New NCAA rules - LONG!

[Jonathan Breiner]

Some points I'd like to make upon reading this.

I think a school has standards for incoming freshman.  If an athlete meets
those standards there is no reason for the athlete to not be allowed to play
if he meets the student-athlete criteria.

"If an athlete Christmas-trees his SAT and gets only a 500, for instance, he
better have wowed his teachers in the classroom -- as he'll need a 3.3 GPA
in his core academic classes to play for any college."

Anyone who got a 3.3 in HS, but cannot score over 500 on the SAT... well,
the high school should be shut down because it is a joke!  Sorry, but unless
there is some extenuating circumstance (such as a learning disability - but
the SAT or ACT allow for the LD when taking the test) the above scenario
should never happen.  If it does, the school should be looked at long and
hard IMHO.

"Of course, teachers can be wowed for reasons other than academic
performance. Like compassion. What teacher wants to be known as the educator
who kept a top athlete from a college scholarship because he gave him a C
instead of a B, or refused to let him re-take an exam?"

That is crap!  Fire the teacher I say!  I had a student who through 2.5
years of college had a 4.0 GPA.  In the first quarter of my class, she
received and A.  In the second quarter, I gave her an A-.  I knew it was
likely to be the only blemish on her record through her BS degree, but as I
told her, I have to give her the grade she earns, and while I do not want to
be labeled as the teacher who gave her the "blemish", I'd rather that versus
being labeled the teacher who gave an undeserved grade.  In other words it
was not my fault.  And it is not the teacher's fault if the student did not
get a scholarship because an athlete received a C instead of a B.  It is the
athletes fault!!!!

"At the same time, the NCAA is cutting back on the allowable hours from
remedial classes, which have helped academically challenged students make
the transition to college work."

Well, it does not surprise me that the NCAA would try to figure out the
stupidest thing it could do, and then make it a rule.  Why change now!  If a
student cannot make it through the developmental portion, they will be out
of college soon enough.  Why punish those who will make it through and then
be successful in their college classes?  It seems that this rule is already
saying that most of them will fail, therefore let's push them to college
level courses immediately and make that happen?  Basically, this is what
will result.  IMHO, we will now see more borderline students become
ineligible and/or drop out of college.  Great rule.

Finally, it is a billion dollar industry in basketball alone, so rules are
going to be broken because people want to get a leg up.  I do not excuse
that, but making new rules will not prevent cheaters, it will only change
how they cheat!

jon b





----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Ryan" <address@hidden>
To: <address@hidden>
Sent: Sunday, November 03, 2002 8:15 PM
Subject: RE: [UC Basketball] Sign Up Date


> Nov 16th.
> The new rule is more of a sliding scale . . .
>
> http://espn.go.com/columns/farrey_tom/1453693.html
>
> Mike Ryan