Scott Schultz sschultz@media.ucla.edu
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College athletics have undergone a metamorphosis in the last two
decades where the NCAA has transformed from a committee overseeing
amateur athletics into a multi-billion-dollar entity. Major
Division I athletic departments are more like umbrella
corporations.
The growth of the popularity of NCAA is positive in the sense
that more students are able to participate in college athletics.
However, somewhere along the line, the sports media has become the
pariah in the world of college athletics. This is definitely the
case at UCLA.
In fact, it can be harder for the media to track down a Bruin
athlete busted for breaking NCAA rules than it is to track down a
scandal-ridden politician.
That’s not to say that the sports media isn’t guilty
of playing the scandal card to sell papers. When a scandal breaks,
there should be the initial coverage and the follow-up. But after
five or six articles about ephedrine deaths, pole vaulting
casualties or the latest player scandal, it becomes an insult to
both the readers’ intelligence and the athletes’
integrity.
However when the athletes’ approach to objective sports
media is that it is the enemy, they leave the media with no choice
other than to slowly piece the story together on their own,
extending the chronology of the story’s existence in the
sports section in the process.
When UCLA’s DeShaun Foster and Kristee Porter had their
run-ins with the NCAA this year, sports information wouldn’t
let Daily Bruin writers within a mile of the athletes in question.
When we called the Foster home, his mother lashed out at us,
telling us we should be ashamed of ourselves as if we embarrassed
the university by breaking the rules, instead of her son.
The Daily Bruin never got an explanation from Foster, even
though we are his school’s paper. However, he was always
available for the positive articles written about him.
I personally believe that the NCAA should require the
universities pay the football players and men’s basketball
players higher stipends, since those are the only two teams that
make money for most of the universities anyway.
Since the NCAA and the universities are going to figuratively
force every football team that finishes over .500 to play in a bowl
game, and they are going to accept billions of CBS money for the
television rights to the men’s basketball tournament,
it’s obvious that the the NCAA and the athletic departments
are more concerned with making money than educating students.
However, the players need to be held accountable for their
actions, which includes talking to the school media ““ even if
it is a simple statement saying they made a mistake and can’t
discuss the issue until the NCAA finishes it’s
explanation.
UCLA quarterback Cory Paus showed maturity when he held a press
conference to clear the air about his DUI arrest. By speaking to
the media, he was able to see that his classmates and fans
understood that he regretted what happened and he was sorry to both
his teammates and school. He wanted to put this episode behind him
and focus on next season.
Unfortunately the maturity demonstrated by Paus is the exception
and not the rule.
Part of being a champion is facing the spotlight of the media
when events don’t turn out as everybody hoped. After all, the
students have legitimate concern.
And if the athlete is truly concerned that their classmates get
the correct story, they can always stop by the sports section
office and explain their situation in their own words. They
don’t need an appointment, and we won’t turn them
away.