| 11. Cam Newton, AJ Green, Ohio State and the NCAA
It has been a typical year for the NCAA. Pundits bashing the BCS system, media saying players should get paid, oh and of course the NCAA was making hypocritical decisions that clearly showed favoritism of specific conferences.
A few days before the Southeastern Conference championship, Cam Newton was declared ineligible by Auburn after the NCAA concluded a violation of amateurism rules occurred when his father, Cecil Newton, solicited extra benefits from Mississippi State. One day later, the NCAA ruled there was no evidence that any payments were made and ruled Newton to be eligible for the SEC title game.
Newton went on to win the Heisman and will soon compete for a national title all because “he did not know” what was going on.
But earlier in the year the NCAA made headlines when it suspended Georgia wide received AJ Green for four games for selling his bowl jersey for $1,000 to someone who the NCAA said qualified as an “agent”.
Now the NCAA is once again under scrutiny for the bizarre punishment it handed down to Terrell Pryor and four other Ohio State Buckeyes just a few days ago. The players were suspended five games next season for selling championship rings, jerseys and awards. They also received improper benefits from a tattoo parlor and its owner.
But the attention comes because all five players will be eligible to play in this year’s Sugar Bowl against Arkansas. Many expect those suspended, including Pryor, to go pro and leave for the NFL to escape the punishment.
The NCAA corrupt, unfair and phony, who would have thought? |
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