NCAA Shows Its Stupidity...Again

Drew Thurman (8:51 pm)

The NCAA has been under a lot of heat lately, and rightfully so. It has become a ridiculously bureaucratic entity with little control over the real issues facing the current landscape of college sports.

Today we got more evidence to back up this fact as Isiah Thomas, the Florida International coach, was hired as a consultant for the New York Knicks.

The best part of the story is that the NCAA is actually all right with this. This is what NCAA spokeswoman Jennifer Royer had to say:

"According to an official interpretation on June 6, 2001, NCAA member institutions are provided the discretion to establish their own policies regarding employment and income arrangements between their athletics department staff members and professional sports organizations.

"An NCAA coach must, however, still comply with NCAA bylaws as they relate to the recruitment of prospects and the scouting of opponents."

Now I understand that Thomas is a whopping 7-25 in his tenure with FIU, but it still exposes what is completely wrong with college athletics. I think Thomas Beisner of KentuckySportsRadio.com says it best:

"Yep, the organization that wants to keep player representatives, agents and pretty much any other contact related to the pay-for-play portion of basketball out of their neighborhood just co-signed a lease on the house next door with a walking red flag.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we live in an era where a student athlete’s bagel must be approved, but a coach can also be an NBA employee. The NCAA. Gotta love it."

Just over a week ago, Tressel and tOSU had to report secondary violations for things like accidentally bumping into recruits and recruits sort of walking with the team during a pep rally.

Yet the NCAA refuses to have any problems with something like this? Okay then, I vote Tressel becomes a consultant for the Browns. We all know they need it!