Tuesday, November 30, 2010

NCAA Myth of the Student Athlete

As 1 who had the blessed fortune for his family to reach FL before Disney started buying property for Disney World, have rooted for the Gators since age 10 in 1968.

The University of Miami ranks as my second favorite team because Howard Schnellenberger first went into the projects, the slums of Miami, to recruit black football players and allow them to get a college education.

Now, the whole country recruits in FL and Miami area in particular.

So now while the NCAA peddles the myth of the scholar athlete, the "U" has fired Randy Shannon, by all accounts a decent man and football coach, despite the fact his team has the second best graduation rate of teams in the Bowl Championship Series division.

"The  U" has had only 6 players arrested since 2005 while UF (University of Felons) had 24 arrests of players in the same period.

[The University of Miami was right to fire Randy Shannon.

I wish college football wasn't a sham. I wish colleges didn't treat their football programs like corporations. I wish graduation rates mattered more and having a trouble-free program was considered a significant accomplishment.

I wish there was a place for coaches like Shannon, a decent man whose academic progress rate (APR) ranked third among Division I football coaches.] by Jemele Hill at http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?id=5867137

[John Matuszak had a great moment in North Dallas Forty. "Every time I call it a game, you say it's a business," he rants to a coach. "Every time I say it's a business, you call it a game!"]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/sports/20100517/mccarthy17_st.art.htm


Randy Shannon

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