NBA turns Madness to sadness
Chris McCartyChris Webber calls his recent federal indictment “annoying” after it was released that he accepted $280,000 from booster Ed Martin before and during his two-year stopover at Michigan.
Annoying? Let’s talk about annoying, Chris. Annoying is watching a tournament game and not enjoying the play on the court, but thinking instead about burning questions, like why athletes are at certain schools. Are payoffs involved?
Annoying is finding out that the Fab Five, which my generation grew up idolizing, was all a sham.
The millions of dollars generated by the NBA have created corruption and greed at all levels. The question is: Who is to blame for the current negative status of the game?
The Players?
Hopefully for every Webber, there are several guys doing things the right way and keeping ethics above the dollar. But, can you blame those who do the taking?
It seems silly for an athlete to go to college with no expendable income when he could go to the NBA and get a million-dollar bonus just for signing his name. While the NCAA continues to sign billion-dollar deals with CBS.
But don’t weep for the players. A college education is valuable. And when you need money, like Golden State’s forward and father Jason Richardson, the NBA is your answer.
That being said, you can see where a vulnerable and misguided adolescent could corrupt the game that brought him everything.
The Programs?
It’s easy to point the finger at the programs that payoff athletes. However, with every report about a school being slapped with sanctions, we are sadly forced to start feeling sorry for the programs themselves.
Maybe everyone is cheating and the schools that get caught are merely the ones that slipped up. And you can see how coaches would often look the other way so their programs can stay competitive.
CMU Head Coach Jay Smith followed the rules. Center Chris Kaman was suspended for two games this season by the NCAA for playing in unauthorized tournaments.
This is the kind of violation that could be easily covered up. With no offense to Smith, sadly, it probably crossed his mind to not report the violation, and would cross the minds of many of us in the same situation.
The Answer
Certain athletes should be compensated for the revenue they generate while playing college sports. While “amateur” status questions would arise, there is too much money involved today to keep this tag associated with major college athletics.
Point shaving and steroids destroy the integrity of sports, but receiving money you have earned should not fall into this category.
Not so fast, Mr. Webber, you’re not excused. It’s still up to individuals to follow the rules; they are not made to be broken. However, policies can change.
A program where high school athletes are evaluated by experts as to their athletic earning potential and compensated while in college doesn’t seem unethical.
With the money, the paybacks could far exceed the payouts and make up for the injuries and misguided careers that don’t fulfill that earning potential after college.
Sure, all of this money will invite corruption, but far less greed than the current system.
It’s time for the problems to be addressed. However annoying that might be.
LIFE Sports Writer Matt Schoch can be reaches for comment at sports@cm-life.com
