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(Rate Your Students)
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politics, but she's pretty fabulous, so who gives a damn?"
(Tenured Radical)

Friday, March 10, 2006

Same Shit:
Costs the School A Fortune,
No Real Penalty Imposed,
Nothing's Going to Change


So here's the background on big ol' "Boban" Savovic, who could neither write nor speak English but was moving very impressively through an academic career at Ohio State while playing on its basketball team, until his university-issued paper-writer/class-attender/player-impersonator complained she wasn't being paid enough. If she hadn't filed a lawsuit, little of the extensive criminality of Ohio's program (which the USA Today article I'm about to quote details) would have come to light, but, as in many complex illegal enterprises, you dislodge one little rock and a whole wall might come tumbling down...

'Ohio State was placed on three years' probation Friday for using an ineligible player, a ruling that wipes out records from four NCAA tournament appearances by the men's basketball team — including a trip to the 1999 Final Four.

...The Buckeyes won't be barred from postseason play as a result of using the ineligible player from 1999-2002 under former coach Jim O'Brien. However, the school will have to repay tournament revenues of about $800,000 for the four years in which Boban Savovic played. He received improper gifts, including housing and cash, from a booster.

Ohio State must [also] take down the 1999 Final Four banner which hangs from the rafters in Value City Arena.'



Taking down the banner. That's gotta hurt.

As for the $800,000, I'm sure OSU fans don't mind one bit coughing that up for the guys.