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Posted on Sat, May. 17, 2008 10:15 PM
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COMMENTARY

Bad guy is NCAA, not KU’s Arthur

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This current system is broken. Everyone can see it. Players enroll with the intention of turning pro as soon as possible, preferably after a year so they only have to pretend to be a student for one semester.

No one should be surprised that USC one-and-done guard O.J. Mayo may have accepted money from an agent. Why not?

He didn’t come to USC looking for an education or ready to get one. The NCAA tried to pay Mayo in a currency (education) that he probably couldn’t use and didn’t respect. The kids are about the money. That’s all they’ve heard about. That’s what we preach.

The NCAA preaches “free” education but declines to take the common-sense steps to make sure its most vulnerable and valuable athletes can accept what’s being given to them. It’s like taking a toothless man to an awesome steakhouse and getting irate when he doesn’t enjoy the food and only wants to drink.

And yes, I purposely avoided addressing the notion of whether the NCAA should strip Kansas of its NCAA title if it’s proven Arthur or Kansas officials knew Arthur’s high school transcript was bogus.

What? Give the title to the dean’s list honorees at Memphis? Hell, Davidson might be the only high-quality team in the tournament worthy of the title if across-the-board academic integrity is a requirement.

To reach Jason Whitlock, call 816-234-4869 or send e-mail to jwhitlock@kcstar.com. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.

 

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