[Genuine Realist]

The travesty that happened at North Carolina is indicative of how totally values have been turned around by the obsession with amateurism. The academic failure should be central to the NCAA mission and North Carolina should have been sanctioned accordingly.

How did it have anything at all to do with amateurism? It had to do with getting and keeping players eligible to play for North Carolina without them doing the required academic work. That would happen if the athletes were getting compensated or not.  They could have a contract in hand or not, makes no difference. Indeed it was an NCAA violation, as it would be in your system as well, but it has nothing at all to do with compensation as far as I can see.

There were a few posts above that discussed the North Carolina scandal.

To me, the NCAA dithering reflected complete confusion as to what its actual mission is. It's death on someone giving a kid a free Coke, but can't get it together when it comes to cheating athletes out of the educational opportunity that is the whole point.

[Genuine Realist]

The travesty that happened at North Carolina is indicative of how totally values have been turned around by the obsession with amateurism. The academic failure should be central to the NCAA mission and North Carolina should have been sanctioned accordingly.

How did it have anything at all to do with amateurism? It had to do with getting and keeping players eligible to play for North Carolina without them doing the required academic work. That would happen if the athletes were getting compensated or not.  They could have a contract in hand or not, makes no difference. Indeed it was an NCAA violation, as it would be in your system as well, but it has nothing at all to do with compensation as far as I can see.

There were a few posts above that discussed the North Carolina scandal.

To me, the NCAA dithering reflected complete confusion as to what its actual mission is. It's death on someone giving a kid a free Coke, but can't get it together when it comes to cheating athletes out of the educational opportunity that is the whole point.