The NCAA Will Bring Down the Hammer on USC

The NCAA is to USC as Stephen Filthburg is to Pirates hitters.  End result = the hammer.

Even through the smog over Los Angeles, it became quite clear years ago that Pete Carroll was running a dirty program.  You mean to tell me that one school could attract four or five top 25 runnings backs in the same recruiting class?  No way.  Why would Richie Running Back go to a school where he’d have to fight with ten other equally as or more talented guys just to see the field?  Don’t talk to me about California girls.  There are cute girls everywhere.  Don’t talk to me about the California weather.  Dozens of big time schools have “nice” weather year round.  Don’t talk to me about national championships.  Plenty of other schools compete for national championships.  Richie, Ronnie, Robbie and Reggie Running Back chose USC because they wanted to get paid to pay college football.

This whole story started after allegations spread like California wildfire that Reggie Running Back Bush and his parents took “improper benefits” ($$CASH$$) and lived rent free.

The hammer that I referred to earlier is supposedly amounting to: a two-year postseason ban, a reduction of up to 20 scholarships, a forfeiture of wins from at least the 2004 season and potentially a reclaimed 2005 Heisman trophy from Reggie Bush.

Notice how Pete Carroll, the ringleader of this fiasco, is not mentioned in any of the presumed punishments?  I sure did.  Notice how Pete Carroll took the head coaching position of the Seattle Seahawks the year that said hammer was to be brought down?  I sure did.

This is one of the biggest issues I have with collegiate athletics.  Why do current players and coaches have to “suffer” while the players and coaches who get the school into this mess are far removed from the situation?  It’s absolutely wrong.  Why should Willie Walk-On Wide Receiver not get to go to the 2011 Orange Bowl because Pete Carroll paid Reggie Bush to attend USC five years ago?  The NCAA is prohibiting current players from achieving success because of something they were not responsible for.  Now, I’m not foolish, I realize that players get paid everywhere and current USC players are probably still receiving improper benefits.  But, the damage was done over five years ago. 

My solution: fine Pete Carroll through the roof.  Fine Reggie Bush through the roof.  Pete Carroll should no longer be allowed to coach collegiate athletics.  The same goes for John Calipari, Kelvin Sampson and all other college coaches whose programs are found guilty of major violations.  I know that the NCAA no longer has jurisdiction over the corrupt Carroll, but something needs to be done to the current judicial system the NCAA has in place. 

It’s wrong to punish the current players when the past players were the sources of the issue.

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