Content provided in partnership with

Make the punishment swift and true: enough of this coddling. If your hand is out, there is no doubt: you'll never play again

Sporting News, The, Jan 21, 2005 by Matt Hayes

Cash in a bag, grades in the can. What a way to go at Ohio State, where a player's scholarship apparently isn't the only gift from the university.

Before we go any further, I don't know who's right or who's wrong or who's lying or who's telling half-truths in this sordid soap opera in Columbus. And, frankly, I don't really care. I do, however, know one thing: It's time for Ohio State to take a stand and make a statement for all of college football.

Kick quarterback Troy Smith off the team.

That's right, kick him out of school, and tell him he can never step on campus again. He can't take classes at OSU, he can't come back and watch his friends play football, he can't even come within 1,000 feet of the football offices, or we'll call the constable.

Most Popular Articles in Sports: The first family: Archie, Peyton and Eli are incredibly famous, immensely ...; The growing gap: driving distances are skyrocketing on the PGA Tour. So why ...; Which pistol caliber for self defense? Four different people come to four ...; Drag racing - National Hot Rod Association; The world's most popular .22: the Marlin Model 60 just keeps on ticking; More »

Once this happens, the wise folks at the NCAA (that's sarcasm, ladies and gentlemen) can follow with their own declaration: Any player at any school who is proved to have accepted any amount of money from a booster will lose his amateur status. Forever.

Want to stop boosters from getting their greasy, grubby paws on the game? Make the punishment swift and irrevocable, and finally begin holding players accountable for their actions. For too long, we've enabled players and laid all the responsibility on these dirtbag boosters. Well, someone has to hold out his hand and say, "Thank you," doesn't he?

This is about choices and decisions, not about someone taking advantage of a young man. If athletes knew they were risking their college careers--and thereby their NFL careers (hello, Mr. Clarett)--do you really think their hands would be out so often and so easily? Instead of punishing athletes, we punish the boosters and send a clear message: It's OK to accept money as long as you don't get caught. And even if you do, you'll miss only a couple of games.

The day Ohio State suspended Smith from the Alamo Bowl, OSU athletic director Andy Geiger quickly informed the masses that the Bucks had applied to the NCAA for Smith's reinstatement next season. The NCAA rule for this offense: forfeiture of 20 percent of a season, or two games. Ohio State says it will ask the NCAA to consider the ramification of Smith missing the bowl trip and the game and whether that punishment is enough.

Why don't they just ask the NCAA to pay taxes on the bag of money, too?

INSIDE DISH

Before everyone gets warm fuzzies over Louisville coach Bobby Petrino's public mea culpa after yet another season with his name in the job hopper, understand this: Petrino still might not be long for the Cardinals. He is considered one of the game's brightest offensive minds, and one NFL scout says, "He calls a game better than just about anyone I've seen." Expect Petrino to be a candidate for NFL jobs, and this time, considering all of the acrimony between Petrino, Louisville A.D. Tom Jurich and the Cardinals' fans, it might not be such a bad thing. * The bad news for California coach Jeff Tedford: QB Aaron Rodgers decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft. The good news: Rodgers' move convinced heralded freshman Nathan Longshore to put off his Mormon mission and compete with junior college transfer Joseph Ayooh for the starting job. The staff loves Longshore's arm strength and mental toughness, but he must have a better grasp of the offense and improve at making decisions to win the job. * If any team is in need of a sports psychologist, it's Purdue. Dating to the 2001 season, the Boilers are 6-16 in games decided by seven points or fewer, and their five losses this season were by a combined 14 points. * While new Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeren was formulating a game plan for his final game as USC's defensive line coach, he already had seven new assistants recruiting and selling his philosophy. His first priority: Keep the state's best players in Mississippi. No. 2: Compete against new LSU coach Les Miles for players in the talent-rich state of Louisiana. * North Babylon (N.Y.) High RB Jason Gwaltney, one of the nation's top recruits, is free again in the recruiting process after pulling a verbal commitment to West Virginia.And--surprise!--USC is at the top of his list. Gwaltney, a 6-2, 230-pound bruiser who rushed for 2,880 yards and 45 touchdowns in 11 games this season, got a call from Trojans coach Pete Carroll an hour after the Orange Bowl with the team celebrating in the background. Other teams in the running: Ohio State, West Virginia, Michigan State and Central Florida. Why UCF? "It's warm," Gwaltney says.

FSU's sputtering offense has forced coach Bobby Bewden to make staff and scheme changes. Specifically, he wants to use more of a one-back offense with three and four wide receivers to slow down aggressive blitzing defenses. What he needs is a quarterbacks coach who also can call plays, especially with the possibility that a redshirt freshman--Drew Weatherford or Xavier Lee--could lead the offense next season. Two coaches to consider: former Washington coach Rick Neuheisel and former Central Florida coach and current Arizona Cardinals quarterbacks coach Mike Kruczek.

Make the punishment swift and true: enough of this coddling. If your hand is out, there is no doubt: you'll never play again

Sporting News, The, Jan 21, 2005 by Matt Hayes

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: News

Most Popular Articles in Sports

Most Popular Publications in Sports