Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Is the NCAA the evil Empire? Ask Dez Bryant

Deion Sanders is the mastermind of a sinister plan designed to mentor young black males. Sanders plan includes teaching young men to behave as professionals on and off the field. It includes being accountable for your actions at all times, avoiding bad influences, making great business associates to enhance your life after football and it even includes an introduction on incorporate a relationship God. Deion Sanders and his diabolical plan to take over the NCAA's athletes must be stopped right?


Even in my sarcasm I find my previous statements to have a grain of truth attached to it. Julio Jones and Mark Ingram took a fishing trip with a 56 year old booster. "Allegedly" all the booster did was pay for the fishing trip. So what's the difference between Dez Bryant and Mark Ingram and Julio Jones? First of all Alabama "self reported" the little shin dig about Jones and Ingram. The information about Bryant's relationship with Sanders was uncovered by hardcore investigation. Once Bryant was questioned about the relationship he was in no man's land.


On the surface its seems as if Bryant got bad legal advice. According to ESPN.com's Jemelle Hill, Bryant was advised to lie about his relationship with Deion Sanders. Apparently several years ago, Deion started a mentoring program for young high school athletes which led to him reaching out to college athletes. Bryant only had dinner at Deion's home. Deion is not in the same category as Rodney Guilory. Don't remember him? Let me refresh your memory. He is the guy that basically was O.J. Mayo's caretaker from his junior in high school all the way up to his "recruitment" to USC.


Guilory's job was to steer O.J. Mayo to Bill Duffy. Of course that blew up once the hard evidence showed up. Guilory provided plane tickets, cell phones, clothing, meals and an introduction to the celeberty lifestyle awaiting Mayo once he did his one year sentence in college basketball. We don't even have to mention another USC great do we? Okay for the sake of argument, what about Reggie Bush? The NCAA has yet to suspend Pete Carroll's program.


On the surface it would appear that the NCAA is trying to protect the integrity of its "student athletes" but I think most sane and rational people know better. Why is does John Wall have to payback the expenses of his AAU summer expenses? But Dez Bryant has to lose out on his season for essentially having dinner with an NFL legend that isn't even an alum of Oklahoma State!!! Should the young high school quarterbacks that attend Peyton Manning's football camp be ineligible to play college football because they got a few tips at a football camp? Of course not!(Note Manning isn't the only guy that holds camps to help enhance kids football skills)

Please find a better angle than "he lied" to us. Is a lie worse than LaGarret Blount's sucker punch of an opposing player after the game? There's even talk of reinstating Blount. Now how's that for a double standard? Does Alabama's storied program keep them out of any meaningful violations concerning Jones and Ingram? Of course it does. Sure Alabama has the price in the past for multiple recruiting violations but how can Jones and Ingram not get some type of punishment if they did indeed went on the fishing trip. Especially if a kid can get suspended for lying about dinner. How can USC's football program not be punished for their obvious transgressions involving Reggie Bush?


The integrity of the NCAA is in the toliet. Any journalist that would even attempt to defend this joke of organization is absolutely delusional. It all boils down to money, the protection of the NCAA's product (the student athlete) and having full autonomy to operate as a monopoly. Citing Sanders relationship with Crabtree as a possible red flag is ludicrous. Deion Sanders had nothing to do with Crabtree's hold out. Deion Sanders publicly expressed his relationships with present NFL players who are still on active rosters in the league. Most up and coming cornerbacks that are high draft picks have the opportunity to meet Deion Sanders at some point in their young careers. Wouldn't you exchange cell phone numbers with someone who's a known great in your profession? Any Joe Blow would if they had any professional intelligence...


Eugene Parker has started to make some noise in the sports agent world. Parker has signed 7 first round picks over the last few season. The question is to ask is some entity in the sports agent world threatened by Parker in some way? What forces are running scared with the possibility of a Deion Sanders having more influence young black athletes? Isn't this what national columnist and radio talk show host allow Jim Brown to spew all over the airwaves and in print? When someone actually takes Brown's words and applies them, now there's a problem. Is it counter productive to steer an impressionable college athlete from the same fate as Sean Taylor or a Darrent Williams.( That's not to say Bryant is a bad kid) Pac-man Jones may still have a career in the NFL if he would've interacted with a credible mentor like Sanders while he was in college.


Mike Crabtree signed with Parker on the recommendation of Larry Fitzgerald and not Deion Sanders! Let's say if Sanders was in Crabtree's ear during his holding out, Were there any laws broken?. SO why does this trickle down to Dez Bryant? It's simply to make an example out of Bryant and hopefully the rest of the herd will get the message.


I'm not saying that the NCAA is poorly run organization however they are littered with glaring double standards. Their unethical and selective judgement undermines their image drastically. Dez Bryant will be fine. He is smart enough to enter the NFL draft where he will be a first day selection. Hopefully Sanders can continue to reach out to kids that want help and positive influences but I'm not holding my breath about whether or not the evil empire will ever change its stripes....

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