Should We Blame Myles Brand for O.J. Mayo?

Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports has a thought-provoking column about the O.J. Mayo mess, and he believes that when the NCAA is tarnished by allegations of runners for agents handing out cash to star athletes, one person deserves a heaping helping of blame: Myles Brand.

If you didn't see this one coming, don't feel bad, you're no more naive and gullible than NCAA president Myles Brand. ...

the entire circumstance was created when Myles Brand decided to sell the NCAA's soul to David Stern's 19-year-old age limit.
Brand welcomed the one-and-done phenom for whatever ratings bump they provide. In doing so, he stomped on everything his organization claims to stand for – education, amateurism, fairness, et al. He made the likes of O.J. Mayo inevitable.

Wetzel makes some good points here, and there's no question that Brand, the NCAA and the schools that field big-time football and basketball teams try to have it both ways when they insist that their players are students as much as they're athletes while basically operating as a minor league for the NFL and NBA.

But really, Brand has no control at all over the NBA's and NFL's minimum age rules. The truth is, Brand and the NCAA member schools ought to hold themselves to a certain set of standards irrespective of what the NFL and NBA do.

And that's the point here: If the NCAA had the courage of its convictions, it would go back to the days of freshman ineligibility and tell the Mayos of the world that they weren't going to treat college as a place to play ball for a few months before moving on. But the NCAA would rather have the money the Mayos of the world can generate.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-12-2008 @ 9:34AM

neealgolden123 said...

They both should be blame and he should be suspend for one year to play in the NBA. The person who gave Mayo the $ should lose his license for violating the NCAA recruiting policy. Mayo shouldn't be allow to sign with this agent. The fine should be harsh on Mayo and the agent for a million dollars and the $ should be given for kids who want to go to college who fianancially can't afford it.

5-12-2008 @ 11:12AM

Mike said...

All this for an OVERhyped player that couldn't hold Kevein Durant or Greg Oden's jock. If you really think half the players go to USC cause they want to sit on the bench, your crazy, but, that will, in time all come out as well. Why would the top 3 or 4 running backs, QB's, or whatever position, go there and knowingly accept that they just might sit on the bench???? Don't tell me there is not something going on very wrong there. USC is always #1, though they ALWAYS lose a game or two. With the so called #1 recruiting classes they get, Pete Carroll just might be the most over rated coach out there today. Just watch now that Saban is at Alabama, Les Miles will be out at LSU within 4 years for the team just going backward and losing. Remember those kids were all brought there up to this year by Saban. Saban will get the players now.

5-12-2008 @ 12:47PM

By the way, why would this old fart be in charge of the NCAA anyway. NCAA, a bunch of crooks in old men suits.

5-12-2008 @ 11:36AM

mo russell said...

Miles Brand, always WAS an idiot, he IS an idiot, and he WILL ALWAYS BE an idiot!!! This is a good example of the Peter Principle.....when ones does not do well, you promote him....Indiana should have fired him a long time ago before he became the AD there....mo

PS: OJ Mayo is an idiot as well....

5-12-2008 @ 1:50PM

johan said...

Due to the fact that the NBA has placed limits on these players and their rights to employment, the NCAA has become a 1 year holding pen for these kids before they are able to ply their trade at the professional level. People shouldn't be surprised that these players will disregard NCAA regulations in order to gain financial security, which is most of their end goals anyway. NONE OF THESE KIDS WANTED TO BE AN NCAA ATHLETE IN THE FIRST PLACE...so why be surprised when they dont respect the NCAA??

5-12-2008 @ 4:18PM

§ said...

The 19-yr-old minimum age limit hurts both the NBA and NCAA. Anybody know what percentage of early-entrees actually make an NBA roster within 3-4 years?

@ #3 . . . Brand wasn't the AD @ IU, he was the Prez