NCAA makes it's own bed of nails

There may come a day when a wave just big enough crashes and this Cam Newton/Auburn/MSU/SEC mess is washed away like a dead fish laying on the beach. After yesterday's news, Auburn fans (now emboldened by Slive and the NCAA) are still insisting they smell nothing and are ready to dive into championship surf. The rest of the college football world fears this stench is only starting to fester.

I got LASICS now y'all!

First off, I think cocknfire's summation more than suffices:

So what it appears to me that the NCAA is saying is this: Auburn ruled Cam Newton ineligible for whatever it found that caused all this activity this week. (My bet is that they nailed down the fact that Cecil Newton asked for money.) Auburn then appealed for reinstatement under NCAA bylaws, as they are allowed to do. Because Newton was ruled ineligible this week and the reinstatement was made this week, Newton has not participated while ineligible. In other words, he has not participated while ineligible because he was reinstated before Auburn played any games -- not because the NCAA is finding that he can't be ruled retroactively ineligible based on what they already know.

It may be easy to ridicule and poke fun at Auburn fans, and some of them actually deserve it. But honestly, if Cam's cleats were on Dawg feet I would be sick to my stomach. Desperate to play out the season and claim the 2010 spoils, but fearful that the victory stage is actually a precipice to certain disaster. Sure, it may be convenient to believe Auburn's clean but I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday. So be careful Tiger fans, as you sow so shall you reap.


In the end I think the real loser will be the NCAA. In fact, they already are. There's no way they can recover any lasting respectability they owned, albeit minute. This ruling smells worse than the investigation and allegations themselves. Cam's ineligible on a Tuesday, but cleared on Wednesday...? Ok. And a dad can ask for money during recruitment without the son being burdened with the fear of losing eligibility? 

Merry Christmas all you blue chipper daddys!

Cecil Newton and his band of wealthy men did anything but avoid the appearance of impropriety. Now it seems like instead of handling the case carefully, the NCAA has taken a page from the elder Newton's dirty play book. And now they have to retain a room full of Ken Nugents to close that car wreck loophole.


Your bed is made college football. Enjoy the siesta muchachos!