COLUMN: Crying out for a coach

From Mike Liskey's, "The Road Less Traveled," Fall '96 From Mike Liskey's, "The Road Less Traveled," Fall '96Corruption is ruining college basketball -From Mike Liskey's, "The Road Less Traveled," Fall '96Corruption is ruining college basketball -and it's coming from the top. From Mike Liskey's, "The Road Less Traveled," Fall '96Corruption is ruining college basketball -and it's coming from the top. I long for the return of Coach John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach of the UCLA Bruins. Don't worry, I'm not trying to recreate the basketball dynasty at UCLA. You know, the dynasty that saw 10 National Championships in 12 years, between 1964 and 1975. In fact, it doesn't necessarily need to be Coach Wooden. It could be anybody. I just want somebody to make the sport pure again, to place the emphasis back on athletic competition. I cry out for a coach! My kingdom for a coach! A leader with integrity, values, and ethics. I know there are many programs and coaches with these characteristics, but there are still too many scandals going on for my peace of mind. Corruption in college basketball drives me crazy. My latest incident of insanity came from hearing about the University of California at Berkeley's basketball coach, Todd Bozeman. Coach Bozeman was forced to resign last month for "alleged recruiting violations." Tom Gardner, a parent of player Jelani Gardner, has also publicly accused Bozeman of promising the Gardners $15,000 a year for travel expenses. Only $15,000! That was a bargain for Cal! I believe Tom Gardner is angry because he did a poor job bargaining his son's soul away. Jelani, the 1993-94 California high school player of the year, should have been worth more money. Freshman economists, check your supply and demand curves. Coaches risking their careers and players jeopardizing their eligibility. What is this madness all about? The obvious answers are fame and fortune. Both have become more important than honor or self-respect. It is truly a sad reflection upon our society when coaches, responsible for the growth and maturity of their players, ignore rules for their own financial reward. I expect such actions from politicians and government officials, but never from coaches. Coaches think nothing of the message they are sending to society, to youths who admire them, to their players and to fans of the game. These coaches learn how to twist the rules when they are players and then perpetuate the cycle after becoming coaches. The players become mercenaries and sell their bodies to the highest bidder. Selling their bodies? Maybe they should become politicians. Before I go too far, let me make it perfectly clear that the players are just as much at fault, if not more. If it wasn't for their willing participation in unethical practices, this cancer would not be spreading from one program to another. Pampered athletes at big-name state and some private schools receive full scholarships to the university of their choice. There are no student loans, part-time jobs and Top Ramen waiting for them during their college experience. These privileges are reserved for Ivy League athletes. In the tradition of the Ivy League, college basketball needs to be returned to the amateur athlete, a rare breed who plays the game for the love of the sport. If he's lucky, he might earn a college education at the same time. Still, the student athlete is free to make choices. If he doesn't like the lifestyle or the demands of the program, he can go back to the city or the farm. Or, heaven forbid, he can become a regular student and take out loans. Yes, I said loans. If he really wants an education or a degree from a school, then he isn't too good for loans. And for the record, I mean legitimate loans, not the ones given by alumni for cars or weekends to Las Vegas. For college basketball to be purified and return to its glory, the current mentality, fed by the greed evident in professional basketball, needs to be purged from players and coaches. Severe penalties need to be put into place and used when the rules are violated. (I originally wanted death by paper clip, but a worker from Amnesty International convinced me of alternative punishments.) Players who act like professionals, accepting money and gifts, need to be banned from college basketball for life. Some players won't care because they are headed to the NBA (Natural Butt-head Association), but such sanctions would make some players think twice if they need their whole four years of college to mature into professional prospects. The universities and coaches with marquee basketball programs also need to be penalized more heavily when their athletes cheat or violate rules. (Public flogging of the dean and all coaches was also vetoed by Amnesty International.) Every time a player is caught in violation of any rule, the university should be ineligible for one year of post-season play. If three violations happen with the same coach, at the same university, the team should not be able to participate in post-season play until another coach takes over the program. For the repeat offenders, six violations during a coaching career should mean a lifetime ban from college basketball. These provisions may seem overly tough and unfair, but something has to be done so that college basketball can return to its pure form. (Amnesty International also guarantees me these solutions are more humane.) The problem is getting worse. New generations of players are starting to believe they are entitled to something or that society owes them for having talent on the basketball court. In my view, society owes them a big kick in the butt for polluting a beautiful and pure sport. Oh, John Wooden, where are you and will you come back? As for Coach Bozeman, shame on him if those "alleged recruiting violations" are true.