There was a great singing duo in the 1970-80’s named the Statler Brothers. One of their more famous tunes was FLOWERS ON THE WALL which included these lyrics in the chorus:

“Countin’ flowers on the wall, That don’t bother me at all
That don’t bother me at all, Playin’ solitaire til dawn,
Smokin’ cigarettes and watchin’ captain Kangaroo
Now don’t tell me I’ve nothin’ to do”

Just because I’ve watched the NFL draft this week and just because I’ve read the recently-released College Basketball Commission report, ALL 60 PAGES OF IT! “Don’t tell me, I’ve nothin’ to do! You do your own homework on the NFL draft and who your favorite team selected. Let’s concentrate on the College Basketball Commission report.
60 pages from a commission, chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Why she would be the chairwoman, I’ve no idea. Perhaps she has a great jump shot. Perhaps they wanted a “name” to give the commission credibility. Take your pick. Whatever, after weeks and weeks of meetings we can essentially summarize their report by saying they want an end to “One and done”, the practice of a basketball player essentially renting his services to a university for one year while he waits to become eligible to play in the NBA. Kentucky’s John Calipari has been the program that has made the most use of this practice but Duke, Kansas, North Carolina and others have proven adept as well.
Other than that, the Commission mostly recommends more enforcement, more penalties. Their solutions are much like the political left in this country that yells for more gun control laws anytime there is a shooting in this country. There are already plenty of gun-control laws on the books, they are just NOT ENFORCED! Ditto for college athletics. The NCAA has plenty of rules and regulations. They just don’t enforce them, at least not fairly and evenly.
Some schools get whacked frequently and severely while, many times, the so-called “Bluebloods” of college athletics merely get a slap on the wrist because “the NCAA needs them” to continue bringing in that almighty dollar! A case in point is North Carolina where, after a six-year investigation, was not penalized for offering bogus classes that didn’t even recquire attendance because the NCAA ruled that “we can’t punish them because those classes could be attended by anyone, not just athletes.”
Thus, the Commission recommends that the NCAA allow violations to be investigated not by the NCAA but by an outside, independent source. They also recommended that the NCAA add outsiders to their Board of Governors, essentially stating that they have become ingrown and possessive of what they have developed. “The consensus view is that the NCAA’s investigative and enforcement process is broken”, states the Commissions’s report. Many of the member institutions of the NCAA would say “Amen to that”.
This is the world in which college basketball operates but don’t think it is just basketball. The world of college football is just as tainted, if not more so. The shoe companies, clothing companies and agents have their talons deeply embedded in college athletics. These contracts are so central to the financial success of athletic departments that administrators and coaches call these companies “partners”, not “sponsors”. When you hav companies giving you millions and millions of dollars, perhaps you work for them, not the other way around.
One Power Five athletic director, who requested anonymity, said, “No matter what, you can’t clean this thing up 100 percent. This thing hasn’t been pure, ever!”
Former major league baseball all-star Ernie Banks once said, “The only way you can be a good sport is to lose.” We’ve certainly reached the point in college athletics that “nobody wants to be a good sport.” Nobody wants to lose.
Hum the tune with me: “Now don’t tell me I’ve nothin’ to do.”