So Louisville was stripped of their 2013 NCAA championship...my reaction/response may surprise you..

Estil

So I just got word a day or two ago that Louisville got stripped of their 2013 NCAA championship, which I first heard from a good friend of mine at my local grocery store who happens to be a Louisville fan and I think expected me to gloat and rub it in his face or something, like many at the Big Blue Nation forums have done. But I don't really feel that way at all.

I may be in the minority at Big Blue Nation but I take no pleasure from a team (even one of our rivals) getting hit with these kinds of things. I mean don't misunderstand me, if a team's wrongdoings warrant these kind of penalties and it's been justly proven, then yes they (even us in the late 80s and in 1953 when we were forced to skip a whole season) must pay the price. I just think it's a very sad and tragic thing to have to happen because in most cases it's only a small handful (maybe even just one or two people) that actually commit the wrongdoing, and that causing the loss of scholarships and/or being stripped of their medals, sorry NCAA trophies and/or wins only ends up hurting a lot of innocent people...both players and fans alike. Those who are this thoughtless and careless about these kinds of rule breaking should really think about that.

Beating a rival like Louisville, UNC, and especially Duke in the NCAA's and/or key regular season game, yes most definitely brag/gloat about that. We beat them to end a long losing streak in our rivalry, then sure gloat a little about that, or if we beat Louisville when we are a big underdog against them. But personally, I'm not going to gloat at all if UNC does indeed end up getting punished by the NCAA (which most likely did just as bad if not worse than UofL)...I just feel like that's kinda hitting below the belt.

To that end you might have noticed given the circumstances I've laid off the usual playfully calling them "Loserville" this time.

Darin

Not really a surprising reaction from a Kentucky fan. I'm surprised you posted about it at all, actually.

An old John Calipari proverb states, "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

Translation: I've had to vacate wins at Umass and Memphis, so I'm just lucky it was louisville
and not Kentucky this time. In the future I could very well have to vacate wins at Kentucky for
once again violating NCAA rules, so I won't rub it in. Of course, if I do have to vacate wins at
Kentucky I will already be coaching at another school so I won't really have to deal with it.

Estil

Calipari didn't do anything wrong in either case. The NCAA never even accused, much less convicted him of anything. Nice try troll :P

Darin

I knew I never should have given you a free 75 topps psa 8 Reggie Jackson card several years ago.
Never got a thank you, only got called a troll.
Thanks a lot.

bronco2078

every college sports program is a diseased cesspool of corrupt aholes , once in awhile one of them gets an award for it.

1951WheatiesPremium

There are plenty of clean we'll run programs. They just usually end up not winning.

bronco2078

@1951WheatiesPremium said:
There are plenty of clean we'll run programs. They just usually end up not winning.

Name names

I'm not talking about the ping pong team or swimming , I mean sports where the tickets to go see the game are not free.

bronco2078

Can someone explain to me why we have a system of minor league teams for hockey and baseball but we can't do that with basketball and football. Then we could shut down the college programs and kids could go to college for ummm I don't know , learning?

Minor league players could be paid to play. Why is that a bad thing , anyone .... anyone ... .... bueller ???

Because to me it seems like college football and basketball programs are just a huge corrupt machine designed to wring cash out of tax payers and state and local governments and get young people to destroy their bodies for free.

Someone needs to dig into these programs and destroy every one of them . Nothing less than a full scorched earth effort will do.

bishop

I might also wait to see where Kentucky comes out in the current FBI investigation before gloating too much ... and my daughter is a big UK fan

SanctionII

The NBA does have a minor league system in which players of all ages (I think the minimum is 19, or one year after one's high school class graduates) play in the hopes of making it on an NBA team's roster.

The one year rule that prevents high school players from immediately going into the NBA is a rule that was adopted by the NBA and the player's association as part of a collective bargaining agreement. The player's association I think wanted the rule to limit the number of high schoolers being drafted and placed on NBA rosters (even if they are not NBA ready simply because they could develop into NBA caliber players) in order to keep more roster spots open for older players who are 12-15 on the depth chart. The league may also have wanted this rule to avoid having players who are not yet ready for the NBA being on rosters and playing in games (which dilutes the skill level on display during games).

A big outcry over the NBA one year rule is silly. The NCAA has nothing to do with it.

As for not paying college football and basketball players money for their services (over the table payments) in order to bow down at the alter of "amateur athletics" it is time for society to move beyond the late 18th and early 20th century. The under the table payments of money, cars, homes, etc. to star players and their families has been going on for likely 100+ years and it will never stop. The NCAA and its member institutions are a club that is greedy. It has created a business model that generates for the NCAA, its member institutions, coaches and top level administrators vast amounts of money. The people at the top make a comfortable (nay extravagant) living off of the business model. The players on the field (mostly young athletes between 17-23 years of age) are the persons who generate massive amounts of revenue that flow to and line the pockets of those at the top of the business model.

If reform is truly desired, then colleges should fire everyone who violates the rules regarding non payments to athletes. Programs should be cancelled and the people (including athletes) who do not care about "college educations" should be forced to go somewhere else to play/coach their sports. After the bad apples are weeded out, then the colleges can reinstate sports programs where athletes who really want to obtain a college degree can participate in collegiate sports. The level of play will be lessened, but it will still be college sports with all of the good things that go with it.

Those not interested in college educations can play for pay elsewhere and chase their dream of making the NBA or other professional teams (do like LaVar Ball did and have his college and high school aged sons skip school and play pro hoops overseas until they are more than one year beyond high school).

As for the NFL, the same arguments apply; however those who do not care about college educations would have to go create a true minor league for pro football because their currently is none.