Rashad McCants Was Right

[SameOldNudityDrew]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/23/sports/university-of-north-carolina-investigation-reveals-shadow-curriculum-to-help-athletes.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpSumSmallMediaHigh&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Not sure if you guys remember the kerfuffle a couple years ago when McCants said he and others on the basketball team took these "paper" classes to stay eligible where they never had to go to class and only had to write (or plagiarize) one paper. Roy Williams said it was totally preposterous.

Well, turns out Rashad was right. Terrible player, but he did tell the truth about the athletic/academic fraud at UNC.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/11745036/north-carolina-investigation-says-advisers-pushed-sham-classes

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Nobody's innocent in this. Players deserve blame because they should have known this was unethical, the athletic departments DEFINITELY deserve blame for encouraging athletes to take these classes, the department and professor that offered them are clearly responsible and their careers are certainly over, and I think coaches and administrators should take the blame for at the very least, turning a blind eye to this sort of thing. The NCAA could be a force for good, making sure that college athletes actually DO get something out of their educations, but it seems clear they only care about the bottom line. Heck, even fans of the sports, we're a little responsible because we pay so much money to watch these college sports, which incentivizes this kind of behavior. If the NCAA can crack down hard on some kid making a little money by signing autographs because they insist their players are "student-athletes" even though some of them are making their schools a TON of money, then shouldn't the NCAA also pay a little attention to whether their "student-athletes" are actually getting the "student" part of that experience?

[AbeVigodaLive]

I still irrationally hate Rashad McCants. He tried to ruin basketball for me.


[Note: High-level shams at the collegiate level? Meh. Is anybody surprised?]

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Oh yeah, Rashad McCants is pure evil. I wouldn't let him work in the concession stand at the Target Center.

And it's not surprising, and that's what's sad to me. We've got this billion dollar a year industry of college sports, the kids are making lots of other people money but they can't make any themselves (unless and until they can go pro) and yet we tell ourselves it's ok because they're getting an education, but everybody knows that for a lot of these guys, it's not true. It's like one big lie we all tell ourselves and it's a shame if you ask me. Not sure what I'd do about it, but it's time to stop lying to ourselves at least.

Would you like some McCants poetry?

http://deadspin.com/heres-a-poem-by-rashad-mccants-you-might-enjoy-1462541349

[Monster]

Like Abe said this shouldn't be shocking.

I remember many talking heads nationally and even a local guy here in Lincoln that said he knew McCants said why would he would say this stuff its just sour grapes etc. I don't know McCants but what I did/do know about him made me actually believe him. He was an odd duck a weird dude that on some level was an intelligent guy who loved poetry etc. Heck I thought an African American studies major actually maybe even made sense for him, he never got in trouble with the law that didn't seem to have anything to gain from saying this stuff just cause whatever. Oh and it turns out what he said was right on.

[Hicks123 [enjin:6700838]]

Like Abe, this doesn't surprise me in the least.

My neighbor growing up taught a player that went to Mpls North in HS, and then had a great college career and decent year or 2 in the pros (anyone have a guess), and I remember her saying that he scored about as well as a 10 year old would on his academic testing. Yet, he then goes on to attend college, and people think he went to class and actually passed? The kid could barely read for heavens sake. How do we think he managed this?

And I remember when the Wolves drafted Louis Bullock, it was revealed that he was paid $100k. Louis Bullock? The dude was marginal in college on his best day. And if he was getting paid, it is an easy leap for me to assume that the majority of good to great players are also getting something as well.

And I remember seeing statistics on the Miami Hurricane football team back in the day graduating virtually no one.

This is a business that generates hundreds of millions of dollars and will protect itself at all costs (look at Florida State situation right now). The humorous part about these scandals are the upper level folks at these schools acting like this is completely foreign to them. Are you kidding me? With the money these sports generate, I have to believe that the academic superiors at every school know every detail related to anything to do with these players and programs. A sham program for 20 years, attended by 3,100 students where there were no requirements for passing? And no one heard about this? Really? And no one "outside the scam" noticed players that basically received all D's consistently getting A's in these classes? Man, I have heard a lot of stupid denials over the past few years, but this one has to take the cake.

All that said, I really don't care. The intention of the "student athlete" went out the door years ago when sports began allowing kids to utilize college as a 1-2 year tryout for the affiliate professional sport they play. My wish for these players that abuse the system is that they fail miserably at the sport they play and are stuck working at McDonald's after they fail. Seems a fitting end for many of these guys.

[Monster]

Yeah student athlete...Jamal Tinsley went to literally only weeks of high School went to Jr. College and then on to Iowa state. Now maybe he had a ton of academic support and went to class etc was legit it would be a nice story and I think it is possible. How much do you really learn in HS anyway? I some cases I'll tell you from working with incoming freshman and my own experience I wouldn't be shocked if Tinsley made it.

There are stories of guy really struggling and the massive amounts of academic support they get academic coaches, tudoring etc etc plus help for mental health etc. Steimsma's story at Wisconsin is a good example. So yeah I know its not all paper classes and joke classes and some athletes get legit help even if its way way more help than any typical student would get at least the money is going towards education etc. Either way their is so many instances where the term student athlete is a term that's basically rainbows and unicorns. I was always impressed at the very small college that I attended and later worked at with the students that did a nursing degree and played on the basketball teams for no scholarship and most of them worked a part-time job too. That ain't easy. That's a student athlete imo. There are plenty of real student athletes in NCAA division I schools too I know personally.

[thedoper]

This may be the best thread title I have seen here.

[AbeVigodaLive]

It will be interesting to see what happens with sanctions/punishments.

Considering the Gophers were hit pretty hard. But this is UNC... a cash cow. And an "institution."

And the veil of some higher level of learning/academics has been pretty much ripped off the NCAA charade over the past few years since Clem and the boys.