NCAA's Kevin Lennon - Lucca case

[aa62195]

Long time reader....first time post'er....I felt compelled to share my two cents on the Lucca issue. Of course, it's no different than the rest of Cyclone Country. It's also well documented how the NCAA favors certain schools...and "mistreats" others. Take a look at the following NCAA press release from this summer....paying particular attention to Lennon's comments. (and...read my whole post before assuming I'm slamming a dead guy)


INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA has granted a waiver for the University of Oklahoma to set up a fund to assist with funeral expenses of football recruit Herman Mitchell, who was slain last week in his hometown of Houston.

Funds raised by an OU booster can be transferred to the university to help pay for funeral expenses under the conditions of the waiver, which was received and granted today by NCAA membership services staff.

“This is a tragic circumstance, and we are glad we were able to work quickly with OU to assist this family in their time of need,” said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice-president for membership services.

Mitchell’s younger brother is a high school football player and a potential recruit, which required the university to seek a waiver of bylaws that in general prohibit university boosters from providing preferential treatment to prospective student-athletes and their families.

Lennon pointed out that those bylaws cannot take into account the unique circumstances of every situation. The NCAA carefully considers the best interests of everyone involved with each waiver request, he said.

“This is a case where our waiver process worked exactly as it is intended—to collaborate with a member institution to address an individual situation,” Lennon said.

The waiver sets the following conditions:

The University of Oklahoma will take control of fundraising, including taking control of funds already donated to the booster.

OU can use the funds to directly cover the cost of the funeral and memorial services. Donations cannot be received after September 14. Funds cannot be disbursed directly to the family.

Any excess funds will be donated to a Houston-area non-profit organization to be determined by the university.

Some of you may recall this summer tragedy. I am in NO WAY discounting these horrible events OR disrespecting the family in their time of loss. However, Lennon's comments are complete hipocracy...The NCAA allowed an OU booster to provide $$MONEY$$ to the recruit's family for his funeral and memorial expenses. I applaud anyone that would do that for someone they likely don't even know personally...but do you really think the booster would have done that if his younger brother was not a "potential" recruit? Give me a break...This was brilliant way for an OU booster to assert his influence on the younger brother...and a nice way for the NCAA to legally allow it. Yes, a student-athlete died and that is tragic...but it really made me think...

Lennon's comments about "swiftly" handling the situation is also comical. How swiftly was Lucca's case even reviewed let alone handled?

The comment giving me the most heartburn...the NCAA "collaborated with a member institution to address an individual situation". Do you think Lucca's case was evaluated with this same "collaborative spirit" and "attention to the individual circumstances". Why...hell yes...because they're the NCAA...and we're ISU...end of story, right?

If anyone else already noticed this and posted it, I apologize...I was excited to pop my cherry!

Go State!!

[mt85]

You do make an interesting point. Here you have an institution that had athletes getting pay checks from car dealers, yet the NCAA bends over backwards to assist them with this waiver.

We know all to well how the NCAA shows selective compassion. It's all about the green backs. Maybe that's why DB is playing at Texas while LS is sitting out at ISU.

[Balls]

Excellent first post. Rep up!

[price26]

Yeah, that is a sad event and a good thing for the NCAA to do that. But. . . .

If that's the way the waiver process works . . .

[BigBake]

Waivers? They never told us about any stinking waivers....

Sounds like a perfect solution to get around a rule that even Lennon said he felt bad enforcing...but gal dangn't just had no choice but to enforce it.

[superdorf]

Excellent point... I think it is becoming clear to everyone, if it wasn't already, that the NCAA is just a sham.

[Wesley]

I would bet we have some OU alumni working at the NCAA. Where are our alumni people who worked for NCAA in KC? Retired?

[isugcs]

"Lennon pointed out that those bylaws cannot take into account the unique circumstances of every situation. The NCAA carefully considers the best interests of everyone involved with each waiver request, he said."

I think this is the most interesting part of the post...

"bylaws cannot take into account the unique circumstances of every situation..." Gee a German player does not take money, tried to do the right thing, and gets unjustly busted for doing something that violated a rule before it was in place...

"The NCAA carefully considers the best interests of everyone involved" I think the only one the NCAA consideres the interests of are it's own self and that's where it ends. If you have nothing to offer the NCAA that isn't already offered by another institution.. Well then you're just wasting their time.

Thanks for nothing NCAA!! **** on you..