Reason number 2475 that the NCAA should be disbanded

[HomerJSimpson]

Dogs fans show heart, but . . .
NCAA won't let them pay for dad's trip to game

By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/11/05
ATHENS — A group of Georgia football fans took up a collection to pay for a Boise State player's father to fly from Baghdad to see his son play against the Bulldogs in Athens.

But the NCAA rule book got in the way.

Dan Miller, father of Broncos sophomore guard Tad Miller, is a retired police lieutenant who is training Iraqi police officers.

When Sam Hendrix of Signal Mountain, Tenn. — "suthndawg" to his fellow Georgia fans on the Dawgvent, an Internet message board — read a story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the Millers, he started an online movement to raise the $2,700 it will cost Dad to make it to Sanford Stadium to see his son play in the home opener Sept. 3.

"Within moments of suthndawg's post, there were 25 to 50 people who offered to pledge money," said Ryan Crowe, a 25-year-old legal assistant from Atlanta who offered to collect and distribute the funds. "It just took off from there."

But when Crowe checked with the two schools, he was told the UGA fans' generosity would be a violation of NCAA bylaws regarding extra benefits and expenses for student athletes and their families.

"Ironically, by providing this money, these [Georgia] fans would in effect become Boise State boosters," said Amy Chisholm, UGA's assistant athletics director for compliance. The NCAA defines a booster as "a representative of an institution's athletics interests."

NCAA spokeswoman Gail Dent did not have an immediate response to questions about the situation Wednesday.

"Makes no sense to me," said Hendrix, a 56-year-old marketing consultant. "It just hits me that twice in a week, these people have lost touch with reality."

The NCAA caused a furor when it ruled last week that member schools' Native American mascots would no longer be allowed at championship events.

Word of the Georgia fans' good intentions — and their being thwarted — spread quickly via the Internet.

"It was such a nice and giving gesture, I almost felt embarrassed," said Kathy Miller, Tad's mother, who lives in Boise, Idaho. "We appreciate it so much. But we want people to know that the company Dan contracts for pays for his R&R every six months, and this will be his first time home since January. So his travel is taken care of."

"Perhaps they can collect money to send some underprivileged kids to the game or something," she added.

Kathy Miller said the family received other overtures from Georgia fans. One offered to host a party for the family when it arrives in Athens. Miller said she is running everything by Boise State's compliance office.

Said Crowe: "Us Georgia fans love our football but, as a collective group, we're pretty hospitable people."

[kcchief19]

I guess I'm in the minority on this, but I don't have that many problems with the NCAA. It's easy to go on a case-by-case basis and say that some things should be allowed and somethings should not, but I think that leads to even more problems.

The NCAA rules, in a nutshell, basically say that athletes should not receive any extra benefits that are not available to other students. It's a touching story, but do you think these fans would have done the same thing if Tad Miller were in the Boise State band instead of the football team? I'm not sure. That's why the rule is there.

For all the bellyaching about NCAA rules, there is a simple solution -- get out of the NCAA. This isn't Russia. If Florida State or Georgia or Boise State doesn't want to be in the NCAA and play by their rules, get out. Of course, they would never do that because there is too much money involved. It reminds me of one of the lines from "A Few Good Men": the NCAA schools wallow in the money the NCAA provides and then gripe about how the NCAA operates to ensure that the money will be there and fans won't be alienated by recruiting and cheating scandals.

This is a nice story, but in the end it isn't a big deal; the kid's dad didn't even need the money. It's more like reason number 2475 why you should think things through and do some reasearch before going off half-cocked.

[gottimd]

Whats reason 2,474?

[Shkspr]

So, all that needs to be done to knock the wheels off of USC's title defense is that some enterprising UCLA boosters need to get Escalades for the entire USC offensive line?

Cool.

[VPI97]

Originally Posted by Shkspr

Cool.

Exactly...one thing I find bewildering is that guys like Logan Young will drop $150,000 to get a kid to come to Alabama when it would be a better investment to give $10,000 to each member of Tennessee's recruiting class and simply leave a huge paper trail. There's no risk to Alabama with that move.

[wbatl1]

Although I think the intentions of the georgia fans are great, I agree that the NCAA should prevent any donations of money to athletes or their families. Although it is easy to say they should make an exception this time, what about the hundreds of cases where money is involved. Should they look at each one and decide whether it is in the spirit of the rule. Every time a compliance officer at a school runs a question by the NCAA, should they evaluate it for it's spirt. No, which is why no money should be involved. The NCAA was incredibly stupid(and realize it now that they've reversed the decision) to ban names derived from Native American tribes, but in this case involving money, they are correct.