Today the NCAA doled out one of the dumbest suspensions I've seen in college sports. It represents everything that's wrong with the NCAA and why I think the organization has no business running college sports.
Dez Bryant was suspended for lying to the NCAA about off-season contact with a former NFL player. Accord to Bryant's Facebook status, that player is Deion Sanders. While I agree Bryant is at fault for lying to the NCAA about hanging out with Sanders, the reason he lied speaks volumes about the culture the NCAA has created among athletes.
Here is what Bryant posted on Facebook earlier today:
This is why I'm suspended.....I went to Deion sanders house ....and the NCAA found out.....they ask me if I been to his house I told them no...I thought it was a violation...but it wasn't... so I told them I went to his house... I lied to them and I shouldn't have....and I'm not suspended for the rest of the season....I'm sorry osu!!
Bryant thought just going to Sanders' house was a violation of NCAA rules. I don't blame him. It seems every small, stupid thing is an NCAA violation, even if it's just Chillin' With Deion. The NCAA has these kids scared to leave their dorms without doing something that will cost them their eligibility.
That's not how it should be. If the kids take pay for play then they should be ineligible. But when kids start thinking that talking to a retired NFL player is a violation, then you know there are too many rules.
And don't sit there and call Bryant an idiot for thinking he was violating NCAA rules by seeing Sanders. When the story was first presented to me, I was told he was suspended for hanging out and working out with him. And I didn't immediately dismiss it as not being a violation. Does that make me an idiot? Don't answer that.
So once Bryant found out he hadn't committed a violation, he owned up to having lied and got suspended. OSU has already applied for reinstatement and it better happen or the NCAA is even a more backasswards organization than I previously thought.
If he's not reinstated, I'll lead the charge to Indy with torches and pitchforks and we can burn that mother down. Our friends at Bootlegger Sports agree this ruling is stupid.
Congratulations on busting such a nefarious rule breaker like Dez Bryant, NCAA. Now when are we going to hear something from you about Reggie Bush?