Jim Delany’s offended shoe pusher Sonny Vaccaro with his escape to DIII comments? Shit’s gettin’ real, dawg:
“It’s the most irrational statement I’ve ever seen from a person who’s in power to do something for the players,” Vaccaro said. “Pay-for-play is not a true statement. What it is and what it always will be is compensation for these kids when they’re no longer at the school so they’re part of the process.”
Vaccaro makes a good point about certain real world ramifications if Delany made good on his word to flee.
Vaccaro said Delany’s comments are “insane” given that conferences such as the Big Ten are “too big to fail.” Vaccaro questions what happens in a deemphasized model to contractual obligations with TV and shoe companies, not to mention how universities would pay off debt they’re running up to build athletic facilities.
“What I would have hoped is people like this in authority overlooking the athletes, because they have no legal representation, is let’s do the right thing by the participants,” Vaccaro said. “Let’s understand the world has changed. Basically, it was a threat so the public thinks the players are wrong.
“If that’s what they want to do, they should do it without funding new stadiums and paying millions of dollars to themselves. What Mr. Delany does not admit to is the value of the Big Ten Network to pay the salaries. If this happens, then Mr. Delany and his whole office will be out of work.”
Now that’s happening. And the final word:
“I’m so glad Mr. Delany felt fit to talk about the student-athlete relationship vs. the university,” Vaccaro said. “He failed to mention the academic scandal at the University of Minnesota (in the 1990s). If you follow the bouncing ball, the Big Ten players have now started their three-week migration throughout America to play in a basketball tournament. It’s so hypocritical. I was happy by what he said so the public can understand they’re so blinded by the commitments they already started.”
It’s not easy to cede the moral high ground to Sonny Vaccaro. Well played, Commissioner.
Get The Picture 
Just pointing out the obvious. Delany is a douche. Legends and leaders my ass.
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Needs more words and longer sentences.
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Why doesn’t the NCAA allow the schools to offer to the recruits a ship or a set $ amount. If the recruit takes the $ then he or she has to pay their own fees.
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Then wouldn’t that be the schools admitting they do pay the players, but in tuition, room, books? At that point, players can essentially say we’re getting paid peanuts compared to the millions coaches and administrators rake in off their blood, sweat, and tears.
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No kidding. Who better to do it to Jim and the rest of Management than Sonny, a longtime Leader and Legend, who was making his bones while Delany* was still playing Four Corners
http://espn.go.com/magazine/vol5no23vaccaro.html
* Delany’s teen years may have been marked by confusion and angst. Despite being from New Jersey, he somehow ended up at UNC playing for Dean rather than at Duke playing for some predecessor to Ratface:
“Delany grew up in South Orange, New Jersey and attended Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1970. While a student there he played for the university’s basketball team, playing on two squads that reached the NCAA Final Four. His senior season he was co-captain of the team.[1] He remained at North Carolina for law school, receiving his Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 1973.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Delany
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Great article. Sorry to see some sleaze wiped on a naive( no one will ever believe that description, but it fits here) and good person.
Didn’t know he is an amnesiac. Wait until I tell the wife!
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Didn’t realize that Delany was referenced in DIF’s post also. This post was about Vaccaro.
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Suffering a onetime, three day memory loss blackout while watching the French Open certainly sounds reasonable to me.
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Delany and Vacarro going at it. Sort of like those scenes in South Park:The Movie with the Devil and Saddam.
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That makes me think of the French Open
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