Convicted, but not accused

            This should come as no surprise to anyone, but the NCAA, that great bastion of hypocrisy, has come up with a doozy. 

            The organization hit Penn State with $60 million in fines, a four-year bowl ban, a scholarship reduction and the threat of more sanctions if the school misbehaves again or if the NCAA feels like it.  The Big 10 decided to pile on by yanking $13 million of bowl revenue.

            All this because Penn State violated the NCAA’s rules against … well, that’s the rub.  Penn State didn’t violate any NCAA rules.  It violated the laws of Pennsylvania, of nature and of God, but it didn’t actually violate any NCAA rules.  (That we know of.  One theory has it that the NCAA and Penn State, knowing an investigation would uncover rules violations, skipped to the last page).

            Now the State of Pennsylvania has taken it’s pound of flesh, having convicted JerrySandusky of raping numerous boys, a case in which Penn State and its revered coach Joe Paterno, were all but unindicted co-conspirators.  And Paterno, having died, is getting his just reward from God himself (and finding out that he wasn’t God might be the cruelest punishment JoePa could suffer), Who, of course, knows exactly the extent and nature of Paterno’s guilt.

            But the NCAA, which holds itself above the duly constituted laws of the state and nation, has decided taking a backseat to God might give folks the wrong impression about who is omnipotent around here.

            Mark Emmert, the latest hairdo to serve as president of this August organization, has stepped up and proclaimed himself God.  At least Roger Goodell pretends to listen to a defense before handing down threats.

            Emmert, having put Penn State and the JoePa’s corpse in their places, will now presumably attempt to put Notre Dame on probation since the Catholic Church at it’s highest levels covered up child rape, the same crime for which Penn State stands, not so much accused by the NCAA as convicted. As for Baylor, it’s quite possible that Emmert will declare the death penalty for the Bears since they tried to cover up the murder of one of their own.

            The NCAA has ignored the rule of law here and they are doing it for PR reasons, the same reason that led Penn State to act as it did.

            But a closer inspection shows the penalties handed out are as meaningless as they are ridiculous.  Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

            First, let’s remember that Penn State’s football program made a profit of $43million last year. 

            So they’ve been fined $60 million, payable over five years.  That’s $12 million a year, leaving us with $31 million in profit. Then there is the $13 million in lost bowl money over four years, a loss of $3.25 million a year, leaving us with $27.75 million.  Then you have to add in the $280,000 a year the Nittany Lions will save from cutting 10 scholarships.  So the NCAA busted all precedent and threw out the rule of law in order to cut Penn State’s profit to $28 million a year.

            Then there is the 65-scholarship limit.  Well not exactly.  Recruiting is over this year, so they will have 85 on scholarship this year.  They lose 10 so they’ll have 75 on scholarship in 2013.  It won’t be until 2014 they’ll have 65 and then for just two years.

            And having 65 shouldn’t hurt.  That’s 3 deep on both sides of the ball. When was the last time you saw the fourth-stringer make a huge difference in big-time football?

Remember, Penn State, unlike SMU, doesn’t have 8 other instate teams to share it’s fertile recruiting home base.  It only deals with Pitt. Penn State will have to recruit a little smarter. But they can also tell recruits, “Son, we’re being super selective. We used to take only the best.  No we’re taking only the best of the best. Plus, if you come here, you’ll have less competition and a better chance to start.”

            Not to mention that they can tell their mamas that the program will be under such scrutiny that no one gets laid.

            Finally there is the bowl ban.  That will hurt.  But you can appeal to your current players’ pride and redshirt the next class so that they will be the first class to have a chance for a bowl.  It will be an honor.

            The bottom line is we won’t know if Penn State is suffering until the season starts. If they are selling out, then it’s all been for naught.

            But other schools need to be wary.  If Penn State can get hammered for not breaking the rules, so can you.  If the NCAA decides that the integrity of its member institutions is paramount, what happens when it realizes that Nick Saban makes 10 time what his boss does?  Or that Mack Brown is the highest paid employee of the state of Texas? Followed by Kevin Sumlin? Followed by Rick Barnes?  The NCAA adds very little to the football school and if they decide to walk, they can take the basketball tournament with them. 

            Of course, if they do, the NCAA will probably put Lamar on probation.