Congressman Bobby Rush is the latest pol to go after the NCAA, and he's not even a guy with a worried football constituency:
"I think they're just one of the most vicious, most ruthless organizations ever created by mankind. I think you would compare the NCAA to Al Capone and to the Mafia."
We can't recall any NCAA hit men, but maybe the congressman knows something we don't. And you could of course compare Congress to some pretty despicable organizations as well, but we digress.
As usual, members of Congress are wasting time dealing with sports when there are seriously pressing issues at hand. And the NCAA is a private organization and as entitled to the freedom of association as anyone else.
However, the member schools are at times abusive, or at least some of them are anyway. The story relayed here by Valerie Hardrick makes Oklahoma look pretty shabby.
Shane Battier has some thoughts as well: "What is a game-changer? A game-changer is guaranteeing four-year scholarships. That's a game-changer. A game-changer is, `If you commit to our school, and you graduate, we will pay for any graduate degree that you would like to pursue.""
He also suggests that schools should that if an athlete graduates, his or her school/the NCAA should guarantee to pay for whatever graduate school he or she wishes to attend.
Now that's a commitment.