Haven't we been here before? After SMU received the subtly titled death penalty in the '80s, we should have grown numb to certain indiscretions. Except that underestimates the public's appetite for phony finger-wagging. There's no limit to it.
And so here we are again. Ohio State was the latest school pushed hard into the naughty-program ooze. Weighed down by alleged crimes - according to Sports Illustrated, at least 28 football players, including nine active athletes, sold memorabilia for tattoos, while others were cut sweet deals at local car dealerships - the Buckeyes are sinking fast into the muck. There's not enough oxygen to go around, and not everyone will be saved, which is why head coach Jim Tressel - who was accused of looking the other way - was sacrificed/forced to resign/fired.
Per the familiar, unchanging script, what followed was a roar of dismay and disapproval. Because why would a 20-something rather have ink or a shiny new ride instead of school-issued mementos stamped with the Buckeye symbol? The horror. It's unthinkable. Appalling, even.
Isn't it past time to end the charade? Even the Olympics, long the domain of the true amateur, allows its athletes to make money. (For a story before the last Summer Games, I spent time with Michael Phelps at, coincidentally, Ohio State. He was driving a custom, fully loaded Land Rover that he probably traded for a small Pacific island.)
Big Ten officials recently discussed paying athletes to help cover living expenses. Commissioner Jim Delany said "40 years ago, you had a scholarship plus $15 a month laundry money. Today, you have the same scholarship, but not with the $15 laundry money."
