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Dr. Mark Emmert is the President of the NCAA…..the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/NCAA+President/Mark+Emmert+Biography
Institutions in our nation are supposed to be the guardians of integrity, ethical behavior and address setting the bar for good conduct, which is supposed to translate into better behavior for younger players, school children and parents. When Institutions fail, such as was the case a few years back the U.S. arm of the International Red Cross, or issues regarding national or international sports with the US Olympic Committee or those in charge of the Olympic Games themselves……well, support begins to wither and changes are made to address the impact to the organization’s intergrity.
The NCAA is unique. First of all, it is not Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association or the National Hockey League – with Player Associations that keep the owners feet to the fire and in fact can go out on strike to voice their issues. The major issues of “juicing” or “steriods” or “Designer Performance Enhancement Drugs” or of “Criminal Activity”…are dealt with quickly. Michael Vick and Plexico Burress are issues that quickly come to mind. Those are the high value players that get all the media play. Many, many more are involved in drug transactions, illegal gambling and even murderous acts….which are addressed but don’t get the significant play on Sports Pages or in News Reports…..as much as they should.
Back to the “One Off” NCAA. Their “Godlike Powers” include watching over the conduct of thousands of College Athletes, Universities and Colleges, Booster Clubs, Organized Crime and so-call Legal Gambling facilities, Alumni Organizations, The Bowl Championship Series and thousands of other events which determine the Billions of dollars attached to Television and Licensing Agreements for future investments by companies such as Nike, Adidas, Target, Nabisco and thousands of others in lesser ways. The Billion of dollars can attract lots of bad people as well as the good ones.
Dr. Emmert has been feeling the fire lately at the NCAA. An article and short interview in the LA Times, Sports Section today by Lance Pugmire lends all to believe that the “stonewalling” is not about to subside. Dr. Emmert seems to think “that some reform” might be in order. Dah! Dr. Emmert seems to think that certain athletes could receive grant money, in case they are financially in need. Dah! Dr. Emmert seems to think that athletes should meet scholastic standards to participate in Bowl Championships! Dah! Dr. Emmert doesn’t seem to know if the dirt under the fingernails of College Athletics is endemic or just a few “bad apples”. Dah! Dr. Emmert fails to suggest what might happen to the current list of bad fruitcakes and can’t say whether or not the penalties against USC were excessive or will be met or exceeded by body of work of the new bad folks!
Perhaps Dr. Emmert’s limited knowledge puts the work to done above his paygrade. Perhaps the NCAA needs to be reorganized into three powerful paid branches rather than one unresponsible “concept and volunteer organization”! Is the NCAA a Non-Profit organization? Who is the Director of the Enforcement Branch of the NCAA? Who is the Director of the Economic and Financial Support Branch of the NCAA? Where is the oversight of the Government of the United States? Where is Office of the Attorney General of the United States and what oversight do they have over colleges and universities?
A few thoughts for Dr. Emmert: Someone that is a convicted felony criminal should be banned from all College Athletics FOREVER! Secondly, if someone is under investigation for any criminal act (bar fights, rape, minor theft)…they should be barred from playing until the charges are resolved. Thirdly, Athletes that use Performance Enhancing Drugs….should be banned from NCAA events for three years – then put on probation for another three years. Fourth, Athletes that change schools from their Junior to Senior year….should lose one year of College eligibility. Fifth, it should take endemic payments to five or more college athletes or a period of one year which exceed’s $5000 dollars in cash, goods or services in a given sport to issue the “SMU Death Penalty”. Sixth, any athlete that receives Autos (either Leased or as a Gift), Rent (either paid monthly or over a period of a year), Junkets or Trips (either given to the athlete or any member of his family or friends)….should all result in banning that athlete for three years in any NCAA event or Championship.
Cleaning up sports in this country will only begin when the NCAA either cleans up its act and re-organize with teeth and Federal oversight or that the penalties against athletic organizations, schools and colleges, Alumni Organizations and anyone willing to fill the pockets of anyone connected with competition events in this country. Dr. Emmert is in a tough position. If he calls for the re-organization of the NCAA he will be fired….no doubt. If he is replaced by someone with the same or less resolve…….nothing is going to change. The Competition Committee of the NCAA needs to fully disclose their proceedings and make sure that every Sports and Media organization gets their results on a monthly basis. Good Luck Dr. Emmert….call the FBI and get started on changing the face of College Sports…..right now!
Obviously Winships you have no clue about how sports came about as you have missed history lessons on Roman empire and Hellas.
I believe that they do not teach Odyssey in this dumb down school system so there is a time to teach about homosexuality.
Originally in the game only one teem went home the other did not.
*Harry Lime…another “expert in the fields”….we are sure! How many Olympic Medals have you gotten in your long sports history again? How many plays have you made as an NFL quarterback again? Let’s just say……if you were a “real sport”…..you would
join about 10 fantasy football teams and leave this blog….completely alone! Obviously Harry Lime, your years as a Collegiate Tiddily Winks Player….come back to haunt you.
This is one of the most clumsily written and poorly reasoned article I’ve ever read. And capitalizing words that require no capitalization (e.g., “Olympic Medals,” “College Athletes,” “Non-Profit”) is particularly annoying. Is this the best this blog can do?
I can do better but the publisher Vern Nelson wouldn’t let me…..
It would be pointless. We already know that you think everything that happens in this world is just some Socialist plot. We got it.
“just some Socialist plot”……… Hmmmm
Socialism is mental illness, not a plot.
Would you say that Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Marx, Castro, Guevara, Nelson are mentally healthy?
Anita…..dear one……..and your thoughts about the NCAA? No never mind…..too many
……dots and dashes to pay much attention too! Are you an English Teacher or just frustrated from waiting for the next Happy Hour?
Your ideas regarding the efficacy of the NCAA…is still invited!
I have no opinion on the NCAA. I do have strong opinions on ad hominem replies and illiteracy in the public prints. Or, as you would have it, “Public Prints.” Don’t quit your day job; you cannot write.
*Anita,
Finally someone who has the temerity to make a real statement. Are you a friend of
Harry Lime? Or are you in fact…Harry Lime? Let’s take a look at some of your super califragilstic expealidocious fine blogging talents…..send us your link….we can’t wait to do the critique of your work.
*Anita,
By the way…..who would you have the time to respond to a blog item from which they have zero opinion?
Form….Substance? What a choice! -or- Form…..Substance? What idea?
We appreciate both the kudos and the insight!
While you’re at it — and if you really must keep writing for this blog, even after all my reasoned advice to the contrary — stop….using…..all…those……….annoying…..ellipses. An ellipsis is either three or four periods, each separated by one letter space. As Casey Stengel said, “You could look it up.”
… And half as many exclamation points!!!
Ron and Anna are grandfathered here. Even if I can’t tell what they’re trying to say sometimes, they are they only writers on the blog who can remember when Redhill Ave. went all the way to the beach and there was no 55.
Hey R&A, I’d been meaning to ask you – do you remember an early 60s coffee house on Balboa called The Prison of Socrates? I just bought an old LP of some folksinger performing there…
“do you remember an early 60s coffee house on Balboa called The Prison of Socrates?”………. Hmmmm
I do!
It is still there Vern, except that it was renamed to Starbucks.
No, apparently it is a BJs Pizza now. http://www.talesofbalboa.com/arc2000/prison.htm
Tim Morgon was the folk singer. This was filmed there, with him as star:
… Dirty Feet, from the Winships era…
Jaysus. I now feel even more ancient as I glide into my dotage; I remembered all the performers listed in the “Tales of Balboa” Web page. The Prison was a regular destination for me in the early 1960s. I went for the singers, but mostly to meet girls (“honeys,” we called them). After a show, we’d head for the Orange Julius on Newport. Sigh. Happy times. And innocent.
Cf., http://timmorgon.com/carrol.htm
And the subject is skillfully changed from the Winships’ weaknesses as writers. That’s why I get the big editor bucks.
Do they still have Orange Julius anywhere?
Indeed. If we don’t stop, it’ll be a full-on Grampa Simpson Geezer Fest: “I remember when the 55 freeway stopped at Chapman Avenue. Which we called Corntown Pike in those days. Every house in Tustin was made of corn. When it got really hot, they all smelled like Fritos.”
Haha. a few months ago I was riding up Newport Blvd with a couple of twenty-year olds, and right around Triangle Square I got a wild hair, and started a lot like that: “Back when I was a kid, ALL of this area was under water. And there were orange trees everywhere, with their tops just barely poking up above the surf.” I went on at length. And I think they believed me.
Actually we didn’t move here till ’71.
Allow me, sir, to pay you the strongest compliment I can muster: In the words of my college roomate from Eureka, Utah, “Flat fucking hilarious.”
Obviously Anita is newbie and don’t know that, same as Hemingway, you are bathing in the liquid sun as he referred to Cuban Rum.
Ron & Anna:
By the way…..who would you have the time to respond to a blog item from which they have zero opinion?
Truer words they never have you write.
First off, Tim Morgan played on the Balboa Penninsula locaiton of the Prison of Socrates. It was right next door to Dillman’s! “Follow the Drinking Gourd” was his biggest hit and we still have his vinyl album. That was in 1960 – 61. We still have our JVC 100 watt per channel Receiver along with our Technics turntable with the diamond stylist. Occasionally, we light it up and play our Bobby Vee and Neil Sedaka albums. Meanwhile, Dick Dale was playing at the Rendezvous Ballroom on the Balboa Peninsula. The Original Surfer Stomp was born there. Will never forget seeing Grace Slick perform “White Rabbit” outside of the Rendezvous one night……..for free! Elipse that Anita!!!! The NCAA would have never approved…believe us!
Morgon. Tim Morgon. Like the monster. Or something.
Oh, big deal. I did all that stuff, too. And I still have all that stuff. And I light up and enjoy the oldies. (Nothing like having a head full of hemp and listening to “White Rabbit” coming through the ear phones, eh?) And congratulations: You’ve cut down on the ellipses. Yet we still have “locaition,” “Receiver,” “stylist” instead of “stylus,” and “Original.”
“I did all that stuff, too”……. Hmmmmm
I bet you have not done what I have done then.
Keep up the banter everyone … I’ve got a good story almost done.
http://www.timmorgon.com/discography.htm …..OK, OK, OK…
The Maria Album is the one we have and it is excellent. Get it, if you haven’t got
it already. M O R G O N ……sounds German doesn’t it?
*Anita,
By the way, the Stylistics were a Motown Group in the late 60’s! Revolver was a Beatles Album….that we really loved! Rosie and the Originals did Angel Baby…
And the Pope has Scabies. OK, new story up now.
I can’t stop thinking about that video excerpt above – DIRTY FEET, starring Tim Morgon. That was only the first part of the movie. We didn’t really get to see much of the Prison of Socrates, the old early-60’s teen hangout of the Winships and Anita Bonghit. We didn’t really get to see Tim performing. Does he get that job, does the crowd love him? Will he actually wash his feet and find some shoes? What will become of those two girls? Let’s check out part two:
Well… that was a letdown. A whole lot less bizarre than the first part.
Stop it. I’m gettin’ all misty here. Bare feet, Madras shirts, and white Levis! True Orange County garb in the early 1960s. Madras shirts signified you went to USC or Newport Harbor, bare feet meant you were a surfer (or wished you were or something, even though you lived in Victorville), and white Levis meant, well I don’t think they meant much of anything. I still have the Madras shirts, but they stopped fitting me in 1978. Seemed to get smaller on me. Yes, and the blue canvas Topsiders. Still have a pair of them, too, much to kids’ amusement.