Cards Hypocrisy

[bullwark]

Posted on Thu, Jan. 10, 2008

Tables turn, but Cards don't budge

ALLEN'S REQUEST UNVEILS NCAA'S HYPOCRISY

By John Clay

HERALD-LEADER SPORTS COLUMNIST

They're at it again.

College coaches and administrators, the same people who swear on a stack of NCAA bylaws that they are for the best interest of the student-athlete, are once again showing they are for what's best for college coaches and administrators.

Not that we should be surprised.

When it comes to the NCAA transfer rule, hypocrisy is as traditional as the old college fight song.

A few years back, it was Kentucky. The subject was Marvin Stone. A 6-foot-10 center on the basketball team, Stone asked to be released from his scholarship so that he could transfer to another school. UK said it would grant the release under the stipulation Stone could not transfer to U of L to play for ex-Cats coach Rick Pitino.

When word leaked, a publicity storm ensued. UK appeared more interested in protecting its territory than helping a young man. Larry Ivy's mishandling of the matter contributed to his ouster as Kentucky's athletics director. In the end, Stone was allowed to attend Louisville.

Six years later, it's Louisville's turn. Anthony Allen, a running back on the Cardinals football team, asked to be released from his scholarship after completing his sophomore season in December. U of L said, OK, but you cannot transfer to a team on the Cardinals' schedule the next three seasons.

And, oh yeah, one other thing, Louisville told Allen. You can't go to Arkansas, where Bobby Petrino, ex-head coach at Louisville, had just taken over the Razorbacks.

Tuesday, Louisville rejected Allen's appeal. "They told us that if they let Anthony go there," Allen's father, Amos, told the Courier-Journal, "it would be open season on their other players."

Hogwash.

Back in 2002, Kentucky argued that allowing Stone to attend Louisville would open the door for other disgruntled Cats to become Cards. Didn't happen.

Stone played one year for the Cards, averaging 10.3 points and seven rebounds per game for a Louisville team that lost to Butler in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That same year, Kentucky went 32-4 and reached the Elite Eight before losing to Dwyane Wade and Marquette.

Since then, no other Cats have become Cards, or vice versa.

Instead, it's just the same old college double-speak. Coaches and administrators can break contracts the way most of us eat meals. Under contract to UK, Tubby Smith can leave for Minnesota. Under contract to Texas A&M, Billy Gillispie can leave for Kentucky. Steve Kragthorpe, the current Louisville football coach, can leave Tulsa for U of L. There are no NCAA sanctions. The coach doesn't have to sit out a year.

A student-athlete is a different story. Not only does he or she have to sit out a year before becoming eligible, he or she must also abide by the transfer restrictions administered by the school -- restrictions often made on a whim.

It isn't as if Allen is the second coming of LaDainian Tomlinson, either. Despite setting a single-game rushing record of 275 yards in the season's second game, Allen ended up averaging just 58 yards per game. The final three games, he carried the ball just 14 times for 32 yards.

Given that Louisville was a disappointing 6-6 this past year, are there that many Cards that Petrino even wants?

Six years ago, Louisville was all too happy to take a basketball player from its archrival. Now, however, the Cards won't allow a running back to attend a school led by its former coach.

In every other walk of life, you call that hypocrisy.

In college sports, you call it tradition.

[smazza]

CANT WAIT FOR THE DAY when schools and ncaa get sued and lose millions to these athletes that are being treated like slaves

[Brad]

CANT WAIT FOR THE DAY when schools and ncaa get sued and lose millions to these athletes that are being treated like slaves

Whoever is forcing these kids to sign scholarships offers should be shot, too. 

[hbryan]

CANT WAIT FOR THE DAY when schools and ncaa get sued and lose millions to these athletes that are being treated like slaves

Whoever is forcing these kids to sign scholarships offers should be shot, too. 

Bulliever,

I was listening this morning to Mike and Mike, and I tend to agree with them that student-athletes are basically being worked.  Coaches who make mulit-millions per year have no obligaitons - they can leave willy-nilly ala Bobby Petrino, Rich Rodriguez, etal but they cannot and are the sole reasons that guys like them can make their millions.  I think there is a serious double standard when coaches aren't required to even meet contract obligations but student athletes receiving a 25K scholarship and helping the university make multi-millions for their athletic program are. It's not fair and it definitely is not right.  I say coaches sit out a year if they change university, the same as a student athlete if they don't honor their contract/committment.

[Apis Bull]

I say if you're a scholarship player in your first or second year of your scholarship and a head coach leaves, you should be able to transfer without penalty.  But you can't follow the coach that left.