From: th9708@meibm8.cen.uiuc.edu (Todd Lee Henderson)
Subject: Re: The NCAA Applies its Double Standard Again
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 18:34:56 GMT

tannerg@carson.u.washington.edu (Glenn Tanner) writes:

>>Glenn Tanner (tannerg@carson.u.washington.edu) wrote:
>>: This is not a joke, at least by me.  It's just another example of the double 
>>:standard with which the NCAA enforces its penalties. If you are SMU or Tulsa, 
>>: or some other small school, expect to be hit hard.  But, if you're Texas A&M, 
>>: Texas, or any other big-money state university with a powerful athletic 
>>
>>  ie. Washington

>Correct.

>>: program, you'll get treated with kid gloves.  Even though they fit the 
>>: qualifications for the NCAA Death Penalty, if I were Auburn, I wouldn't be 
>>: too worried.
>>
>>You seem to have forgotten that A&M received a bit more than a slap on the
>>hand for their transgressions.  Yes, I will admit that they did things
>>wrong, and they got caught, but the football team was penalized, including
>>loss of scholarships and post-season ban.  Additionally, they entire
>>athletic program is now under "death-penalty" threat.

>A&M went to three consecutive Cotton Bowls while these transgressions were
>taking place.  During the 1988 season, they were penalized by no bowl and loss

One of the key things here is that I don't think many, if any serious
violations were proven.  Again, it was the hat/ride/etc. things that did it.
I think about 20-30 minor infractions.  Other people probably know the gory
details better than I.


>of 5? scholarships.  At that point in the season, they had already been 
>eliminated from the SWC title and wouldn't be going to the Cotton Bowl anyways.
>That's not much more than a slap on the wrist if you ask me, especially when 
>you consider the slaps SMU got in 1984 and TCU got in 1985.  And there is 

I personally thought TCU got shafted.  I thought the coach turned in many
of his best players and alums before anything broke.  I don't think that
bought them anything at all.  I feel like the NCAA sent a message with this:

'Don't turn yourself in, the penalty will not be any easier if you do, hide
it as long as possible.'

>NO WAY the NCAA would ever give A&M the Death Penalty.  I seem to remember
>their basketball team getting caught a couple of years ago.

I think there are many other examples of non-uniform enforcement, but there
is also many instances where I think the NCAA really railroads schools.
I didn't really realize how dirty the NCAA could be until the Illinois thing.
I personally don't like Illinois sports that much, but some of the stories
about the NCAA investigation sounded like stories from the Red scare of the
US after WWII, I believe.  Interviews without transcripts, or transcripts
that were written after the fact based on how the NCAA investigator
interperted(sp?) the interview. ....

Sorry for the tirade on the NCAA, I think we get plenty of these anyway.

Todd

>>Now, what I found interesting was the PAC-10 commission's reccomendation
>>that Hobert's loan not cause any forfeitures, because something like that
>>should have no bearing on "on-field performances".  We are talking about

>Yeah, I was kind of disgusted with that concept, too.  That is not the NCAA
>talking, though.  I'm wondering what they're going to say.

>GT

>>Scott Harper                       Optical Data Systems, Inc.
>>scott@ods.com                      1101 E. Arapaho Road
>> (214) 234-6400                     Richardson, TX  75081
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college