Larry Brown Sports

The average person will tell you that they think the NCAA is a dirty organization in many ways. Most people are not naive enough to think that Cam Newton is the only player in college football who has been paid or offered a massive amount of money to attend a certain school. Like almost every other high-profile coach, Nick Saban has been accused of committing recruiting violations in the past but has managed to keep his resume clean. Sports agent Ralph Cindrich seems to believe Saban is as dirty as they come.

Cindrich discussed the sanctions handed down to Penn State by the NCAA during a recent interview with Larry Richert and John Shumway of KDKA in Pittsburgh. He called NCAA president Mark Emmert a “bozo” but seemed adamant about attacking Saban. When asked who is monitoring the NCAA as an organization, Cindrich basically said Saban has them in his back pocket.

“No one’s watching them,” he said according to Don Kausler Jr. of Al.com. “You want to know who’s watching them? Nick Saban. You want to trust Nick Saban? I have enough on Saban right now – and I realize this stuff gets out, and I also realize the truth is a defense. I know what goes on in college football, so cut me a break. … Everybody has something on Nick Saban, for God’s sake. And if he has a problem with anything I say, come on after me, big guy.”

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LBS attended a screening of The Wooden Effect Saturday, a documentary with never-before-seen interviews of John Wooden produced by former Bruin Marques Johnson’s Point Forward Productions. Several former Bruins were in attendance for the event, which also doubled as a scholarship fundraiser for the UCLA Black Alumni Association. We spoke with 1995 national champion and John R. Wooden Award winner Ed O’Bannon at the event.

We talked with Ed about his decision to come to LA from Las Vegas for the event — the powerful Wooden name did it. We also talked about players leaving school early and missing out on the college experience, whether scholarships are enough for players, and if student-athletes need to be paid. For reference, O’Bannon is at the forefront of a lawsuit against the NCAA that says players should be able to profit from college-licensed products (such as video games and highlights) that use their “images and likenesses.” Here is our interview with the former All-American:

“I think players should be paid,” O’Bannon said. “There’s a lot of people that have come up to me and said the same thing. Me, we’re in it for compensation for players after they leave, but I strongly agree that players should be paid and compensated as well.”

It’s an interesting debate, and one where I’ve been against paying players. To me, creating a professional atmosphere at the college ranks is a bad idea considering such a high percentage of athletes don’t make it in the pros. I think paying them at that level will give them less incentive to be good students and learn (and create more of a sense of entitlement), which is a poor message to send.

But I do agree with Ed’s lawsuit that players should get part of the revenue from the sale of their highlights and likeness after their college career is over. Moreover, I believe players should be allowed to sell their merchandise while in school but not receive that money until after their collegiate career is over. I think it’s a good way to solve the problems we’ve seen in college sports lately.

Ralph Nader is one of those politicians who has never been shy about voicing his opinions when it comes to sports.  A few years back, he was candid about changes he believed needed to be made in order to fix the problem the NBA has with corrupt officials.  Now, Nader has taken issue with the concept of NCAA athletic scholarships.

“As we near the exciting conclusion of ‘March Madness’ — which would more accurately be described as the 2011 NCAA Professional Basketball Championships — it’s time we step back and finally address the myth of amateurism surrounding big-time college football and basketball in this country,” Nader said in a proposal that the Associated Press obtained, via NESN.

“An entire industry has developed in the youth sports arena — club teams, personal trainers, etc. — to prey on families’ dreams of an athletic scholarship,” he continued. “The lure of the elusive athletic scholarship is the primary — sometimes the only — marketing tool these youth sports entrepreneurs use.”

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