Courtesy: Boston Herald
In this final segment detailing the death of the Big East Conference, I had to really scale back my thoughts and facts. There just isn’t enough space to write everything I wanted to in the slot provided. Just like everything else that matters, there will always be short comings where the truth needs to displayed. Overall, I’m glad that I waited a couple of weeks to conclude this article.
With March Madness officially at a close for the year, the stories circulating throughout the media were very interesting and hair raising to say the least. For example, the Northwestern University Football team electing to be part of a union. Classic salt thrown in the wounds of the NCAA’s governing body! For years the NCAA has been getting rich and fat off the blood, sweat, and tears of student athletes. Sure these kids receive room and board but what else? In return for helping their respective Universities rake in millions in endorsement and bowl game revenue, these athletes receive some athletic gear, room and board, and a crappy Bachelor’s Degree. Let’s face it, a Bachelor’s Degree in today’s society is the equivalent to a GED!
The Big East conference was the leader in mismanagement. Whether it was limiting funds to schools in their conference, not expanding certain rules within the conference, or just plain old GREED, they doomed themselves and tried to point the finger at the Universities. Shame on you! In just the first year of the “new” Big East, the conference saw a drop in attendance (47%), revenue (an astounding $25 million for the conference combined), and a decline in overall viewer and fan satisfaction. The old television deal called for each school in the conference to receive $17 million. It’s been cut to well below HALF of that!
Then the Shabazz Napier story comes out and all of a sudden, everyone is so concerned about the student athlete. So now the Jack Bolestas and other members of the media are just starting to scratch their heads? Kentucky’s John Calipari has been lobbying for student athletes to receive a stipend of about $3,000 per month for extra expenses like food, travel, and clothing. Yes, travel! Universities do not pick up the tab for student athletes to travel home during the holidays or breaks. So when the best player on the Men’s National Championship team discloses that he sometimes goes to bed hungry, NOW it’s a national story?
What does that say about the NCAA’s feelings towards Coach Cal? I think it says that since John Calipari relates so well with the hardships of these players, and his willingness to do things his way, the NCAA’s governing body wanted to use him as an example of Goliath stepping on David’s throat! Harsh analogy but the best one I could come up with on such short notice. I must apologize for cramming so much into the finale of this Big East story but in some strange way, it’s all relative and cannot be ignored.
