Hypocrites of the Year?

The NCAA has snared evil doers in Columbus, Ohio and has put the hammer down. Or maybe it was a an inflatable mallet.  

From what I've heard six OSU players for selling stuff they got because they play college football for the Buckeyes. Two of the  players made first-team All Big Ten (running back Daniel "Boom" Herron and offensive tackle Mike Adams ) and two got honorable mention (quarterback Terrelle Pryor and receiver DeVier Posey). Defensive lineman Solomon Thomas was the fifth player named. A sixth player, Jordan Whiting, must sit out one game.

The NCAA deemed their violations to be so heinous as to require five game suspensions for each of them - beginning next year. But wait, don't the Buckeyes play in the Sugar Bowl in a week or so? Why not suspend them now? Why wait? $$$$$.

Here's the story on ESPN with Pat Forde's commentary.

That players would sell Big Ten championship rings among other things suggests the players really don't have any appreciation of how privileged they are. But, everyone else is making big bucks off of their athletic ability. Yes, they get a college education - don't say it's 'free' however. They work for it. An athlete who can make the difference between a good team and a championship team is worth millions of dollars to the university they play for and the conference they play in.

I don't have a good way to fix what ails college sports without killing it at the same time. But delaying the punishment to next year is bizarre, but it is also consistent with letting Cam Newton play this year on the grounds that it was his father who asked for the money from Mississippi State and not him. Everyone who makes big money off college sports gets the immediate benefit of keeping these players on the field right now. 

The powers that be want these athletes to play in the Sugar Bowl so that those powers can rake in cash. It would be poetic justice if these five players refused to play in the Sugar Bowl.

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But the scariest thing I came across in reading up on this story is a 2011 NFL draft projection that has Monona Grove's & UW's Gabe Carimi being picked by the Bears with the 23rd pick! It's great he's projected to go that high in the draft, but the Bears?!

JJ Watt is projected to go #14 to Tennessee.