EDITORIAL: The NCAA declares Auburn QB Newton eligible

2010 BCS National Championship Game
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To protect their backsides, the Auburn administration declared QB Newton ineligible and then asked the NCAA to make him eligible for the SEC Championship game.

The NCAA obliged like the faithful dog it has become for the power conferences and granted eligibility. There seems to be little doubt that Newton’s Dad tried to extort $180K from two other schools for his son’s services.

The NCAA said there was “no direct evidence” that Newton Jr. had any idea that his father was trying to sell his services. That is crap and everyone knows it.

If the BcS was threatened by a QB with eligibility issues from a 1st place Boise State or TCU team, you can bet the house, the car, the wife and your first born that the NCAA would suggest that the QB be held out until the full investigation was complete. Given its history for prompt action in the Reggie Bush case, that would occur in 2099.

The NCAA should complete the investigation immediately. To assume that the child knew nothing about the father getting nearly 200K is ludicrous. The NCAA needs to release the evidence of innocence.

This organization is totally incompetent when it comes to making rules let alone enforcing them. Believe it or not, there is no rule against extorting money from a college for signing as a player. The NCAA has used the more general rule against gaining a “competitive advantage” by use of money.

The NCAA steals so much money from college football that it owes the fans that provide that money much better disclosure and faster investigations. There is no excuse for the delay the Bush issue allowed.

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He is a senior writer for and edits https://fryingpansports.com. His first non-fiction work is at the publisher now and he has also published several novels on

and edits .

Technorati Tags: Auburn,NCAA Football,BCS,BCS Championship GAME,SEC,Reggie Bush,USC,ncaa violation,eligibility
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