Bobby Rush Deserves Medal of Valor for Comparing NCAA to Organized Crime

The NCAA is a heartless group exploiting young men and women in pursuit of their big business endeavors.  And they just got called out for it by a congressman.

The accusation

Illinois congressman Bobby Rush organized a recent congressional forum to look at the "backroom deals, payoffs and scandals" in college sports. This is what he had to say, as quoted by Nicole Auerbach in the USA TODAY:

"“I think they’re just one of the most vicious, most ruthless organizations ever created by mankind. I think you would compare the NCAA to Al Capone and to the Mafia."

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"It's a systemic, ongoing, prolonged abuse of thousands and thousands of innocent young men and women who are only trying to make a life for themselves and live the American dream."

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The rebuttal

NCAA spokesman Bob Williams came back with a tired and used up rebuttal to these claims, when he issued an e-mail to USA TODAY, saying:

“Congressman Rush obviously doesn’t know the NCAA. The NCAA and its member institutions provide over $2 billion per year in scholarships, financial assistance and academic support to student-athletes…second only to the federal government. Student-athlete success is our mission.”

Why the NCAA's statement is a joke

This is the best they could come up with? The NCAA has grown so arrogant and comfortable with their position of power that they have ceased from even attempting to make a compelling argument.

Williams clings to his security blanket of scholarships to shelter him from the cold. However, it is absurd to say Rush doesn't know the NCAA very well, and highlights that by pointing to the one fact everyone already knows about the NCAA. And that is that they give scholarships.

The real problem with this statement is that it simply isn't true. Student-athlete success is not their mission. Their success is their mission.

As soon as student-athletes are no longer in a position to benefit their university, they are hung out to dry. The NCAA does nothing to ensure their success or well being.

The Kyle Hardrick story

At the forum, several first hand accounts of the student athletes were heard. One came from Valerie Hadrick, who is the mother of former Oklahoma basketball player Kyle Hardrick.

Kyle blew out his knee at while playing for Oklahoma. He has since transferred to a community college, but has not been allowed to play basketball because the school would not grant a waiver for medical hardship.

According to Frederic Frommer on Yahoo Sports, the family has said the waiver would not be granted until the "family agrees to a settlement that would prohibit him or his family members from enrolling at Oklahoma or any of the universities governed by its board of regents. The proposed settlement also would prevent the Hardricks from filing a lawsuit against the university."

How is this in the best interest of the student-athlete? Oklahoma is denying this young man a chance to play basketball at a community college to strong arm his family into a contractual agreement that shelters them from a lawsuit.

Meanwhile, Valerie Hardrick added "My insurance does not cover all of Kyle's medical bills. The university of Oklahoma refused to pay for Kyle's surgery, his rehab, and his medication. The university actions also allowed Kyle to be released without appropriate medical treatment before consulting his original surgeon."

Conclusion

The NCAA continues to hide under the proposition that they act in the interest of its student-athletes. Yet, nothing is further from the truth. They are exploiting and using them.

The above case of Kyle Hadrick is certainly not uncommon. And it is typical of the NCAA's mindset. They leave players hanging out to dry once they no longer are in a position to benefit the universities.

The NCAA offers these young men and women scholarships because it benefits them. Football and basketball bring in huge dollars and the other sports programs bring prestige. All of which make a university more marketable and lucrative.

And they do this without any real commitment to the student-athletes that make it all go. If a player gets hurt, they are in a position to lose their scholarship, and not have their medical needs looked after.

This is just wrong.

What Needs to Happen

A simple scholarship is not enough. Scholarships need to be guaranteed for four years, as long as the student-athlete meets academic requirements.

And any and all medical costs that stem from injuries incurred while participating in their sport need to be 100 percent covered.