ATHLETICS AND EDUCATIONAL PROCESS IN THE UNITED STATES

ATHLETICS AND EDUCATIONAL PROCESS IN THE UNITED STATES

(FRAZER CHRONICLE)

(All the News That Nobody Else Will Print)

 

I knew a guy, a football player when I was in high school that was great, he was a monster for his time, (1960) 6’-5”, 235 pound tight end. He could run, had great hands and was going to the University of Michigan to further both his academics as well as his athletic horizons. Luckily for him he committed to academics, because in practice in his freshman year he ended up blowing his knee out and never played a varsity down, or was he able to play a single down on the professional level. But he got himself a degree in engineering and I suppose today is enjoying retirement the same as me.

 

We are now saddled with another academic scandal involving…..what else, student athletes and adult academic and coaching adults. That’s right, you didn’t really think that the kids, the student athletes that were involved, initiated such nonsense did you?

 

It’s like they say, “if you take the adults and parents out of Little League and Pop Warner football, and just let the kids play, everything would be just fine.” And there’s a lot to be said about that statement. Adult meddling with their kid’s extracurricular activity starts almost before their out of their bassinette. 

 

But in America today, the vile activity of cheating has taken on a whole new effort, it not only touches athletics, but academia collaborated cheating on test scores, and to a lesser extent gambling…..only because gambling is more or less condoned by mostly everybody…..didn’t you ever see as kind of strange the way odds are published on different school’s football, or basketball games?

 

DIFFERENCES IN CHEATING

An assistant registrar changed more than 500 student’s grades for in over 2,500 illegal transactions, charging students hundreds of dollars per transaction. The story broke when a young woman presented herself as a graduate of Southern University, but there was no record of her obtaining a degree. It was later determined that several other students earned fake Bachelors and Masters Degrees and teaching certificates and teaching degrees.

 

Fuqua School of Business in Chappell Hill discovered that 34 1^st year students of the Master of Business program collaborated on a take-home exam. The professor of the class noticed similarities on assignments, and answers on tests. Nine students were expelled, 15 others were suspended for a year, and the rest failed the class.

 

There have been point shaving scandals, booster interference, slush-fund accounts that were administered by school officials, and numerous other tricks to keep a star athlete eligible for their sports team. At least one case involved a murder of a teammate, and the coach, Baylor’s basketball coach, Dave Bliss, actually instructed his players to lie to the NCAA. The shooter, player Carlton Dotson, was sentenced to 35 years in prison, the coach was fired and the school self-imposed a one year postseason ban and loss of scholarships.

 

Parents of student athletes can also be drawn into scandal, unscrupulous boosters, administrators, and coaches have also induced a players parents with all sorts of financial gain, from cars, to trips, to free lodging and board, to free admission to games and souvenirs.

 

 

Of course players aren’t as innocent as the driven snow, as Ohio State Football player’s traded issued memorabilia for cash and tattoos!  I’ve been known to do quite a few things in my time, but I for sure would draw the line at getting a tattoo for anything…..my body is a temple.

 

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

UNC seems to have been at the cheating thing for almost two decades…..you’d think that they could have gotten their cheating talents down pat, and never would have been caught…..however. UNC is probably just the tip of the ice berg, unless they invented cheating.

 

There is no excuse for cheaters at any level, it cheapens the game, the institution and both players and administrators. The NCAA does not deter infractions of the rules that they basically established to control the activity of their members. As with anything else in today’s world, the almighty dollar bill drives what these people do, and what they ignore or sweep under the proverbial rug.

 

From the school chancellors on down to the lowest assistant coach, there needs to be a changing of the guard…..because the current guard just isn’t working, these people are inept at what they are supposed to be doing.

 

The University of North Carolina, which has allegedly been getting away with ignoring the rules of operation for eighteen or so years will undoubtedly become the poster child for of what not to do if you want to get caught. That’ll be the way some of these jokers will see the final outcome.

 

Who will suffer, not a guy like Dave Bliss, the basketball coach at Baylor, although he hasn’t coached at the college level since 2003, he’s an athletic director and basketball coach at a private prep school in Texas.

 

The institution, administration, the students, the alumni, and the players all will suffer, some merely indignation for either being involved in a program, or actually attending the school. No my friends, the dollar bill has controlled the college educational business for years and will continue to do so until we get some of these jokers out of the educational system.

HAVE A NICE DAY!