The college football season is here.
Missouri and Illinios will play one of two games that will played at the Dome this weekend. The Gateway Classic will feature Tuskegee taking on Kentucky State on September 26. With that said, the money machine that is called the NCAA is about to be ramped up.
From television deals to ticket sales and naming rights to official this and official that, the NCAA is in no need of a bailout. They may cry poor but they are far from it. With all the success and revenue that comes with big time college football, there are some casualties.
The bottom line for any program these days is winning and in some cases by all means necessary. That brings us to the responsibilities of the coach. Again he has been charged by the school president, boosters, alums and athletic directors to win. In most cases they really don’t care how – just do it, and if you have to bend the rules, then just don’t tell us.
After all, you don’t think that they are paying these coaches to just call plays do you? They are partially paid in advance to take the bullet in the event the organization gets caught cheating.
Did I mention cheating? It happens more than anyone may think. The issue may result from some of the antiquated rules that are in the NCAA governing manual. If you ever want comic relief, try reading the rules book.
Everyone who signs up to be part of the NCAA knows that the rules are there and everyone is supposed to abide by them. Yeah, right. Coaches today are under great pressure to produce – and the sooner the better.
The most recent episode involved the University of Michigan. Several current and former players have gone to the media to complain that Head Coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff exceeded the prescribed practice time allowed by the NCAA. Players alleged that they were going too long and the school was in violation. Either the players are not good enough or the coaches were not smart enough to coach them up, considering that Michigan lost nine games last year. Apparently the extra practice time did not get the job done.
I bring this up because it shows the demand coaches have to deal with in order to win at all costs. This is a copycat industry. If a successful coach wins by staying late at the office and overworking his staff for an extra win, then every other coach who is at a crossroad feels compelled to do it.
To watch a grown man cry over these allegations was borderline sad. Sad because this is what it comes down to these days. Play on the emotions of the media and fans. Coaches all of a sudden love their players; each and every one of them, or so they say. I sometimes wonder if the third-string right guard gets that sort of love. Or maybe the redshirt player who has four other guys that now play in front of him since the coach recruited him and told him how much he loved him and his family.
It’s business as usual until it hits the fan, like it did for the Michigan coach. Now he is looking for the group hug.
Practicing too long is an age-old issue. I am sure if you look around St. Louis you might find a program or two that may hold an unsanctioned get-together or two. While it may seem minor to even talk about a rule of this nature, it is a rule.
While most coaches sit and complain about the NCAA and its rules, few do more than just complain and use it as a crutch. There is no question that the NCAA has a problem, several as a matter of fact. Because there is so much money to be made and counted, no one in the NCAA has time to fix it so it will be business as usual for the big-time schools.
For those who have to hustle like one Division II school that did not have enough helmets and shoulder pads to field a team, then good luck.
The NCAA is a full-scale monopoly that has no rival. Not even Congress would want to peel off the first layer to see how this outfit runs in fear of the backlash that all those football and basketball fans would invoke should their pastime be messed with.
We can’t forget the fans. They are needed when there is fear of someone asking too many questions – then, it’s about the fans. That’s why when there is a big bowl game or the Final Four, the average fan is shut out of buying tickets.