Monday, November 15, 2010
Auburn’s Win is College Football’s Loss
Vince Lombardi said winning isn't everything, it's the only thing.
That quote has stuck in my head as the Cam Newton controversy has swirled around the college football world.
If you're a sports fan, you know the story. And, according to the Birmingham News, it appears that Newton's father, Cecil, admitted to the possibilities of solicitation, but said the rest of his family didn't know and neither did Auburn.
The school creed asks to "believe in Auburn." Excuse me if I don't.
Do I believe John Bond and Mississippi State? Absolutely. For one, Bond has nothing to gain with this issue. Second, MSU sent warning to the SEC in January. They, nor anyone else at the time, were aware that Newton would be a one-man force; the best player in college football at the moment. Third, since this story broke, Bond's story, as well as State's, have not wavered. Cecil Newton and Kenny Rogers, however, have made some changes here and there.
Take an objective view here: If Guy A and Guy B tell you two different sides to a story, but Guy B changes his story around a couple of days later, which guy are you most likely to believe?
Meanwhile, on the Plains, the Tiger athletic department has gone from a vigorous defense to a complete sea of no comments. Auburn's take is simple: they've won with Cam, they know they can't win without Cam, so rain or shine, they're playing Cam all the way through.
When you hire a law professor from heated rival Alabama, that's a sign they're willing to fight until the end, even if the NCAA rules state otherwise. They're going to thumb their nose at the rest of the college football world. Ineligible or not; they're going with the man that got them there.
This bravado could bite them, but not before thousands of division title shirts and hats are sold. Add conference title and possible BCS title souvenirs and Auburn knows it's worth risking the wrath of the NCAA to dance in the flames of scandal. They've done it time and time again.
Five times, Auburn has committed major NCAA violations. It seems as whenever Alabama wins a national title in football, Auburn gets caught with both hands in the cookie jar. Then again, even Auburn's national title, in 1957, came from the AP despite a bowl ban from Auburn being ... that's right ... on probation.
Auburn is "all in" all right. All in for themselves.
The NCAA rule isn't that opaque when it comes to solicitation. They've said it often this past week that "the solicitation of cash or benefits by a prospective student-athlete or another individual on his or her behalf is not allowed under NCAA rules."
So, sadly for college football, and for Cam Newton, even if you take Cecil's word that he was oblivious to the matter, Newton should be declared ineligible, a decision that haunts college football at its core. It puts a black cloud on the Heisman, whether Newton gets it, or whether he doesn't, when the nation knows he's in a class by himself on the field.
For football's sake, Auburn needs to lose. The less awards bestowed upon the Tigers this year, the less chance for an epic catastrophe to hit the football world. Sure, it won't pull Auburn out of the fire, but at least we'd assure ourselves of not seeing the national title pulled this season.
Had Georgia hung on to that 14-point lead, at least this issue would've lost some fire. There would have been a sigh amongst the football purists. At least, if anything, controversies surrounding the BCS title game would've circled around making the choice between TCU and Boise and not something as sickening as this.
We're used to the former. The latter paints an awful picture.