Any more hypocritical than profiting to the tune of millions and millions of dollars on unpaid student “amateur” labor?
I think anyone who knows how college football works knows that it is a vicious entertainment business that pays only passing lip service to being an amateur organization for the good of students. And I say that as a college football fan.
I love the sport, I hate the system and the NCAA.
This could be pretty big- Minnesota’s players are threatening to boycott the Holiday Bowl over what they consider to be unfair suspensions. It will be interesting where public opinion sides on this- as the suspensions do smack a bit of political correctness, or misogyny- depending on your personal viewpoint, and it’s tough for the truth to come out in cases like this.
There’s a lot of contrasting political elements at play here- just wish I knew the truth.
Dan LeBatard on ESPN radio spent about a half hour on this today. Sounds like a strange case. Drunk woman admits to sex with 2 players, claims another 4 were not consensual. Players actually come forward with film of the “incident” showing woman didn’t exactly object to anything. School punishes 3 players once, then later decide to punish 10 involved.
LeBatard, who is very liberal, said that in today’s youth culture one woman having sex with several men is normal. He aware of it from his younger reporting days. He has seen it done. He argues that the college is trying to impress it’s form of morals on the players. Very strange.
Regardless of where you stand on the political correctness scale, in today’s campus climate of Title IX breathing down program throats, accusations weigh hugely, and the university has to cover their asses as well as they can. Plus, apparently this behavior violated some university conduct rules all the students have to agree to when they accept their admission offer. Whether those conduct policies are horribly out of date and out of step with current student attitudes and behaviors is left as an exercise to the class.
It’s not an exercise at all because it’s irrelevant if they agreed to them. If they didn’t want to be bound by the code of conduct they should have gone elsewhere. See BYU.
Football players do have the power- look at Missouri. If Minnesota players sit this out they’ll make a big statement- might see other universities, particularly Ivy League schools, follow. I believe a similar revolt almost happened at Yale.
Since it’s only a bowl game, the university can pretty safely decline the invitation and boot the players who are sitting out.
To me, It depends on how Title IX it really is, as losing Federal Funding due to Title IX violations is a serious, serious deal. No student loans, etc. Title IX is nothing to be trifled with, and actually is more important to the schools than a football game and/or season. Code of Conduct violations (and disputed ones at that) are a different matter (and that seems to be the real story here, plus the suspensions before the hearings, etc,).
Yea cause lets just throw out the players rights of due process and ya know the whole innocent until proven guilt thing. This is more political correctness run amuck.
Or it could be the players got caught taping a gangbang, and deserved to miss the bowl game, but not thrown out of the uni?
Given that the coach is supporting the players in this, I think the players probably have at least somewhat of a case , but the uni might have a case as well.
The real issue is that title IX was used as a club by Obama, and needs reform- though with the current climate any reform would likely either get rid of it or make it worse (which is just as bad)
They did have a hearing as far as I can tell and the school’s board actually recommended expulsion of 4 of the players. It’s the appeal which hasn’t taken place as best I can tell.
This is not political correctness run amok.
Boycott over, suspensions still in place, hearing scheduled.
They were never charged by the police and no they haven’t had a full hearing yet. I don’t know what your talking about. They have been punished before they have been given a chance. It’s a bullshit “Star Chamber” setup were the student is guilty till they prove their innocence. It’s a joke. So glad I’m long removed from the junk our Univeristy system has sunk too.
It’s always been that way. In Loco Parentis has been around for over 60 years. How old are you? :)
The hearings the university holds is not a criminal proceeding. The students involved are allegedly in violation of the university’s code of conduct, which they agreed to and signed upon becoming a student athlete. What they have already admitted to be true is in violation of said code, so no, this is not some star chamber bullshit. Where the university went wrong was not following through with full due process. They are now in agreement to do so. Therefore things are moving on with the bowl game.
The lack of due process is due to title IX requirements pushed by Obama. There have been cases where students falsely accused have won civil right suits- and the uni was screwed either way
I believe I read somewhere that Minnesota had a previous problem and that the guy running the show there now was hired with a mandate to keep things clean. The school may have over reacted, however there seems no argument that several players did violate the code of conduct. There may have been no “crime”, but there was a code violation.
while watching random who knows the name ESPN bowl game…fuck this idiotic “targeting” shit. I can understand wanting to lower head hits but the current implementation is absurdly against the defensive payer. Needs a a massive overhaul.
I agree. Most targeting calls are idiotic. Plus the player is kicked out of the game.
And I think the current rule is revised from the original rule of 2-3 years ago.
They’re not just kicked out of the game, but they’re often suspended for the 1st half of the following game. In the Pac-12, the conference cannot overturn it after the game, even if they see video that clears the player. So, an on-field official can penalize a player for a game that they’re not even going to officiate.