Cheating 101

True athlete that she is, Clare jumped to the defense of players caught up in the University of North Carolina cheating scandal that was reported on last week.  “They didn’t start it,” my daughter the jock observed, correctly, in my view.

It appears that over 1500 student-athletes, mostly football and basketball players, benefitted from a decades-long scheme that insured good grades, which translated into continued eligibility.  Coincidentally or not, the Tar Heels won three NCAA basketball championships during this time.

If you’re a kid with better athletic than academic skills, you’d be a fool to pass up an opportunity to boost your GPA.  What helped Clare and all the other Division-III athletes was the lack of scholarships for their respective sports; they coasted in class at their own risk.  Division I is all about the revenue for athletic departments, along with player dreams of a pro career later on.  Put those two together, and scandal is bound to happen.  Television corrupts what it broadcasts on a Saturday afternoon.

I have no solution outside of ending all athletic scholarships.  Fat chance that.  I also happen to be a freak among sports’ fans as someone who prefers the pro game to college (at least when my daughter isn’t part of the equation).  In the pros, compensation does not arrive under the table.