Woodengate: The NCAA Does it Again

by Tydides on Jan 15, 2008 4:40 AM PST in News

I'm seeing red. Really. This has to be a joke. Perhaps I can take a small measure of comfort in the fact that the trOJan times published a piece that defends UCLA for once, but the charges that need defending are so ludicrous that it's hard for me to believe that anyone puts any trust in the absolute FARCE of an organization known as the NCAA.

You ready for it? Here it is:

Just before the start of this college basketball season, UCLA received a letter of inquiry from the NCAA, seeking information about possible illegal contact between a recruit and a person representing the interests of the university.

The recruit was Kevin Love, now the Bruins' star freshman center.

The person representing the interests of the university was John Wooden.

What?

Hold on there. The rest of the article goes on to explain how the complaint is full of it because Coach Wooden is a paid consultant with UCLA and so there is absolutely no question that he is an official representative of the University.

But those false allegations, that's not what gets me. Isn't there something else that should be occupying the time of the geniuses at the NCAA? Something like, oh I don't know, the contents of THIS BOOK!?

They go out of their way to investigate legal contact between a great and genuine human being and an impressionable young man, where the conversation probably stayed well out of the realm of basketball, but when it comes to printed receipts and oral documentation of a supposed amateur athlete receiving HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, suddenly the NCAA doesn't know what to do. Receiving free groceries is the crime of the century, but raping, underaged drinking, roiding up, assaulting, rampant racism on facebook, and free rent across town is just "boys being boys". If we must endure this investigation to nowhere while the inmates run the penitentiary across town, then the NCAA is a disgusting and corrupt organization which desperately needs some oversight of its own.

I suggest reading the rest of the article, as it further underscores the ridiculous double standard the NCAA has applied thus far. It sends the message that all it takes to slander a school is a random and unsubstantiated complaint. Where's the NCAA hotline? I have the feeling that Pete Carroll "loves" animals. I can't wait for that subsequent investigation and news article. How about this as a potential lead in line? "Carroll may be a 'humanitarian' but not when it comes to his recreational activities."

Congress is currently investigating steroids in baseball. I believe it is far more important for them to investigate the culture of selective permissiveness and double standards applied by one of the most arbitrary and capricious organizations in existence that is currently making a mockery of collegiate and amateur athletics.

The NCAA better come down HARD on Bu$h and $UC if they have time to pursue this kind of foolishness. The clock is ticking, and they are losing credibility by the second.

Thanks to melliott2 for bringing this to my attention.

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Farcical

"one of the most arbitrary and capricious organizations in existence that is currently making a mockery of collegiate and amateur athletics."

Brilliant post Ty, and a super summation of the NCAA. The whole thing is frankly unbelievable.

by irishbruin on Jan 15, 2008 4:10 AM PST reply actions

What about Bush's illegal contact with McKnight?

This is such freaken BS. On this Lousiana NBC affiliate news piece, Joe Mcknight clearly admitted being called by Cheetey Petey and Bu$h and making his decision to go to USC based on that conversation. It's not bad enough that Reggie Bush is a scumbag and has put his current program in jeopardy while at USC, now he has reported to put future classes and athletes in jeopardy. The classless bum lies to Joe McKnight about his NCAA violations, probably at the insistence of Chetey Petey, to get him to come to USC. What more evidence does the NCAA need? Yet the NCAA has the balls to mess with somebody with the character and moral standards of John Wooden?The kid clearly admitted the violation on TV. I like how the sleezy attorney tries to put a gag order on McKnight after he spills the beans. I'm tired of these freaken TrOJies getting away with this crap. This time they went TOO far by shamelessly putting the Greatest Coach EVER in such a position. You know it was them that called the NCAA. We need to force a new movement here to get the message across to the NCAA and do some reporting of their transgressions ourselves. Can somebody get some information on where we can report $C's violations? CHEAT ON!!!!

Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOtZ-o7GfUI

by BruinFaithful on Jan 15, 2008 4:56 PM PST up reply actions

I don't care what is happening at other programs..

just the fact that some pathetic, desperate individual would dare to question coach's integrity has me pissed off. The LAT story has right, it is absurd coach did anything wrong. That the NCAA would request that the university investigate it demonstates everything that is wrong with the NCAA.

by makenji on Jan 15, 2008 7:41 AM PST reply actions

Questions

The article says UCLA was informed of the investigation before the season started. Why is this coming out now?
As Ty summarized, the "investigation" should be open and shut because Coach is a paid consultant. Therefore, is everything on this matter closed (hopefully)?

by bruinbabe2000 on Jan 15, 2008 9:05 AM PST reply actions

Timed for SuC Week?

Did anyone else notice this line from Dwyre's column:

It's John Wooden, for Pete's sake.

Pete's sake? Dwyre drops this article the same week Bush story comes out and we are heading into the SuC game. Its a great article actually and I think he timed it right. Question is whether it will shame the ba$tards in the NCAA to actually move and investigate the issues they should be spending their time on.

by bluestreet on Jan 15, 2008 9:13 AM PST up reply actions

I can't help shake off the feeling that

the NCAA and suc are connected at the hip...
wtf is wrong with them? Would the NCAA have done ANYTHING if these Yahoo reporters hadn't investigated into this matter? Not that they have done anything yet.

by bruinbunz on Jan 15, 2008 9:13 AM PST reply actions

If the NCAA does anything more...

... on this, then I hope CBH, K-Love, and every other guy on the team and coaching staff takes it personally and beats every opponent from here on out by 10 a game until, oh, NEXT DECEMBER.

Shoot, you say "Watergate," you know that represents something wrong.

If anybody says, "Woodengate," I would hope it's about the door in the fence leading to Coach's front yard.

Coach is not a beatified Catholic saint, but I believe he is what we have always believed him to be.

A caring, honest, dedicated, GOOD man.

The fact that some unknown person tried to rat him out to the Never Catching Anyone at Anything for something that LITERALLY is part of his job description makes me want to puke.

Correction to what I said earlier in this post -- I hope we beat $C this weekend by THIRTY, and with nothing but layups and jump shots and free throws... and no dunks, out of respect for COACH.

MIM

"Because I'm tired of it. Year after year after year after year having to choose between the lesser of 'Who cares?'"

by Meriones on Jan 15, 2008 9:58 AM PST reply actions

This is nuts.....

Coach Wooden's wisdom should be a required course for all incoming freshmen, as well as new faculty.

Shame on you, NCAA.

I may work with the Waves, but I'm still a Bruin!

by BlueWave on Jan 15, 2008 12:13 PM PST reply actions

Thanks for expressing the outrage

better than I could.

by melliott2 on Jan 15, 2008 1:32 PM PST reply actions

What about Reggie Bush Calling Joe McKnight????

This is such freaken BS. On this Lousiana NBC affiliate news piece Joe Mcknight clearly admitted being called by Cheetey Petey and Bu$h and making his decision based on that conversation. I like how the sleezy attorney tries to put a gag order on McKnight after he spills the beans. I'm tired of these freaken TrOJies getting away with this crap. This time they went TOO far by shamelessly putting the Greatest Coach EVER in such a position. You know it was them that called the NCAA. We need to force a new movement here to get the message across to the NCAA and do some reporting of their transgressions ourselves. CHEAT ON!!!!

Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOtZ-o7GfUI

by BruinFaithful on Jan 15, 2008 4:41 PM PST reply actions

To call the NCAA a farce is an understatement.

Wasn't it Kevin who tried to contact Coach Wooden? And what would Coach do? Refuse to speak to him? What's this absurd rule anyway and how come $UC gets away with infinitely more than that?

by uclachem87 on Jan 15, 2008 7:50 PM PST reply actions

this was just reported on ESPN

unbelievable that this is getting legs. I don't remember the timeline exactly but didn't Kevin meet with Wooden after he had committed and signed, which is beside the point? How is this different than Jrue going to NC and meeting with MJ? UCLA obviously wouldn't have jeopardized that recruitment in any way so I don't get why it's still being talked about. At least they mentioned JRW was a paid consultant.

by bruin95 on Jan 16, 2008 9:36 AM PST reply actions