Pac-10 Takes Bold, Decisive Action About Following Rules ...

by Nestor on May 30, 2009 9:22 AM PDT in Other Sports Comment 11 comments

... by taking swift action against UCLA's tennis program:

The Pac-10 has penalized UCLA's men's tennis program for allowing a player to compete while ineligible during the 2008 season, which resulted in Southern California being declared the conference champion.

The Pac-10 said Friday that the Bruins must forfeit all singles and doubles matches in which the player participated last season.

As a result, team results of UCLA's matches against USC and Arizona State were reversed and the final team standings adjusted. USC wound up with a 7-0 record, while the Bruins dropped into a second-place tie with Stanford at 5-2.

UCLA self-reported the violation and here is the schools' statement via Dohn:

The men's tennis student-athlete involved was earning money working at a job. The employer paid his student fees, thinking it was okay because the student-athlete would be earning the money to cover the fees.
When the UCLA compliance office found out that the employer had paid the student fees in advance, it reported the situation to the NCAA and the Pac-10 Conference. The NCAA reinstated the student-athlete's eligibility, deciding the employment and the rate of pay appropriate, and required him to pay a portion of the fee value to a charity. The student-athlete was eligible to compete in the 2008-09 season and did so.
The Pac-10 Compliance and Enforcement Committee requested the student-athlete forfeit his singles and doubles matches in Pac-10 competition in 2007-08. That action was approved by the Pac-10 Council. The changes in scores ultimately changed the final results of UCLA's matches versus USC and Arizona State from wins to losses.

Wow Pac-10! What a bunch of tough law and order guys. That will teach rest of the conference on how to follow the rules!

There is just so many ways to mock Tom Hansen's band of clowns given what has transpired at a certain renegade program last few years.

Just another data point on why this has been the worst managed major conference in college athletics during the tenure of an incompetent, out of touch, tone deaf commissioner.

GO BRUINS.

0 recs | Comment 11 comments

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When are we going to learn?

NEVER. SELF. REPORT.

Doing the right thing is overrated. When in doubt, deny, deny, deny. I do, however, applaud the conference for having the guts to dole out punishment for obvious violations related to illegal financial compensation.

Oh wait…

by Tydides on May 30, 2009 9:59 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

LOL

We should have also lashed out at everyone else and their mother for having a vendetta against our tennis team.

by Nestor on May 30, 2009 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Clearly this is jealousy

Our own athletic department is jealous of our tennis team and has therefore decided to blow the whistle on them, because the only reason anyone would ever bring up violations of the rules and other forms of cheating is due to jealousy.

by Tydides on May 30, 2009 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

what we need to do

We need to find some walk on dude from the tennis team and get him to give us the “real story.”

by Nestor on May 30, 2009 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sounds exactly like the Jarrett situation

Glad to see equal punishment … or not.

by SuperBruinMan on May 30, 2009 11:06 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

sooooo

He is earning his money, it just was supposed to go into his hands then to the school? Because his employer just paid the school directly we get penalized? And u$c* gets nothing when they simply hand money to recruits for nothing (or as salary for their athletic services)?

by sponkey21 on May 30, 2009 12:00 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Unbelievable

So they are quick and decisive about this type of violation, yet they play hear no evil see no evil when it comes to major blatant violations from the asshoodlums across town? My only hope is that the whole $c “investigation” is taking soooooo long because they need plently of evidence to bring down the hammer. I know, I know…I won’t hold my breath!

by uclafan11 on May 30, 2009 1:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Another "Bag of Groceries" Issue and Another Sanction?

Hard to respect an organization that sanctions us for “violations” that are more form than substance and does nothing to blatant violations of the rules.

There is a concept in the law called “proportionality” that says that the punishment should fit the crime and that all punishments should be applied in a fair and consistent manner. The failure to have a proportional system often leads to disrespect for the institution.

I could not respect the Pac 10 and the NCAA any less than I do now. It’s a shame I can’t have an impact on either.

sjh

by Class of 66 on May 30, 2009 3:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Close 66, but not quite

I like proportionality, but I think the better legal example is “discriminatory prosecution.” Here’s the basic example: say I’m a prosecutor and I charge all young black men caught with between 0.5 grams and 1 gram of methamphetamine with possession, while with all young white men caught with 0.5 grams and 1 gram of methamphetamine, I exercise my prosecutorial discretion and choose not to file charges.

Seems kind of f**ked up, doesn’t it?

Well, that’s what the Pac-10 and NCAA are doing: when a UCLA student-athlete is caught breaking the rule, and let’s be frank, it was technically, a rule violation, UCLA is required to forfeit wins, and ultimately, a conference championship.

Despite the fact there is overwhelming evidence that both Reggie Bu$h and Juice Deuce took money from handlers, agents, and other seedy individuals (never mind the sexual assaults, fights, resisting arrest charges, etc. that U$C players are often caught up in), U$C has had to forfeit exactly how many games?

Zero.

So f**king ridiculous. I’m glad Hansen is on his way out: I hope the old man does the world a favor and die.

But, Bruins, take pride in this: we cooperate with the NCAA and the Pac-10, because at our core, we’re honest, upstanding, and play by the rules. When some of our fellows fall by the wayside, we don’t make excuses, we don’t cry conspiracy or vendetta; rather, we man up and take our punishment.

U$C, on the other hand, will do everything it can to obstruct the NCAA, conceal evidence, and lie to cover itself. They are so pathetic, it makes me sick.

by Bellerophon on May 30, 2009 5:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Success is peace of mind...

Knowing you self-report even minor violations, while your rival never self-reports major violations, and in fact works hard to cover them up.

by ucla7477 on May 30, 2009 10:41 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Admittedly, This Is Hard To Swallow

But, all in all, I’m kind of proud that UCLA self-reported. I feel very bad for the player, because clearly he didn’t knowingly or intentionally do anything wrong—and for the team, because of the results. But…it’s always nice to see my Bruins doing the right thing, especially in the face of rampant rule-breaking by others.

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on Jun 1, 2009 5:10 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs