Just look of the number of major college football and basketball programs who had suffered NCAA sanctions; the most recent being USC. The NCAA recently imposed the following sanctions on USC:
• A postseason ban in football following the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
• A loss of 30 total football scholarships over the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons.
• A vacation of all football victories starting in December 2004 and running through the 2005 season. This includes the national championship win over Oklahoma on Jan. 4, 2005.
• All statistics vacated for Bush, Mayo and women’s tennis athlete Gabriela Niculescu in the games which the NCAA deemed them ineligible due to rules violations.
• Bush and Mayo must be disassociated from USC athletics.
• An acceptance of USC’s self-imposed penalties on its basketball program, which included a forfeiture of all wins in 2007-2008 and a one-year postseason ban.
• All titles won during ineligible games must be vacated and trophies and banners must be removed.
• A vacation of wins in the women’s tennis program from May 2006 to May 2009, for long-distance telephone violations committed by a student-athlete.
• A reduction of recruiting days for the men’s basketball program in 2010-2011.
• Four years of probation.
Here are the core issues: Abuse of power by the head coaches of the football and basketball programs. They were both aware of what was going on and covered it up in the name of "Win at all cost". The coaches had the power to put Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo on the bench or drop them from the program. They wouldn't have won so many games, but they would have had an honest program.
The athletes were greedy, the people who provided money and gifts in the hopes of signing lucrative deals with the athletes were greedy; and the coaches were greedy for wins and future financial gains. Boosters clubs routinely abuse and get around the rules when providing money to programs.
The same can be said of greedy politicians who accept funds from lobbyists who are hoping for future favors. Politicians seem to have the same attitude of being above or immune to our laws; all in the name of getting elected or re-elected. They misuse their power when writing or amending bills which favor those who have financially supported them.
So, what then is the answer? In the sporting arena, we as fans, can determine which programs are successful and which are not by exercising the right to not buy tickets to games, not watch that team's games on T.V, and most importantly, not purchasing any team related merchandise; or the products which are advertised during the T.V or radio broadcasts.
We, as voters, can clean up congress by pushing for term limits for the House and Senate. We have access to a plethora of information and need to exercise our power to not vote for those who are not representing out best interest. We control how much money we donate to campaigns. We can speak out when our Union is supporting someone who is not representing our interest, we can boycott any company giving money to influence congress.
You know, there is a REASON the language "WE THE PEOPLE" is written into our constitution. Then "We The People" have had enough, and stand up for our rights and for what is best for our country, politicians will fall in line and represent us the way we deserve to be represented.
When We the Consumers start exercising control of our dollars and viewing habits, we can clean up sports too. Remember, all is dependent on our votes and dollars, and WE still control how we use them.
And that's what Average Joe thinks.
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