The latest news for University of Michigan's basketball team is anything but fabulous for its program, players and fans.
Last week the NCAA announced the sanctions placed on the U-M basketball program to punish it for paying players during the Fab Five era. Some of those penalties include being banned from next year's NCAA Tournament and National Invitational Tournament, 3 1/2 years of probation and the elimination of one scholarship out of 13 for each of the next four years.
While certainly the actions of booster Ed Martin and others in the program between the years of 1992 and 1998 are deserving of punishment, it seems like the NCAA is a little late in handing down its sentence.
First of all, no school should have to impose sanctions on itself. The NCAA Committee on Infractions is there for a reason. That being said, the committee shouldn't have waited so long to hand down its punishment for paying players. Either that, or it should have said something when U-M handed itself a sweeping slap on the wrist, including taking down four banners from Crisler Arena, forfeiting 112 victories spanning five seasons, eliminating any name from the record books who was involved in the scandal, and paying the NCAA $450,000.
"We have always accepted responsibility for the concerns raised by the NCAA and by the infractions committee in its report," U-M President Mary Sue Coleman said. "We own the wrongdoing, and we own the responsibility."
Secondly, it's somewhat of a crime in to punish current players at U-M by taking away their postseason hopes. After all, stars such as Daniel Horton and Bernard Robinson Jr. will have less of a chance to shine because of the actions of Chris Webber, Maurice Taylor, Robert Traylor, Louis Bullock and especially former head coach Steve Fisher.
And speaking of Fisher and his former players, where are their punishments? Both Martin and the university have been given retribution for their wrongdoing, but San Diego State University looks like it's going to let Fisher keep coaching, regardless of any of his past experiences and activities.
As for Webber, one has to wonder about his attitude. "As far as thinking about that, I couldn't care less," he told The Sacramento Bee when asked about the sanctions. Webber currently plays for the NBA's Sacramento Kings.
It's always sad to see people punished for things they didn't do, even when those people are your bitter rivals. It's worse when those most guilty are let go with little or no punishment.
The NCAA was right to impose sanctions on U-M for what they call "one of the most egregious violations of NCAA laws in the history of the organization," but perhaps next time they can eliminate the need for a university to punish itself by stepping in a little sooner, avoid punishing the innocent and make sure all those involved in a scandal feel the repercussions.
