Accountability. We Were Taught It. But Where Is It?
by MooheadMarch 12, 2007 9:51 pm
Akron coach Keith Dambrot railed against the referees. He railed against the NCAA selection committee. He railed against the NIT selection committee. But in the aftermath of his team’s 53-52 loss to Miami University, I did not hear him state plainly for the record how he was outcoached in the school’s biggest game of the year. Not a whimper about how he was responsible for allowing his team to play down to a less talented team.
Star player Romeo Travis blamed the refs, but not his meager output. Dambrot even criticized the conference for not having a high enough profile.
On the same day, reports surfaced about Ohio State graduating only 10% of their athletes from 1996-1999. Tennessee graduated 8%. UNLV? 8%. Michigan State? 75%. Thad Matta recruits like a wizard. But his players are not Mr Wizard. 10%. But Matta and OSU receive praise. Michigan State? They fire coaches who don’t win like Thad Matta.
For every Greg Oden, there are 1000 abandoned college athletes, squeezed for their talent, but not refined with skills. Oden will make millions, and will later become a free agent. He’ll have 20 girlfriends. He’ll hang out in the same places as Patrick Ewing. He will retire a rich young man and disappear from public view. The 1000 abandoned athletes will not get their degree. They will have made no money. They may play ball in Turkey. But not for long.
Today we talk about Dambrot’s lack of accountability. But I see a much bigger picture. If our teachers have no accountability…if our coaches have no accountability…why are we shocked when players commit crimes, miss practices or don’t try hard enough? Accountability starts with integrity. But when the NCAA picks 64 teams based on conference finances…when the BCS bows to economics, there is precious little integrity from the highest levels of college athletics.
March 12th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
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