Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sports Ugly Wins: Do Nice Guys Really Finish Last in College Sports?
Posted by Jim Ridley on Thu, Feb 25, 2010 at 11:09 AM
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From Scene intern Mark Wheeler:
Oregon sports has hit the big time. Not with the football team's recent trip to the Rose Bowl, or their famous Nike sponsorship -- but rather with the four unsavory arrests of players in 2010, including star running back LaMichael James.
While former Vols coach "He Who Must Not Be Named" (cough Lane Kiffin cough) demonstrated in 2009 that you can have players arrested and still have a lackluster season, there does seem to be a disconcerting correlation between arrests in the program and winning percentage.
Along with two national championships at Florida, Urban Meyer has been around to hear about 27 arrests involving his program -- which is regarded as elite. A pessimist might wonder whether behavioral standards are diminishing in the recruiting process at major athletic schools, and they only consider reform when the media spotlight is shining down.
If there's a correlation between arrest records and win records, maybe this explains the eternal woes of Vanderbilt athletics. Vanderbilt hasn't had anything like the chronic problems of UT or Florida, which is commendable. But I also fail to think of a single trip beyond the Sweet 16 -- and only four trips that far in my lifetime ('88,'92,'04,'07). Significant bowl games need not be mentioned.
This year's talented squad seems poised to be seeded well out of the SEC, even ahead of Bruce Pearl's arrest laden team. Will they break through the round of 16 wall as a shining example of decorum in college sports? If they do, maybe they'll answer the question of whether it's Vanderbilt or the NCAA that needs to alter its standards in terms of recruiting.
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