Book It-Crimson Tide In Big Trouble

Big news on the college athletic front-the Crimson Tide were penalized big time for violations involving textbooks! 15 sports were affected by this, including football. The football team could lose up to 21 wins from 2005-2007. I'm sure there's some relief that the athletes are getting their books, but this is crazy. For Alabama, this is the third set of NCAA violations in the last decade. Was the death penalty considered, I wonder.

This issue hits close to home for me. Athletes, among many things, get free textbooks with their scholarships. It's bad enough they get coddled, but this is ridiculous. The athletes apparently improperly obtained textbooks and gave them out to students to the tune of $40,000. It was pointed out the books were not sold for profit. The sports affected by this were put on probation for three years.

I have to wonder if losing the 21 wins is enough of a penalty. Given that Alabama has already been busted, shouldn't the NCAA prevent Alabama from being eligible for both the SEC championships and NCAA/BCS postseason participation, not to mention give up monies from past participation? I think the NCAA could have taken a harsher stance.

Maybe the NCAA will in the cases of USC and Memphis, where major NCAA violations have taken place with the "one and done" basketball players. I'm starting to wonder if getting talented big time players, albeit for one year, is worth the risk in the end.

I'm also wondering if legalization of drugs and payment of college athletes were allowed, then life might all be better...another topic for another day.

Something to also chew on: Nick Saban, Tim Floyd and John Calperi-the coaches of the above mentioned schools-all once coached in the pros. Could this have anything to do with anything? Again...another debate for another day

And one last thing...I promise! Will the above coaches get mad at me for calling them out?? It seems that you cannot do this to athletes/coaches....

JP