Tor Constantino is ticked that his alma mater is punishing current players—for NCAA violations committed by others.
This weekend marks Selection Sunday when the NCAA selection committee announces the field of 68 teams that will participate in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament a.k.a. March Madness.
Regrettably, the men’s basketball team at Syracuse University, won’t be considered for a slot.
While the team’s regular season performance—they were 9-9 in conference and 18-13 on the season—might not have earned them an outright berth this postseason, the current players didn’t have a chance to prove they belonged.
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That’s because last month, the college announced that it would voluntarily withdraw from all postseason play as a result of an ongoing NCAA investigation into a range of alleged violations that date back 10 years.
As a Syracuse alumnus (’91), I was stunned by the school’s preemptive announcement and the statement shared by head coach Jim Boeheim.
“I am very disappointed that our basketball team will miss the opportunity to play in the post-season this year,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said in a statement. “Senior Rakeem Christmas has been an outstanding member of the team for the past four years. However, I supported this decision and I believe the University is doing the right thing by acknowledging that past mistakes occurred. Our players have faced adversity and challenges before. I know they will rise to this challenge by keeping our program strong and continuing to make our University proud.”
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That just stinks.
Turns out that the NCAA found enough violations prior to 2012 that the program is now facing penalties that include Boeheim’s suspension for nine games next year; loss of scholarships; financial payments as well as vacated wins.
It should be noted that the program and school alerted the NCAA of the potential issues back in 2007, but that’s cold comfort for the current batch of players.
It’s grossly unfair that the current untainted roster should suffer for the sins of individuals whose sole job was to protect the student athletes from such nonsense.
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I particularly like this excerpt from a letter to the editor to a Syracuse-based online site that sums up the feelings of many Orange fans:
“….to punish the current players, to impose on them the blunt of the university’s collective guilt, finds no quarter. Punish, if punishment is due, those who are culpable! The administration, the coaches, the Director of Athletics, are well-paid, indeed, to proactively prevent scandal and to enforce the rules. If they did not appreciate what was occurring, years ago presumably, they should have. Punish them, not the players and all the rest of us who faithfully, year in and year out, follow and support Syracuse athletics…”
Roger D. Moore, M.D.
Clinton.
I couldn’t have said it better—bravo!
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Start fining coaches 75%+ of their salaries and leave scholarships and current players alone.
Fine the ADs and anyone else that knows, too.
Great suggestion James!