It’s … taxing.

In response to huge gobs of student audience routinely leaving football games early and embarrassing the school with their obvious indifference to the proceedings, USD coach Joe Glenn said, back in 2012:

… [The] legacy of a fan base lies on the shoulders of the students.

“If students get to know their players and learn to cheer them on, then the longevity of the fan base will extend,” Glenn said.

This comment boasts some high-dollar-value words (legacy; longevity) but it’s basically saying what all pathetic, athletics-run universities say to their students: We didn’t admit you to this university for you to be a student. It’s on your shoulders to sit in bleachers for hours, screaming and pulling your hair out at the sight of your football team.

Just get to know them!

So… let’s take a look…

In 2012, even as the coach was insisting USD students get to know their team, no fewer than six football players had an active conspiracy going (teamwork!) to commit big-time tax fraud. They

gather[ed] names, addresses, Social Security numbers and other identifying information, federal authorities said of the scheme, which went on between June 2011 and May 2012. They used the data to file fraudulent tax returns, using addresses that weren’t associated with the identity theft victims so that members of the scheme could retrieve the refunds.

So, with the help of federal authorities, Coach Glenn got his wish. University of South Dakota students have gotten to know their team, gotten to know that a significant part of that team, working together, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is a high level of organized crime for a group of twenty year olds, and, as sentences are handed down, their activity is attracting high levels of national attention…

So now you know the sort of people you’re cheering for, kiddies! Get out there and scream your head off!!

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And spare a cheer for the team’s impressive recruiting staff. These guys found six tax fraudsters! Six identify thieves! Now they need your support as they work night and day to repeat the magic…