Usually, I spend my September Saturdays glued to my television set watching college football from noon to midnight. When ESPN's late night match-ups are over, I've been known to switch to ESPN Classic and watch Florida St.-Miami or Nebraska-UCLA.
This year I've been too busy keeping tabs on who's actually playing. College sports (especially football) have become a parody of drug scandals, lies and murders.
The innocence of the game has eroded to a point where the egotistical, drug lord athletes of the NFL and MLB are now huggable teddy bears compared to the ungrateful monsters that make up college athletics.
This summer alone, Alabama Football Coach Mike Price, Iowa State Basketball Coach Larry Eustachy, Washington Football Coach Rick Neuheisel, Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett, Baylor's Dave Bliss, Carlton Dotson and the late Patrick Dennehy have been involved in horrific scandals. All ended in the loss of jobs, and in Baylor's case, the tragic loss of life.
These student athletes are attending some of the finest universities for free; however, their lying, cheating and stealing detracts from their athletic accomplishments.
OSU's Maurice Clarett is undoubtedly one of the best players in the country. However, instead of winning what should be numerous Heisman trophies, he lies to police about stolen goods, misses exams, and complains when he's suspended, facing the prospect of never playing again. Sadly, it doesn't stop with players.
A year ago, Price, Eustachy and Neuheisel were a who's who of successful college coaching. Now they are walking examples of what happens when you indulge in too much sex, alcohol and gambling. No longer do they have seven-figure jobs. No longer are they statewide icons and most importantly, no longer are they respected by their athletes.
It is arguable whether or not Price, Eustachy and Neuheisel should have lost their jobs. While their actions were ethically despicable, they were also not illegal. However, if I were the Athletic Director at Alabama, Iowa State or Washington, I don't think I could, in good faith, let these men continue to lead student-athletes after setting such a poor example.
Having covered several sports (both Men's and Women's Basketball and Men's Tennis) here at AU, I have noticed a similar trend from all of the athletes I interviewed: They all trust and respect their coaches. After seeing the products of excessive sex, alcohol and gambling in major college athletics, I would entrust my programs in the hands of AU coaches Jeff Jones, Shann Hart and Martin Blackman sooner than I would hire Neuheisel, Price or Eustachy.
While the situations from Alabama to Washington have been ugly, they haven't been downright tragic, as the situation at Baylor has been. The murder of basketball player Patrick Dennehy, possibly by fellow Bear Carlton Dotson, who has been indicted and put under arrest, and the attempted cover-up by coach Dave Bliss is arguably the most tragic event in college sports history.
How are parents supposed to send their child to an academic institution where such fraud occurs? After the murder, Bliss tried to cover up the academic fraud he committed by suggesting that Dennehy funded his education selling drugs. Bliss should not only be banned from coaching, but also be charged criminally.
This past week, I watched ESPN's debut of the new reality-drama Playmakers. In it, the star running back remarked, "When you're a playmaker, the rules don't apply." Unfortunately, college sports back up this theory.
Price, Eustachy and Neuheisel: All playmakers. Clarett is probably THE Playmaker. And while the coaches may have lost their jobs and Clarett may have been suspended, they will rise again. In the near future, the coaches will grace new titles with huge salaries at high-profile schools. Clarett will grace the cover of a media guide, maybe even in Ohio. But it's doubtful it'll be Ohio State. He'll run off to the NFL and may star for the Cleveland Browns.
Why? Because he's a playmaker, and "when you're a playmaker, the rules don't apply." But, if you ask me, Jeff Jones, Shann Hart, and Martin Blackman are all playmakers, and so are their student-athletes who respect them and follow their positive example. They are playmakers in the game of life, and in the real world, the rules apply to everyone - playmaker or not.
