“I must find a way to stop Christmas from coming…but how?” – The Grinch, Dr Seuss
Well… the Grinch that is the NCAA slithered in just in the nick of time to steal Christmas for Ole Miss on the eve of football season. There is no joy in Whoville.
I find the decision absolute crap to be quite frank. It goes over about as well as “The Decision” that ESPN aired several months ago. It’s making up the rules as they go along. The letter of the law would have allowed Masoli to attend Ole Miss after transferring from Oregon provided that he attend a graduate school program that Oregon did not provide and he be held in good academic standing with that school. Masoli has met those requirements of this eligibility waiver. At the FBS level the only players who use this rule are players looking for more playing time than they would get at their current school. Essentially it’s an opportunity to use a final year of eligibility that they otherwise weren’t going to get a chance to use for one reason or another. Generally, that reason is that a younger more talented kid has been signed or they have as in this case fallen out of favor with the coach. Of course it’s by Masoli’s own poor judgment that he’s in this predicament but the reasons given by the NCAA are not a valid reason to deny the use of the waiver in his case. The NCAA has decided that they don’t like the manner in which Masoli, a graduate of Oregon, transferred so they are trying to block his eligibility because of what time it occurred and the circumstances…. Ok. That’s not subjective or anything. I always find it interesting how the powers that be seem to use the letter of the law when it’s convenient and the “spirit of the law” when it’s convenient.
It amazes me that the fine upstanding people of the NCAA love to tout the academics every chance they get and how many of their athletes are “going pro” in something other than athletics….yet let one of those athletes just try and make a cent on their own likeness in that sport they play during those 4 years at of their member universities and ….OH THE HORROR!!! It would destroy the fabric world as we know it. {sic}
The NCAA gets by making millions of dollars on the backs of its student athletes every year licensing those student’s likenesses to various video game manufacturers and clothing/licensing companies and how do they get away with it? Technicalities and exploitations of the rules. They don’t include the names on the jerseys. It’s just a number. A number that the star athlete whose stats and abilities have made worth something. Yeah I’m sure that people just pick up NCAA Football 2009 to play as Florida so they can use that big number 15 guy as QB. Boy is that guy good... old 15. I don’t recall his name or anything. While 15 won’t be any less popular of a seller this year… I’m willing to bet a few Florida fans will be wearing 12 not just because it says Florida on the front but because Brantley will be on the name plate just not on the ones they can purchase with an official NCAA seal.
So there you go, the Grinch that is the NCAA, who owe millions and millions of dollars in revenue each year to their own brand of “circumventing the spirit of the rules” have decided they don’t like Jeremiah Masoli. They don’t think he should be granted eligibility because the “sprit of the law” has been circumvented. Yeah, ok.
It’s not completely bad for Masoli if he wants to stick around, he can still take advantage of the top flight education Ole Miss has to offer for free and play next year. (Memo to Masoli… Consider Law School if only to save future earnings) There is of course an appeal which should take place Friday but I wouldn’t hold my breath…unless of course you believe the FBS is going to have a playoff system anytime soon.
Ultimately it was a shot in the dark for a team that was razor thin at QB anyway. Public perception is tough to change… just ask Matt Leinart. For the college football fan this is a loss, because as good as Nathan Stanley is or could be this year we miss the opportunity to see Ole Miss with Masoli a Heisman candidate just last year in command of the offense in those big SEC matchups.
I’m greatly disappointed, but not completely disheartened. The front 7 on defense is still really good. Nathan Stanley was going to play this year and this week anyway. It does change a ton of what they can do on offense. Unfortunately I feel this will limit them in the amount of wins possible this season also. They should be able to hammer the ball still with Bolden but the teeth of the schedule will require a lot from the 3rd year Sophomore Stanley who currently has only limited game experience. The saga that began with Jevan Snead leaving early continues. Stay tuned. Coach Houston Nutt may still have an ace up his sleeve yet.
Paul Mac writes for SportsbyFletch as well as chuckoliver.net
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