This is all about the rehabilitation of the Carolina brand

[Cat Ballou]

Anyone older than 12 should remember that from the '80's onward, North Carolina was the most valuable "brand" in college athletics, largely thanks to Michael Jordan. UNC branded merchandise was everywhere. That started to slip in the late '90's, until UNC brought Roy Williams back to save the program.

Needless to say, the Carolina brand has taken a huge hit over the last few years thanks to the academic scandal. I wonder how many millions of dollars in lost revenue resulted from that brand hit?

With UNC making the Final Four again, you are already seeing a redemption narrative out there - look at UNC, they have no OADs! Their kids care more about their education than the NBA! They're winning with true student-athletes! And just like that, UNC fans are back to their usual sanctimonious, arrogant and insufferable selves.

It's all staged and all too predictable, and at the end of the day it's all about repairing that multi-million dollar brand.

 

[Smashcat]

Absolutely. Why do you think UNCheat has spent millions making PR firms richer?

 

[Blueaz]

Do you think that maybe, just maybe... the NCAA is "hoping" for a UNC win? So that when the sanctions hit, their powerful alumni might be placated by this championship? Or do I have my hopes and tin foil on to tight?

 

[MO_Blue]

And then there are those pesky articles like the one yesterday in the NYT that erase at least a couple of million $$ of all that PR.

UNC's behavior after they got caught is disgusting... trying to ruin reputations and people, lying and cover up, hiring PR firms to lie more.

 

[UKWildcatT]

Bingo

 

[Montana81]

Do you think that maybe, just maybe... the NCAA is "hoping" for a UNC win? So that when the sanctions hit, their powerful alumni might be placated by this championship? Or do I have my hopes and tin foil on to tight?

I thought that last year too and then UNC actually got an atrocious whistle in the title game and lost at the buzzer.

Honestly vacated games mean nothing to me. They shouldn't be playing period. They cheated for over 2 decades. Their program should be get at least a 1 year post season ban for every 5 that they were allowing players to take fake classes to stay eligible and that's being generous.

But that will never happen. The NCAA seems to be taking a more cheater friendly approach these days. If what happened at UK in the 80's happened now I'd be disappointed if we even got a post season ban.

Also, I'm ready for Cal and the admissions department at UK to take the kid gloves off. I hope we do whatever it takes to win from now on.

 

[FilsonCat]

Aside from athletics, there will be the stigma of having denied an actual college education to dozens, if not hundreds, of minority student athletes. How many of those students come from poverty and would have been one of the first in their families to graduate from college?

Tracking minority student athletes into fake classes and convincing them that they needed to do so for eligibility purposes IS the very definition of institutional racism.

There is something especially insidious and racist about the soft bigotry of low expectations. UNC should have had their program disbanded over this type of scandal, but will likely go unpunished.

 

[JumperJack]

They should have been on probation the last two years and never even in the post season.

 

[kybassfan]

Like trying rehabilitate a bowel movement. Flushing is the only solution.

The NCAA forgot to flush.

 

[Blueaz]

Like trying rehabilitate a bowel movement. Flushing is the only solution.

The NCAA forgot to flush.

Maybe the turd is to big to go down... so the NCAA willl just leave it, forget about it, move out and buy a new house. That is by far the most logical solution.

 

[sambowieshin]

Maybe the turd is to big to go down... so the NCAA willl just leave it, forget about it, move out and buy a new house. That is by far the most logical solution.

UNCheat is just the tip of the bigger turd known as the NCAA.