Real Scourge of the SEC

Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus, shown here making the acquaintance of Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, made a national splash in January with his performance in the BCS title game. He was defensive mvp and enjoyed two memorable plays: knocking Texas quarterback Colt McCoy out of the game and scoring a TD on a 28-yard interception return. Not bad for a player who only started four games last season. Sadly, for Marcell and Alabama, that game may be the last one he plays for the Tide thanks to a party held early this summer in Miami.

Marcell, and quite a few other big name college football players, were not in South Beach celebrating the Miami Heat's acquisition of LeBron James. They were in Miami to attend a lavish party hosted by agents, one that is acceptable in any other arena of American business but deemed illegal by the NCAA. Now the eligibility of any player at that party is in question.

That this current issue is plaguing the SEC is appropriate, I feel, as the conference has benefited greatly from a recent perception that they are the number one conference in the land--with no number two--and that their placing as best is based on having a huge advantage in the collection of talent. But while everyone has been celebrating the SEC for its recent domination of the BCS title game and for its numerous award winners, the dirty little secret is that many of the players constituting the great collection of talent are marginal students, at best, and are on campus solely to work on their NFL futures. And make no mistake about it, the recruiting process to get these kids to campus resembles the recruiting process agents use to sign up the same kids. The big SEC schools make these kids into celebrities and then cry foul when they make this kind of mistake. And this pointing fingers at everyone but themselves posturing by Saban and others is ridiculous. Saban went down this road before with Andre Smith, who was suspended for dealing with an agent. Smith came to the Tide from Huffman High School in Birmingham, the same school that produced Marcell Dareus.

Pay attention Saban. Not paying attention, or looking the other way is what got USC in its current mess.

As far as the rest of the SEC, and for now one member of the ACC in North Carolina, the word is that there were quite a few star athletes at that party. South Carolina and UNC have already been called out, while the NCAA has set up an on-campus visit to Georgia. Meanwhile the Florida Gators are also dealing with accusations that former player Maurkice Pouncey took $100,000 from an agent last December. Coach Urban Meyer's ridiculous response? Pouncey told him that he did not take the money and Pouncey never lied to him before. So until these coaches stop acting like Pete Carroll I will not feel sorry for them if they lose wins and scholarships, etc. Sure the agents can be sleazy and the NFL does not really care about the NCAA, but take care of what you are responsible for before pointing fingers.