South Carolina Football: Damiere Byrd Suspended Four Games, NCAA Drops Ball

Really?  REALLY??

We all know that the NCAA is almost a criminal organization with its own set of rules and standards, but this is just way beyond silly.

Damiere Byrd is suspended for FOUR games because a sports charity he worked with helped pay travel expenses for him and Sharrif Floryd and a few other athletes.

From the Palm Beach Post:

"Steve Gordon, the president of the Student Athlete Mentoring Foundation. S.A.M. is a Delaware-based organization that describes itself as a group that provides “supplementary support to high school student-athletes in both their academic and athletic endeavors.”

Getting prospective college football players in 7-on-7 competitions and helping them make unofficial recruiting visits to campus are included in that service. Gordon believes the NCAA is investigating Floyd because S.A.M. helped him pay for travel expenses on unofficial visits.

“Yes, we helped Sharrif, so I guess that’s what it’s about,” Gordon said today. “It’s with regard to my foundation’s support of Sharrif when he was in high school. That’s what I’ve been led to believe.”

Since travel expenses are paid for out of pocket, and some people just can't afford to go, are you really going to punish these Universities (specifically Florida and South Carolina) for utilizing this service for  young people? 

Upon research of the group, it is a legitimate group that wants to help.  They have been helping for a while now, and it is being used as an outreach service of sorts. 

Turn on any media sports outlet right now and you will hear the experts saying the same damn thing.

College football is officially out of control regarding the NCAA.  Two guys who are outstanding kids get four game suspensions for an outreach group helping them achieve their future goals.  Believe it or not, some athletes come from families that can not afford much of anything. 

This is the same suspension for players who broke blatant rules at Ohio State.  In fact, heavier than some of them.  This is heavier than some of the Miami players... especially the ones that transferred and get no punishment.

This is a travesty, pure and simple.  I am outraged as a Gamecock fan and I would be outraged as a Gator fan as well. 

Maybe Super Conferences are the right thing... because God only knows that the crooks in the front office of the NCAA are just going to bring the whole thing down.