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NCAA searches for new low by denying Marine eligibility

DeaconSlim2.0

DeaconSlim2.0

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http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf...low-denying-marine-eligibility-173055162.html

We make fun of the NCAA because they are an easy punching bag. They lack consistency, transparency and an understanding of the basic concepts of common sense. You would think it difficult for them to find a new low after years of draconian punishments mixed with unsatisfactory wrist slaps but never doubt the potential depths to which Mark Emmert’s organization can plunge.

Steven Rhodes is a 24-year-old Marine sergeant. He finished his five-year commitment to the armed forces this summer and called up Middle Tennessee State’s football coaches and asked if they had a spot for him as a walk-on. They happily accepted the 6’ 3”, 240-pound veteran and have been using him as a tight end and defensive lineman during practice.

Great story, right?

Well, it would be, except Rhodes isn’t eligible to play this season because he took part in an intramural league while in the service. He received no money to play in some extremely disorganized games.
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:rulz:
 
When I picture the assholes running the NCAA, I just think of Ronnie boy's shit-eating grin and then stories such as this make all of the sense in the world!!
 
Between expansion, new TV deals, and the stupidity of the NCAA, the college sports landscape will be totally different in about five years. It's really ruining what was a great thing.
 
NCAA prohibits Marine from playing football

But Johnny Manzeil can make thousands off selling his autograph.

From ESPN:

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- A Middle Tennessee freshman who finished five years of active service in the Marines this summer is appealing an NCAA rule preventing him from playing this season because he played in a recreational league in the military.

According to The Daily News Journal, the rule essentially says student-athletes that do not enroll in college within a year of graduating high school will be charged one year of collegiate eligibility for every academic year they participate in organized competition.

By NCAA standards, Steven Rhodes' play at the Marine base counted as "organized competition" because there were game officials, team uniforms and the score was kept.

More from ESPN.com
The NCAA needs to right a wrong and clear former Marine Steven Rhodes to play for Middle Tennessee this season, writes Mark Schlabach. Story

But the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Marine sergeant said the recreational league was nothing close to organized.

"Man, it was like intramurals for us," said the 24-year-old. "There were guys out there anywhere from 18 to 40-something years old. The games were spread out. We once went six weeks between games."

The NCAA says it's working with Middle Tennessee and hasn't made a final decision on Rhodes' eligibility. MTSU spokesman Mark Owens told The Associated Press on Sunday that the school hopes to hear from the NCAA within the next month. The Blue Raiders open the season Aug. 29 hosting Western Carolina.

The rule first took shape in 1980, when "participation in organized competition during times spent in the armed services, on official church missions or with recognized foreign aid services of the U.S. government" were exempt from limiting eligibility.

But through several revisions and branches of the rule, the clause allowing competition during military service was lost and not carried over into the current bylaws.

Daryl Simpson, MTSU's assistant athletic director/compliance, said he doesn't believe the NCAA ever intended to penalize military service members.

"All this is strictly because of how the bylaw is worded," he said. "In my opinion, there is no intent of anyone to not allow protection to our U.S. service members."

Middle Tennessee won a partial appeal to the NCAA last week recouping two years of eligibility for Rhodes with his recreational league spanning two academic years. But Rhodes still is appealing to play this season practicing both at tight end and defensive end."
 
Just when you thought the NCAA couldn't get more tone deaf.
 
Relevant passage:

By NCAA standards, Rhodes’ recreational league games at the Marine base counted as “organized competition” because there were game officials, team uniforms and the score was kept.
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The NCAA sucks ass but the fact that this guy is a Marine isn't relevant. I 100% appreciate his dedication and sacrifice but it's an emotional appeal and not really the point.
 
94Deac said:
Relevant passage:



The NCAA sucks ass but the fact that this guy is a Marine isn't relevant. I 100% appreciate his dedication and sacrifice but it's an emotional appeal and not really the point.
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It is relevant because there was a specific exemption for armed service leagues that appears to have inexplicably disappeared during revisions of the bylaws.
 
94Deac said:
Relevant passage:



The NCAA sucks ass but the fact that this guy is a Marine isn't relevant. I 100% appreciate his dedication and sacrifice but it's an emotional appeal and not really the point.
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There should obviously be an exemption for service members, and the NCAA is more than capable of permitting this guy to play now while fixing the rule moving forward. This pure idiocy by the NCAA.
 
It is an emotional appeal, but it's a ridiculous ruling independent of that. Just because a league has officials, uniforms, and, god forbid, a scoreboard, doesn't mean that amateurism is being threatened.
 
Ball State Deac said:
There should obviously be an exemption for service members, and the NCAA is more than capable of permitting this guy to play now while fixing the rule moving forward. This pure idiocy by the NCAA.
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VaDeac said:
It is an emotional appeal, but it's a ridiculous ruling independent of that. Just because a league has officials, uniforms, and, god forbid, a scoreboard, doesn't mean that amateurism is being threatened.
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I agree with both of these but I am wary of creating "exemptions" without some very specific and clear language- precisely to avoid these kinds of clusterfucks.
 
94Deac said:
Relevant passage:



The NCAA sucks ass but the fact that this guy is a Marine isn't relevant. I 100% appreciate his dedication and sacrifice but it's an emotional appeal and not really the point.
Click to expand...

I understand, what you are saying, but I think it is relevant (but not determinative). As I understand it, he participated in these leagues on the base. His primary purpose in joining the Marine Corps was his military service, and this rec league was a diversion from his full time obligations of independent significance. That's helpful to me in distinguishing it from a different pursuit that is more heavily weighted towards the athletic endeavor and where the other activity was a ruse (think Rodney Purvis' made-up high school).

I mean, FFS, do we not think that the Florida State basketball player that was in the Air Force for four years ever played in a rec league (with jerseys, uniforms and scores kept) before going to Tallahassee?
 
Does the rule come into effect because it is inter mural football? Weinke played pro baseball and came back and played college football. Tons of guys did that. Is it because it was the same sport?
 
No, it is coming into effect now because they were FSU and this is Middle Tennessee State. Just like those rules about actual classes do not apply to UNC, and the rules about felonies don't apply to Florida (and now Ohio State).
 
NCAA ‏@NCAA 7m
Happy to say after further review, U.S. Marine Steven Rhodes allowed to play immediately for MTSU: http://ow.ly/o4zrQ
 
Very interesting that Hatch & Co. can reverse course on a bad NCAA decision this quickly but can't seem to do it at home with Wake.
 
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