What the NCAA and Cam Newton Affair Taught Me

It was at an AAU tournament called the Mac Irvin in Chicago years ago that an AAU coach told me "these kids from Chicago ain't stupid. They know what they're worth." The late great Art Tolis once told me "if you think basketball recruiting is a rat race, it's nothing compared to football."
With that in mind, I'm pretty sure Cam Newton isn't stupid and he probably has an idea of what he is worth. The NCAA is a business and they did not want any possibility of TCU or Boise State in a potential BCS championship game. So it's one day you're ineligible, no wait you're eligible. You didn't know what was happening it was all your daddy.
Now, I will never know what actually happened, if anything really did in fact happen. There sure was a ton of smoke. BUT, if something did happen, how was this much different from Reggie Bush. His parents got the money and Cam Newtons' parents allegedly got the money. Reggie Bushes mistake was not paying the agent back the borrowed money. It has cost USC dearly...ramrodded by a Nebraska AD who had an agenda.
Speaking of Nebraska, I was at the first ever Cornhusker basketball Tourney a way back when with Ron Godfreys fabulous Miami Hurricanes. My first thoughts were why would anyone want to play at this ice box tundra. Why don't players want to come to Miami and warm weather schools where winters are nice. It looks like kids have finally gotten smart.
I know big name schools have been penalized in the past. The over-riding theme seems to be if you are an up and comer and start beating the big boys too often watch out. A couple points in fact are Jacksonville University. They got squaushed like a bug because it just ain't right beating the Seminoles and Gators. Check out Pony Excess on 30 by 30 on ESPN. SMU got the death penalty in sports for doing what Auburn and Southern Cal are getting caught doing. In fact, they were doing what every University in Texas was doing...they were probably just a little more flamboyant about it. SMU had the nerve to beat Texas. Houston used to have the nerve to beat Texas and they got exiled to Conference USA to play Army and tons of other teams that are a total disconnect from the days of playing Texas and A and M every year. Now Texas doesn't have to worry about SMU getting all the good players from Dallas and Houston getting all the good players from Houston and getting pounded iby those teams. Texas can conveniently avoid playing those schools every year because they have been effectively squashed. In the movie Pony Excess it is quite amusing with all the people who say "I hate Texas." America is a land of bandwagoning front runners and in Texas everyone is generally for Texas (except the Aggies) because Texas is the 800 pound gorilla that generally wins and dominates. It doesn't seem that long ago, but it was, when Houston pounded Texas in Austin 66-15. With a little help from their friends, Texas doesn't have to worry about that happening any longer. The NCAA can solve the Boise State problem really easy. Trump up some charges and put them on probation. That way they won't get the chance to beat an Oklahoma and destroy the BCS hoedown.