Although it's nice to see just a tiny bit of negative press for the Holes, the article skirts the heart of the real issue, and gives the main player a pass. While the author states:
"But short of the Death Penalty — which it handed down just once, 30 years ago, to SMU football — a postseason ban is the most punitive measure in the NCAA’s arsenal."
Hmmm, excuse me..No? Victories and achievements have been routinely stripped away for schools that operated outside in the rules in securing eligibility. Did I wake up in a parallel universe or didn't just a few short years ago, Coach Caliperi not only having wins stripped away...but the University of Kentucky being sent a threatening letter from the NCAA that more punishment was on the way, if the the vactaed wins were celebrated or even acknowledged in any fashion. Either there are rules or there aren't. One would very rationally think that if a whole season of wins were wiped out due to a key player having a questionable ACT score, then it wouldn't be a stretch at all to vacate a championship when one a key player admits he didn't go to class or do any class work.
Then there is gem:
"To be clear, no one currently involved with UNC basketball has ever been implicated in any NCAA wrongdoing. The allegations at the heart of the case cover a period from 2002-11 and do not mention Roy Williams or any other basketball staff member."
Ok..I kind of get this. Roy Williams isn't technically named in any allegations-but, last looked time I looked, he was the head basketball coach during that window of 2002-2011 when the most significant abuses took place. Also, last time I looked, he was boasting about the 2005 win and included it on his resume, while at least one player claimed to have committed academic fraud. It sure didn't take long for the NCAA-as recently as last week, repudiate Pitino's claim that he had no idea recruits were being bribed with strippers and sexual favors-but according to the NCAA's own logic demonstrated in case after case-the head coach is responsible for knowing about issues pertinent to to players eligibility, in recruiting, admitting, or acadmemic performance.
I guess I appreciate there being a small sliver of media attention that isn't fawning over "Ol Roy" and the holes, but to date, there is still no truly significant journalism in the national media concerning this tragic episode in higher education.
