News Article: Bama penalties mostly fair, but this can’t keep happening

[Ldlane]

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	Quote:	JDCrimson
	You know many professional service firms are in fact required to undergo a peer review every few years to do exactly this - find weaknesses that you are otherwise are unaware of or to provide some accountability for the really lame things you should be keeping up with - like textbook abuse. I think this would be excellent practice for the UofA and I know it would be for the firm who gets the contract. You know sorta like painting the Golden Gate bridge. But, let me state, regardless of who was responsible for this failure (I think it was Academic Affairs but may have been Compliance, you never can really know ), I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THAT THE CURRENT ESTABLISHMENT WITHIN THE AD CAN KEEP US SANCTION FREE FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS/5 YEARS WHATEVER IT IS! So we better be coming up with another plan fast. The only people I do have confidence in to approach this situation is Dr. Witt and CNS. Both are No-BS kind of people. Somehow, I think we could outsource the running of the AD out to the UA Manderson Graduate School of Business and come out with better results. I dont think there has been a commitment to "hire the best and the brighest" within our AD in the past. But on the other hand, not knowing the environment or culture within, it could be a real grind working there with enormous responsibility and stress and most staffers not making more than you or me. You are bound to miss things and let things slide from time to time. But I will say, tactically, I think we definitely have a flawed system when it comes to compliance and how we deal with the NCAA. I honestly dont think our program is any more negligent or corrupt than any other member institution. I think it is more a case of the NCAA acting like Biff and we keep acting like McFly. They keep picking on us because we keep making it so easy for them even by trying to play by their rules. Look, its kinda of like dealing with the IRS you just cant cooperate with these people - it doesnt work in your favor, NEVER, regardless of what they say. Basically, at this point, our only option is we have to weather this probationary period and the repeat violator window unscathed, meaning every program within the AD has to be monitored like some nuclear launch procedure. After that, we need to grow some and quit peeing in our pants everytime we hear the letters NCAA.

That would be the next 5 years!

[USCBAMA]

	Quote:	JDCrimson
	Basically, at this point, our only option is we have to weather this probationary period and the repeat violator window unscathed, meaning every program within the AD has to be monitored like some nuclear launch procedure. After that, we need to grow some and quit peeing in our pants everytime we hear the letters NCAA.

Agree, but if history is any indicator, the current athletic administration is not capable of pulling this off.

[bamacpa70]

In my opinion, it's not just the athletic department. What I see is a problem with the culture in the entire UA administration, from the Board of Trustees all the way down to the groundskeepers (ok, maybe not that far down). A previous poster said this garbage has been going on for 15 years. In my opinion, poor decisions have been made since the early 80's (there have been some good decisions as well, but the mistakes have been VERY costly). I don't know how many regimes that encompasses, but it's a lot. When an entity performs poorly over extended periods of time under the direction of various leaders, it points to an ingrained culture that won't allow the organization to perform up to standard.

How do you change that culture? Dynamic leadership at the top and at key positions throughout the organization. Leaders who have vision and the "it" factor, whatever "it" is, that makes people want to follow them. Leaders who are not afraid to make the tough decision and, to quote Jim Collins, "get the right people in the right seats on the bus". Is CNS that leader? Yes. Is Dr. Witt that Leader? I don't know, but I'm inclined to say yes. Is Mal Moore or Dave Hart that leader? I don't know, but I'm inclined to say no to both. Are the other key leaders (COB, HR, Training, Compliance, Academic Affairs, etc.)? I have no idea.

My gut tells me that until the culture changes, we will continue to have these problems. Just my $0.02.

[crimsonbleeder]

	Quote:	bamacpa70
	In my opinion, it's not just the athletic department. What I see is a problem with the culture in the entire UA administration, from the Board of Trustees all the way down to the groundskeepers (ok, maybe not that far down). A previous poster said this garbage has been going on for 15 years. In my opinion, poor decisions have been made since the early 80's (there have been some good decisions as well, but the mistakes have been VERY costly). I don't know how many regimes that encompasses, but it's a lot. When an entity performs poorly over extended periods of time under the direction of various leaders, it points to an ingrained culture that won't allow the organization to perform up to standard. How do you change that culture? Dynamic leadership at the top and at key positions throughout the organization. Leaders who have vision and the "it" factor, whatever "it" is, that makes people want to follow them. Leaders who are not afraid to make the tough decision and, to quote Jim Collins, "get the right people in the right seats on the bus". Is CNS that leader? Yes. Is Dr. Witt that Leader? I don't know, but I'm inclined to say yes. Is Mal Moore or Dave Hart that leader? I don't know, but I'm inclined to say no to both. Are the other key leaders (COB, HR, Training, Compliance, Academic Affairs, etc.)? I have no idea. My gut tells me that until the culture changes, we will continue to have these problems. Just my $0.02.

I tend to agree 100%, except that I have NO issues with Dr. Witt. He IS the President this University needs.

As for AD, I think it's time for Saban to hand pick the AD of his choosing, and to allow Coach Moore to be "AD-emeritus" or something...

[1BamaNita]

Well if we are going to hold Coach Moore accountable for every minute detail of a multi-million dollar athletic department, with hundreds of employees and student athletes, then why not blame Dr Witt as well, and call for his firing? After all he is responsible for what goes at the entire university, and, by this logic, should have also been aware of every detail everywhere under his purvey.

Why not Coach Saban? He's only responsible for one sport, and fewer student athletes. As much as a control freak as he is touted being, since some of this occured "on his watch" (i.e. after he was hired) shouldn't he have been aware and done something about it?

See how silly some of this sounds?

[USCBAMA]

	Quote:	1BamaNita
	Well if we are going to hold Coach Moore accountable for every minute detail of a multi-million dollar athletic department, with hundreds of employees and student athletes, then why not blame Dr Witt as well, and call for his firing? After all he is responsible for what goes at the entire university, and, by this logic, should have also been aware of every detail everywhere under his purvey. Why not Coach Saban? He's only responsible for one sport, and fewer student athletes. As much as a control freak as he is touted being, since some of this occured "on his watch" (i.e. after he was hired) shouldn't he have been aware and done something about it? See how silly some of this sounds?

Forget every minute detail, I'll settle for someone within the University holding him accountable for a decade plus of completely mismanaging the athletic department at UA. With the exception of women's gymnastics, not exactly a stellar on or off the field decade for the Tide. Why shouldn't the boss be held accountable for the poor performance of his company? I can't imagine the size of the blinders it must take to shield Bama fan's eyes from all the mishaps under Mal's watch, many of them very, very expensive mishaps.

[Alanbama27]

I was speaking with some friends of mine recently regarding this issue and his wife had what I believe the best thought on this entire mess and frankly I can't find fault anywhere in her argument.

This IS NOT an NCAA issue. Supposedly there was NO changing of money anywhere and even if there was, her argument holds water. Her argument was that this is and was a case about students (both athletes and non-athletes) stealing from the university! This was NOT an extra benefit because it occurred (and this is VITALLY important) among athletes and non-athletes, which like the Auburn "sociology" case takes it away from the jurisdiction of the NCAA! This is a simple case of students stealing from the University and it should have been and should be handled between the University and those involved! Again, this did not create an extra benefit for the athletes, it did not create a competative advantage and it involved both athletes and non-athletes! Thus, NO PENALTIES WHATSOEVER! Again, JUST LIKE AUBURN! "What's good for the goose is good for the gander"!

I agree with everyone who has said that we need to do some house cleaning, but frankly we need to simply stop SELF-REPORTING minor penalties! It's simply stupid, unfair and unjust and we need to grow a dadgum backbone and tell the NZAA to stick it as other schools have and are doing! If F(ree) S(hoes) U doesn't have to vacate wins simply because Bobby the almighty will lose his battle against Joe Pa, then we surely don't have to vacate wins in this dumbars case!

This is a NON-ISSUE and a mountain made out of a mole hill! This never should have been brought to or enforced by the NCAA and we should simply tell them to STICK IT! And before anyone says "we can't, we have to abide by their rules" that's actually NOT true! It's already been proven that if you take them on in the court system that WE will win! Yes the NCAA is a voluntary organization that we joined YEARS ago but it has become a self-feeding frenzy that now controls its members rather than its members controlling it (which is what it was founded upon). We have allowed this group of jealous morons to screw us at every turn including getting slammed for an "attempt" by a basketball coach to break the rules (remember, no rules were actually broken, the situation was found out BEFORE rules were broken and the coach in question was fired!) we self-report this and get slammed! Prior to that this organization broke its own rules and by-laws to slam us! Now, we are getting hit for WHAT? NOTHING! We will KILL this group in the court system and frankly Congress is just about fed up with them anyway! This needs to GO AWAY and so does the NCAA!

[bigmammal]

	Quote:	Ldlane
	To me "monitoring" means that you prevent the problem from happening and being directly on top of the situation to make corrections. "Self Reporting" after the 201st student has done this is not "monitoring". People in Admin positions are "responsible" for the event happening, "being in the know" and troubleshooting. Basically, in education you are accountable for the students and their behavior whether we choose to think so or not!

3 of my old retired golf buddies and I still talk on the phone almost weekly about Alabama football. We may disagree on a few things, but definitely not about what you said in your post.

We simply must "monitor" and attempt to proactively prevent future NCAA violations. None of the four of us knows of any major steps being taken in that direction yet. Maybe some of you all do. If so we would like to know what they are.

In the example you cited 201 students were directly involved. Add to that the students they loaned supplies to, friends in the know, and even bookstore employees, and a thousand or more must have known what was going on.

A small thing the University could do (and maybe they have done) is establish a publicized anonymous hotline for anyone who wants to report possible infractions. A major thing they could do is publicly state what organizational and operational changes are being made to lessen the chances of future infractions occurring.