Initial responses to the NCAA-imposed penalties on LSU for engaging in unacceptable levels of contact with a kid who signed a financial aid agreement with the school but eventually wound up at Alabama have largely been along the same line: a “confusing rule“, a rule that “has to change“, “the NCAA’s attempt to address the unintended consequences of its prior action are now having additional unintended consequences“.
An accidental mess, in other words, created by everyone’s favorite organization’s ineptitude.
Except what if it isn’t an accident? As MaconDawg suggests, “Finally, and perhaps most NCAA-y of all, this episode creates a real disincentive for schools to offer FAAs to players.” Yeah, so? Methinks it’s quite possible the NCAA perceives that to be a feature, not a bug, of the rule.
We already know the NCAA is, if not outright hostile to, at least unconvinced about the need for players to be able to avoid signing a NLI to play college football. If you can’t arrange an outright ban of recruits being able to avoid signing the letter, isn’t muddying the waters so much that the schools refuse to offer the possibility in fear of what’s happened to LSU the next best option?
I see where you are coming from with this and it makes perfect sense.
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It’s Operation Choke Point 2.0 for the NCAA #keepstudentathletesfromwinning
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That’s giving a LOT of credit to the NCAAA for both forethought and cleverness.
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That was my thought. an organization that is that inept could never come up with a plan that well thought out.
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NCAA strategery: flail around throwin’ crap in the hopes somethin’ sticks.
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Yep. It makes perfect sense, except they just don’t seem clever enough to hatch a scheme like this.
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Does everyone remember when rules changes were a subject to be discussed before they became changes? Why do they have to get placed as a rule before anyone hashes over their validity?
Som’pin ain’t correct about the rule causing unfairness angst after the fact. How about a rule change for rule changing after proper time for schools’ digestion and more than two heads putting in their two-fer cents worth?
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To carry along with Justin’s point above…what in the name of Jesus in a flat-bed Ford gives anybody the idea that anything the NCAA has done would indicate the organization has the ability to do something this smart?
Unless and until somebody can prove to me that somebody at the NCAA planned the problem with LSU, I have to assume its just another instance of stupid is as stupid does.
To paraphrase Forest: Life is like a box a bullshit, then the NCAA gets you.
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The Los Presidentes gang told the NCAA what to do because the sacrifice (albeit only momentary) of a SEC West member is a small price to pay for keeping the student-athlete down?
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it’s not Jesus in a flathead Ford?
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Well, It could be, but if I was standing on a conah in Winslow, Arizona…. 🙂
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Try as they might, the ncaa can’t deceive the ever-vigilant MaconDawg!
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I’d agree but I can’t imagine the NCAA has that much strategery.
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