It&39s not all about players accepting gifts

It's not all about players accepting gifts.Coaches are making astronomical salaries The reason? Simple. People have become fanatical about college sports these days. The university they support is measured in part by how successful their athletic teams perform When school teams win, the donations come rolling in. When school athletic teams lose, folks threaten to cut off their donations.

In the midst of this fantasy world, how can anyone seriously expect a young person to reject money and gifts? For many of these young people, their identity is tied to the acquisition of money and gifts That's how they roll. An integral part of this fantasy world is the manner in which people/fans tie their identity to the success of the sports teams at the university they support. If their school's team lose, their personal pride is injured They may even act out as a result. Here's an illustration of the path college sports is heading down.Coach Steve Lavin took over the UCLA basketball program after his predecessor was fired for recruiting violations. During his tenure, the Bruins won roughly 70 percent of their games His teams made it to the Sweet 16 five out of six seasons. He was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 2001.But in 2003, UCLA finished with a losing record Coach Lavin's teams never won a national championship They just won about three out of four games played Not good enough for Bruin fans. Despite representing UCLA with a combination of class, integrity and success on the court, Coach Lavin was summarily fired after the first losing season of his coaching career Coach Lavin didn't violate the rules of the NCAA He didn't participate in a scandalous affair He didn't endanger his community by driving drunk.

No, Coach Lavin's team of student/athletes didn't have a winning season That was why he was fired. Perhaps we would be well served to look in the mirror before casting aspersions on others OJ Mayo is a kid who has acted like a kid. At the same time, where were his "mentors"? Didn't they notice his lifestyle? Did his mentors really have his educational needs at heart? Or was a year of Mayo in the Trojan backcourt going to deliver wins that supporters demand, so who cares? There are people who always look for a way to gain an edge. The current system creates a level playing field and annoys these folks. Changing the rules of the system simply causes those focused on winning at any cost to change they way they do things It won't change their motivations. As long as fans hitch their personal identity to the success of the schools and teams they support, there's little chance of changing the direction of the path college sports are heading down Let's face it.