The writer, Brian Cook at The Sporting Blog, explains how the NCAA handles the criticism that it’s the most profit-driven non-profit this side of Harvard University.
When its greed becomes so rank that the national legislature smells it and starts threatening to take away its tax exemption, the NCAA shifts from, as Cook says, its basic money money money orientation to a we’re all about educating America’s kids orientation …
Amazingly, this approach continues to work, even in the face of a system that schedules farcical football games like the one coming up between the University of Florida and Charleston Southern. Point spread: 73 points. Why does Charleston Southern do it?
Two reasons.
One, as Ron Morris points out, Florida will pay Charleston Southern $450,000 to play with it.
Two: It’s an act of God. “There’s a lot of parallels you can use with regard to faith, and for us to be in this position [the speaker is Charleston’s coach] is an act of God, first and foremost.”
What sort of loving God would allow that point spread?
August 22nd, 2009 at 7:34PM
Why, the Great God Mammon, of course.
August 24th, 2009 at 7:59AM
We have rented ourselves out for slaughter in basketball. My suggestion to create three separate slaughterable teams and turn athletics into a money-maker was rejected by the administration.