NCAA does it again

Mike Williams, a former All-American wide receiver for USC, is now just a former wide receiver for USC.

The NCAA denied the player's appeal to be reinstated in college ball and once again suit up for the reigning National Champion Trojans.

Well, congratulations to the NCAA committee who voted on this, you screwed up again.

Again and again and again.

We actually have here a student athlete, a star, who did the right thing, and we punish him anyway.

For those of you who don't know, Williams planned to follow Maurice Clarett to the NFL after last season.

However, when a court of appeals ruled against granting professional eligibility to college football players after two years, Williams found himself to be the best football player in the country without a team, with Clarett being a close second.

On top of that decision, it has been announced that Williams cannot return to USC because he engaged in a relationship with a professional sports agent when it looked probable that 2004 would be his rookie season in the NFL.

As a result of these court rulings, Williams finds himself with a lot of free times this fall, while Clarett is now doing nothing as far as I know.

I have not heard a journalist agree with the NCAA's ruling, and I'm not going to be the devil's advocate here.

The NCAA is plain wrong.

Williams gave back all of the money given to him through an agent agreement, and even worked hard this summer taking classes in order to remain eligible.

What else does the kid have to do to be allowed a chance to play football?

It's just ludicrous.

Instead of piling on more bowl games, and making the BCS even more confusing than a QB Rating, the NCAA finally had an opportunity to do something popular, and more importantly, something right.

But they didn't, of course.

Instead of finally praising a star athlete for doing something honorable, they penalize him for trying to leave the NCAA.

I don't blame all these guys for wanting out if this is the way they're treated.

No NFL, no NCAA... so what will they do next?

I don't know, but I have a flag football team who could sure use a couple of amateur stars like these guys.

I wonder if either of them have Marcus Vick's cell phone number.