Having watched the NCAA selection show, I wanted to get a few things off my chest. First, a little history, because, as events get more and more remote, people seem to forget them more and more. I think that’s a shame.

So let’s go back to 2011 when reports first surfaced of classes at UNC that did not require any attendance or course work other than a single paper. This subject grew out on the ongoing investigation of UNC football that led to the imposition of sanctions in 2012. But this was an entirely different matter. The classes (allegedly) were not really supervised by faculty. These classes were known as “paper classes” at UNC, and the name stuck.

In 2013, the District Attorney of Orange and Chatham Counties informed UNC that the State Bureau of Investigation had been investigating the paper classes, and that criminal action was forthcoming.

In February 2014 UNC hired the Washington firm on Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft to investigate the allegations, and, on October 16, 2014, Cadwalader released its report detailing 18 years of institutionalized academic cheating to prop up athletics. Among other findings, the report found that persons in the athletic department called the “teacher” of the paper classes and told her what grade was needed to keep athletes eligible. The programs implicated included both men’s and women’s basketball and football.

The Cadwalader report is linked below. Download it. Read it. Remember it.

In June of 2015, the NCAA charged UNC with five Level 1 violations. At that time, Roy Williams was quoted by the Associated Press as saying, “We aspire to and work toward meeting higher standards than the actions that warranted this notice. Our university and numerous outside groups have looked at every aspect of our academic and athletic life. As a result, Carolina has implemented scores of new processes and checks and balances that have undoubtedly made us a better university. Hopefully, we will never again receive such a notice."

Five months later, back in the pre-season basketball media events, Roy Williams wanted to put this unpleasantness behind him. “We have felt confident in the fact that we do things the right way. We have felt confident in our coaching of the kids and our advising of the kids and our relationship with the kids that it has all been good and they've trusted us and believed in us. That says we're going to be okay. So, that part is good, too, but now it's time to start talking about the basketball. We do believe the cloud is beginning to lift. That old saying — we do see the light at the end of the tunnel and, yes, we honestly believe it's not going to be the freight train. I believe it's going to be lifted and try to portray that to the kids every day. … Gosh, we've been investigated six times so we know what's going on. We know what went on and let's go ahead and move forward and get it over with."

Here’s the rub. Nothing happened in those five months. In fact, since then, nothing has happened, unless you count giving UNC a no. 1 seed in the tournament this afternoon and otherwise letting UNC’s programs operate like nothing ever happened. Even before the NCAA charges were leveled, Larry Fedora had had enough. In February of 2015 he proclaimed, “I really believe that cloud that’s been hanging over our head for the previous four years (has) dissipated,” Fedora said. “ It’s not there. It’s not like it was.” Even after the NCAA issued citations and returned to sitting on its hands, Fedora was reported to be telling recruits that nothing was going to happen. And so far, he looks right.

Certainly, if you are still reading this, and I suspect that won’t be many of you, you might be asking, “what in the wide, wide world of sports are you trying say here.” Fair question, and it’s just this. While watching the selection show, I saw the NCAA run advertisements that ended with this catchy little line: “NCAA - PRIORITIZING ACADEMICS, WELL-BEING AND FAIRNESS.”

One of my favorite lines in all movies comes from Tombstone, when Doc Holliday (who has many, many memorable lines in the movie) says, “It appears my hypocrisy knows no bounds.” The NCAA should work out a deal with the copyright holders for Tombstone, and buy the rights to that phrase. If the NCAA and UNC are simply trying the run out the clock on our ability to care about this, I hope we will disappoint them mightily.


[Post edited by Ancient Hokie at 03/13/2016 9:22PM]