Alabama probation part 1053

Being an Alabama fan can be a roller coaster sometimes and today is a bit of a downer but could've been much much worse. No scholarships lost, no post season bans really only downer is that we had to vacate some wins from 2005-2007. I think Alabama will appeal the vacated wins and hopefully, like Oklahoma a few years ago, can get those reinstated. I really think it boils down to a change at the top and that would be Athletic Director Mal Moore.

Mal, you're the man for bringing in Nick Saban but talk about a guy totally oblivious to what's going on around him. There needs to be someone out there constantly keeping tabs on all the student athletes because this stuff goes on constantly and other schools have been hit with similar probation because of textbook schemes. Thankfully since the university was pretty pro-active and immediately suspended the players for 4 games once they found out then NCAA gave us kudos for that and we didn't lose scholarships. But there needs to be steps in place to make sure this kinda thing never happens in the first place.

All that being said I think vacating every single game that these 7 players were in is pretty harsh. You're going to punish every other player on the team because 7 guys signed up for classes then dropped them so they could give their friend or girlfriend a textbook. I'm trying to understand the advantage this gave those players on the field...maybe they got something more from their girlfriend for giving her a free textbook but come on. They're making the players pay back the amount but vacating wins because of this? Mike Shula didn't have a comment too bad they didn't ask Don because i'm sure he would lol. Oh well if Bama has to vacate wins because of some players giving friends textbooks then USC is probably gonna get nailed but we'll see. We got off better than FSU but then again FSU was basically giving out free grades. Oh well...such is the life of a Bama fan...good times and bad times but you keep pushing forward. Just get me to the football season already!

Oh and one last thing...that Bama-FSU game in 2007, since both teams had to vacate wins that season does it just mean the game never happened? It happened to me...I had to witness that debacle first hand at AllTel stadium.

The thing that really bugs me is that these kids KNOW if they get caught, it's gonna bite them in the ass, but they do it anyway. Everyone looks at the coach and AD, and says 'you should have known'. Bottom line is the kids are responsible for their own actions, and they KNEW what they did was wrong. Make the kid forfeit a year of his scholarship, and move on. I for one am tired of the institution being punished because of what the KID did.

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techierick wrote:The thing that really bugs me is that these kids KNOW if they get caught, it's gonna bite them in the ass, but they do it anyway. Everyone looks at the coach and AD, and says 'you should have known'. Bottom line is the kids are responsible for their own actions, and they KNEW what they did was wrong. Make the kid forfeit a year of his scholarship, and move on. I for one am tired of the institution being punished because of what the KID did.

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Yeah that's my whole point as well. Let the university handle an issue like this. No university officials were involved, no coaches or boosters were involved. It was student issue only and the university bookstore employees for dropping the ball. Fire some people or suspend them (suspension was done in this case) and revoke scholarships and make the players pay back the books (which is already being done). This is not academic fraud or a player getting a free car or his parents getting a brand new house. It should be handled by the University alone.

From my opinion when I visit a campus...those big school athletes are like celebreties on campus and pretty much do whatever they want. I remember getting several free meals at Auburn just for being associated with a group and I'm sure when a few athletes walk into a book store they get what they want. I agree on not punishing the coach or team. If you make the players more accountable and suspend them for longer that would send a message...because honestly a big named player won't care as much if his team is down a few scholarships after he has already left to go on to the NFL for millions...however you suspend his ass and hurt his draft status they will think twice about helping little Jamarcus get that free English 101 textbook next time.

ed moyer wrote:From my opinion when I visit a campus...those big school athletes are like celebreties on campus and pretty much do whatever they want. I remember getting several free meals at Auburn just for being associated with a group and I'm sure when a few athletes walk into a book store they get what they want. I agree on not punishing the coach or team. If you make the players more accountable and suspend them for longer that would send a message...because honestly a big named player won't care as much if his team is down a few scholarships after he has already left to go on to the NFL for millions...however you suspend his ass and hurt his draft status they will think twice about helping little Jamarcus get that free English 101 textbook next time.

Yeah I agree, revoke his scholarship or suspend him. In this case the offending players were all suspended for 4 games in 2007 and it wasn't push over teams. These 5 players missed the LSU game that Alabama basically blew in the 4th quarter. I think we were 1-3 in those 4 games they missed, Coffee (NFL draft pick) and Caldwell (All-American Center 2008) were two of the players suspended. Too me they did the time and the NCAA gave the university the OK to allow these guys back after 4 games so not sure why they had to go back and make Alabama vacate 21 wins when these guys already paid their debt including paying back the money for the books. Too me it's a university matter not something the NCAA has to get involved in.

The NCAA does that shit to keep focus off the fact that the BCS is the most fucked up piece of shit EVER.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/ncaa/06/18/fsu-cheating.ap/index.html

Some potential bad news there for Alabama if the NCAA is in a bad mood and didn't accept FSU's appeal may not bode well for the recent appeal Alabama just submitted. The only thing Bama can hope for is that they'll take a more lenient stance since Alabama's crime not nearly as bad as "academic fraud" that FSU committed. Sounds like Bobby's quest to beat out his buddy Paterno is all but gone unless FSU goes back to 90's style winning streaks and Paterno and company start going 0-12.