Jewels and Travel: How the UNC Tar Heels Gave Up on Enforcement

According to Dick Baddour—the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) athletic director—the NCAA violations just disclosed UNC Tar Heels defensive tackle Marvin Austin, defensive end Robert Quinn and wide receiver Greg Little took thousands of dollars in free travel watches and diamonds.

"...can happen anywhere...but it can't be an OK thing for us to say, 'Well, because it could happen somewhere else, it's going to be acceptable here...We've just got to be as aggressive as we possibly can. And kids know when they come to the University of North Carolina...they're going to have to do serious academic work; they're going to have to know when they're going here, they're buying into a level of compliance that's important to us."

What a revelation! It is not OK for the Tar Heels to violate NCAA rules just because others do it and it could happen "somewhere else."

"Kids...have to know when they come to [UNC]...they're going to have to do serious academic work." And "kids" are "going to have to know when they're going here, they're buying into a level of compliance that's important to us."

On these statements alone, Baddour should be fired. Imagine, "kids" apparently did not know that they had to do "serious academic work," nor did they know the "level of compliance" (whatever that is to Baddour and/or the University) that was "important to us."

This apparently is an admission that Tar Heel student-athletes did not know they had to do serious academic work nor did they know the required level of compliance.

In fact, the use of the phrase "important to us" could be seen to mean some standard beneath those required by the NCAA.

The most visible of actions and rewards are involved in the UNC investigation were the jewels and travel for the three biggest Tar Heels stars. Visible trappings of a rich well-rewarded college career. Except they came too soon, while they were still in school and were too obvious for people not to know.

On their wrists and in their ears. Points of flash too apparent to miss. And absences to locations even announced by Austin on his Twitter account. With travel as far away as California.

In some situations, the appearance of impropriety should be all it takes to require sanctions, but in this permissive age, even lawyers have largely given up on this standard.

Lawyers were required to avoid the appearance of impropriety because it was deemed important that the law be considered above any reproach.

But then, lawyers and judges became enmeshed in conduct not only appearing improper, but would be improper without a change in the rules.

So what followed was a gradual erosion of concepts like conflicts, what could be waived, fee agreements and the like.

All largely for corporations that wanted to engage multiple firms in situations that could appear improper and in fact be improper.

We have the same at this point for athletes and athletic departments. Incredibly, is the level of compliance important to the Tar Heels largely unknown by its players? Nonsense.

Just like lawyers, the appearance of impropriety was plain to see. Like pornography to one of our US Supreme Court justices, we know it when we see it.

So now, out of the Carolina Blue, we find some mistakes were not known? Of course not. While we can assume that kids do not know that serious academic work is required, that alone is grounds to fire Baddour.

In the end, the NCAA would quote back Baddour's statement in providing severe sanctions on North Carolina if it has any backbone.

Yet, we can all hope that in this day and age, with member institutions what they are, we can put this down to just plain stupidity.

Wait a minute. If he is stupid, he also should go. So here is a word for the Trustees and others who employ or are involved in Baddour's retention: Forget his contract. Get rid of him now.