NCAA continues to make a mess of case against Jim Boeheim

[Cowtown]

The NCAA strikes. Again.

This time the organization has completely outdone itself, with the NCAA's Infractions Appeals Committee altering its initial decision on Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim's suspension and ruling that it begin immediately instead of at the outset of ACC play.

Let's begin with the timing.

Boeheim appealed the ruling -- one that came down on both him and the Syracuse program for academic fraud issues -- on March 20, two weeks after the school received the infractions report. A Committee on Infractions response didn't come until May 28, and Boeheim didn't get in front of the appeals committee until Oct. 5.

The mea culpa finally came on Dec. 3, and should have read:

"Dear Mr. Boeheim, sometimes we make easy decisions far more complicated than they need to be, and this time we took it to a new level."

Instead, it read the following:

"The Appeals Committee determined that the NCAA Committee on Infractions 'abused its discretion' by directing the suspension be served during conference play, because Coach Boeheim was not directly involved in the underlying violations of the case. The Appeals Committee determined the nine-game suspension may apply to non-conference games and be served immediately."

How long does it take to figure out that you screwed up?

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...ke-mess-discipline-syracuse-coach-jim-boeheim

 

[IthacaMatt]

Sounds to me like he's going to sue the NCAA, with his comment that he is assessing his options and has nothing more to say at this time. I really hope he does. They deserve it. He could probably get an injunction, and in a court of law, their decision making process is going to seem awfully arbitrary.

 

[cuseincincy]

Sounds to me like he's going to sue the NCAA, with his comment that he is assessing his options and has nothing more to say at this time. I really hope he does. They deserve it. He could probably get an injunction, and in a court of law, their decision making process is going to seem awfully arbitrary.

I was thinking the exact same thing. JB is in the position where he has little to lose by going after the NCAA. And he has a lot to gain personally and for the collegiate sports world overall. The NCAA needs to be slapped down, hard.

 

[bballbeadle]

He's got to do it for coaches, fans, and players everywhere. Easy for me to say, huh?

 

[AccuRater]

"...because Coach Boeheim was not directly involved in the underlying violations of the case. "

I wonder if the NCAA is establishing a precedent which will enable then to go easy on Pitino and Williams?

 

[Cowtown]

The NCAA is becoming like reading Kafka's The Castle. At certain points you are compelled to ask, "Who's in charge here?"

The answer is always, "Nobody."

 

[pearl31]

"...because Coach Boeheim was not directly involved in the underlying violations of the case. "

I wonder if the NCAA is establishing a precedent which will enable then to go easy on Pitino and Williams?

well, if this is "going easy" I'd be a little worried if I were Pitino or Williams

 

[MikeSU02]

The NCAA is becoming like reading Kafka's The Castle. At certain points you are compelled to ask, "Who's in charge here?"

The answer is always, "Nobody."

I agree with you, but this is the deal. They are a messed up organization that rules very unfairly. But this isn't a variable anymore. We know that the NCAA is going to act in this manner - this is now the constant.

But guess what, they are still in charge. We screwed up. Not to the extent that we were punished, but we gave them enough ammo to take us down.

The worst part is that this type of org is helping to ruin the product on the court.

I barely watch college basketball anymore. I watch Cuse and that's it, unless there is an all-world talent like Ben Simmons on TV. Otherwise, I watch the NBA. The talent, the play, the style, everything is better.

The NCAA is going to drive kids away from college. It's infuriating to have to deal with them. But this is just the way it is and I do not expect it to get better because of how much money people have their hands on.

 

[Shark58]

 

[Zelda Zonk]

What are you guys saying here? That JB has a case because he shouldn't have been suspended at all? Because he wasn't directly involved?

Sounds like the NCAA is only acknowledging that the ACC-only suspension was unwarranted — that it was overreaching and without justification to have specified CONFERENCE games. What would JB be filing an injunction/suing FOR?

As much as I hate blaming the NCAA for everything, the acc- only suspension always seemed most ridic. Capriciously punitive and entirely without foundation. As if any of the charges had anything to do with conference cereus non-conference games.

Wonder what JB would have done if they had originally offered him the choice: five ACC games or ANY 10 games. The rationalization possibly being that conference games are more important and represent a stiffer penalty. Which only semi-answers my question above... If 'stiffness' was the criteria, then a larger number of games overall would be a compensation.

So, what happens if he files for an injunction? What's that mean? They have to let him coach during the evaluation period? And then if they don't decide until March, he could have to serve during the tournament? Is this a Brady-style thing?

 

[Toga]

In the event (probably unlikely) that JB should sue, the main potential benefit would not be that he wins his case. It would be about the delicious discovery process.

 

[Shark58]

In the event (probably unlikely) that JB should sue, the main potential benefit would not be that he wins his case. It would be about the delicious discovery process.

which is why it would never get to the courtroom floor

a suit, which imho should absolutely be filed on the grounds of inequity to comparable NCAA "crimes" would be settled asap. just look at PedoStateU as proof.

 

[CaliCuse]

which is why it would never get to the courtroom floor

a suit, which imho should absolutely be filed on the grounds of inequity to comparable NCAA "crimes" would be settled asap. just look at PedoStateU as proof.

If you go on to sue the NCAA you don't go after a remedy for the Boeheim debacle you go after them in their who process of handling both coaches and player issues with they no limit how long it takes to resolve their grievances.and the sanctions that this organization hands out with no real guidelines that makes the sanctions consistent. Why one school gets severely"punished as opposed to another whichgets warning withextremme prejudice in that a repeat infraction will get them a far more severe set of sanctions. If its limited to Jimmy you limit th the the effect of the court action.

 

[Shark58]

If you go on to sue the NCAA you don't go after a remedy for the Boeheim debacle you go after them in their who process of handling both coaches and player issues with they no limit how long it takes to resolve their grievances.and the sanctions that this organization hands out with no real guidelines that makes the sanctions consistent. Why one school gets severely"punished as opposed to another whichgets warning withextremme prejudice in that a repeat infraction will get them a far more severe set of sanctions. If its limited to Jimmy you limit th the the effect of the court action.

100% agreed. I think you also go after the fundamentals of the rulings, esp the findings of "lack of institutional control" as well as the fundamentals of the process such as forcing JB to prove his innocence

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Okay. So, what are the chances JB does this? Gets involved in a protracted battle with the NCAA, just after having concluded a 13 year investigation. And while he's in the last years of his coaching career?

Maybe better to take the fight to the NCAA after retirement? A leading voice in an effort to reform? I don't see that as being likely either, though.

I don't blame the NCAA at all, re: the issues they pursue. But their inefficiencies and bizarre rulings essentially invalidate any positives.

 

[urban96]

NCAAs official response

 

[Cowtown]

It appears the NCAA itself suffers from a lack of institutional control.

 

[Toga]

It appears the NCAA itself suffers from a lack of institutional control.

 

[Cowtown]

A classic scene!

 

[Cowtown]

I don't see a lawsuit occurring. The University would never countenance such an action. It's not what the school wants because it's not what it stands for. Bringing this incident up all over again in the courts and especially the media benefits no one, and I guarantee there are more warts here than just the NCAA's. Was this a minor screw-up? Certainly, but it's better left as the stuff of legend than litigation. For make no mistake, Jim Boeheim will one day be gone, but SU, SU basketball and the NCAA will all carry on.

 

[cuseattle]

For all the reasons we admire and respect JB, especially loyalty to the University, he will probably not sue. He may, however, write a memoir after retiring with some scathing insight into this long ordeal.

 

[Madbiker]

Totally idiotic ruling by the NCAA morons. They admit THEY screwed up and the suspension should have begun with the first OOC game. A better ruling would have been to reduce the suspension to the remaining 6 OOC games and call it done because of their error. So the NCAA is basically saying no matter that we screwed up, we will still UNFAIRLY penalize you to miss 3 ACC games even though you shouldn't have missed any. Some good lawyers would have a field day with this. The NCAA is just asking for it. Hope JB gives it to them.

 

[Toga]

Totally idiotic ruling by the NCAA morons. They admit THEY screwed up and the suspension should have begun with the first OOC game. A better ruling would have been to reduce the suspension to the remaining 6 OOC games and call it done because of their error. So the NCAA is basically saying no matter that we screwed up, we will still UNFAIRLY penalize you to miss 3 ACC games even though you shouldn't have missed any. Some good lawyers would have a field day with this. The NCAA is just asking for it. Hope JB gives it to them.

It's simply hard to fathom the idiocy of the organization.