egregious, that competitive schools competitors were selling the death penalty to potential recruits. First, I figured okay every school deals with negative recruiting every year. It will be resolved and The University of Miami would move on. Then it became more and more clear this was a witch hunt with no end.
So, okay it is annoying but they should protect against being a victim. Let’s wait and see, right? Now, two years go by and they have suspended players, fined them, held them out of meaningless bowl games, but held them out of the ACC championship game. The seniors who had nothing to do with this get no bowl/championship game. Okay, fine. They hold off on scholarships or at least that is what Al Golden is saying. I can’t do the math. Can anyone knowledgeable please share with the class. So, now the NCAA comes out and admits the mishandling of the case and fire their lead enforcement official. Okay, well what does that mean? Apparently, absolutely nothing. It means their mishandling of the Miami case for over two years doesn’t matter because they have been hit with allegations.
Now, I realize that if there is wrong doing that can be proven there should be accountability. However this is the point where I really get just fired up.Their is a rogue booster (convicted felon, Nevin Shapiro with an axe to grind) who claims he provided illegal benefits, right? The NCAA is in essence saying to the university that their investigation has been compromised by a rogue investigator. Ummmm, huh? See where I am going with this? Now, you want to continue to penalize Miami further?
It’s true when there is no resolution you better believe this is being used against Miami every single day on the recruiting trail going on year three. In the most fickle recruiting ground in the country in my opinion.Lastly, I find it completely unacceptable that theNCAA put so much pressure on all of your nvestigators to get something to stick at Miami. This is a stark hypocrisy completely void of ethics. This is what I have been saying for months, hell years. This clearly came from the top of the NCAA. Make sure Miami gets the horns no matter how long it takes it implies! That’s the painful thing. Right there. No matter how long it takes….because it was taking so long their was a need to get out of the box.
Letters were sent to the judge about the quality character their star witness has before they really knew him. The chief character witness of the NCAA, Nevin Shapiro, was sentenced to a 20 year prison term for a $93 million ponzi scheme. Sorry, they knew he was a convicted felon with an axe to grind! Not telling Miami attorneys about meetings with players; holding back information by playing a shell game to make players think the NCAA knew things they didn’t; hiring Shapiro’s lawyer to gain access to records unrelated to the case; giving Shipiro money while in jail; paying for his cell phone; lying to Miami attorneys out right; now, I have gone from annoyed, to fired up, to thoroughly pissed off!
Before the board lawyers come here and preach to me about how this is an overreaction, is there nothing the University can do. The NCAA can do what they want to do because they are governed by the presidents. Let’s not make this go longer. Everyone complaining is blowing smoke and it is making it worse for The University of Miami. Nothing is going to happen to Emmert or the NCAA. Washington won’t hear this or touch this. It is a waste of time. I and other fans don’t understand this stuff. Leave it alone. I have heard them all and I am completely fed up by what clearly is a massive attempt to make Miami the NCAA’s little bitch boy.
Enough!!! Every president is stupid if they really don’t believe they could be next.If there is anyone out there that thinks that with all things considered the NCAA can hit Miami with “lack of institutional control” in light of what is going on with their organization on this case, then I don’t want to hear it. They have absolutely no right to hit us with further penalties or the “lack of institutional control” because they are the very definition of “lack of institutional control,” I am not objective. I am a Miami fan who tries to be objective. Sometimes when you try too hard to be objective, you look pretty stupid when everyone else that has no interest in being objective sees what you have seen for years.
There are going to be some major changes made with the NCAA. I am calling this just like I called the Penn State penalties and got laughed at because that supposedly had nothing to do with the NCAA. I am telling you that the NCAA is going to be called out on the carpet. Miami will not the only ones that have experienced their self serving abuse of power. A lot of schools and individual are going to be bringing them to court and yes, they will appear in front of a congressional hearing. You heard it here first and it isn’t rah rah bullshit. It was mentioned before and we have seen politicians start to look into it. That is nothing. That is the beginning.
Update:
Other links are listed below