This is gonna suck for SMU

Growing up near Columbus, there was always an ongoing joke that the NCAA got so upset with Ohio State and Woody Hayes, they gave SMU another year of probation.

I guess, it's not a joke anymore.........

Six student-athletes on The Ohio State University football team have been suspended for NCAA violations, the school said Thursday in a press release.

Mike Adams, Dan Herron, DeVier Posey, Terrelle Pryor (pictured above) and Solomon Thomas will miss the first five games of the 2011 season and must repay money and benefits, the school said.

Of course, not to piss off Buckeye nation, the NCAA will enforce the suspensions next year when the Bucs play that murders row of Akron, Toledo, Colorado, Miami and MSU. I guess it's just a coincidence that they'll be back for their first real game against Nebraska.

For these guys to claim ignorance is just ridiculous. From 1981 - 1986 I was on the UC cross country and track teams. Each and every year, every varsity athlete had to sit through a two hour long NCAA compliance meeting where they went over every freakin procedure in the book (Because you know how the boosters love to throw money in the hands of a high jumper or 50 meter backstroker). In addition, we were required to attend a substance abuse course required by the NCAA.

That was almost thirty years ago for a bunch of nobodies and you're going to try and tell me these guys had no idea.

Whenever I hear people talk about these guys being paid, many have no idea of some of the benefits these guys already get. For instance, while these guys are down in New Orleans they'll each receive "gifts" from the bowl game organizers. Here's a list of the crap these guys get just for traveling with the team. In addition, these guys get rings, watches, uniforms etc they can trade in for all kinds of favors/money after they leave school. Plus there's meal money, where you can pocket a few hundred bucks if you are thrifty on one of these longs bowl stays.

I personally know a guy who used to take in gear from the players at a local sporting goods store. If you were a nobody, he'd swap out your turf shoes for a warm up suit. If you were a great player, he'd cash you out for your gear (provided your signature was on the gear) and then resell the stuff to some guy with a nice man cave.

Today, the schools keep pretty good tabs on a lot of this stuff but there's still enough to keep these guys with money in their pocket.

None the less, how is it that USC gets probation for the sins Reggie Bush commits but OSU has avoided any sanctions for Maurice Clarett, Andy Katzenmoyer, and now this crap?

SMU better get ready for another death penalty.