Last Friday evening I listened to Charles Barkley discussing this issue on the “Ryen Russillo Show” (ESPN radio host). And if you know anything about Charles Barkley you know he doesn’t care if you agree or disagree with him. If asked a question he’s going to to 1) speak his mind and 2) “Keep it real.”

According to Charles, this whole sham has been going on for at least the past “25..30 years.” He’s goes further in asserting that just about “everybody’s hands are dirty,” including certain “amateur” athletes who got “taken care of” prior to going pro. Students who “capitalized on their athletic fame by receiving money or gifts of monetary value” which are clear violations.

You know. It’s very rare that I consider myself “a fan” of any sports athlete (I can count the number on one hand). I’ve been in Lebron’s corner since before he was “Lebron” but frankly, I knew back in 2003 that the “$50,000” “Hummer H2 he was cruising around town in while still a senior in High School was NOT “a gift” from his mom, as was purported. It was “a gift” to Lebron from “someone else” well before the 2003 NBA draft. I knew it at time. It bothered me at the time. But I never expressed my feelings of disgust to anyone.

Shame. On. Me.

“…perhaps the time is right to bring the longstanding practice of paying college recruits into the light and into the 21st century. Make it legal to pay these players their due, so that no one else’s career is ruined for paying under the table like everyone else has been doing for dozens of years!”

No doubt, if money is to be made, *Cheating* will continue on some level, especially at the college level, but first-things-first: The NCAA has Got-ta-Go. At this point even a blind-man can SEE that over the years, the NCAA has become utterly USELESS, as an oversight association (if not also completely Corrupt). Replace it with what? I don’t know. But IMO, the NCAA should be disbanded. Yesterday.

Also, there must be a RE-defining of what is considered “amateur sports” in America or perhaps do away with the notion altogether. Okay. I’m done.

The central theme of the piece: “The election of Donald Trump to the presidency reveals the true character of America.” – Nov. 11, 2016

I believe this FBI investigation reveals the True character of the NCAA (first and foremost) as well as other-related High profiled stakeholders involved (up to their eyeballs) in probable Criminal acts of unbridled GREED and Corruption, rooted in “LOVE of money” and having NO shame about any of it. Just bold, in your face kinds of BS going on.

“Interestingly, the NCAA scandal is nothing new. In fact, colleges have been paying recruits under the table for years. This time, they got caught.”

“EVERYONE is being paid huge salaries in NCAA basketball — except the players — who are the true stars of the show. However, the players ARE being paid — just creatively and under the table. Schools are offering to pay off a family’s mortgage, or gift a recruit with a brand new car (via a relative instead of the college), or hand them a wad of cash, just to get them to play for their basketball program.”

Yep. And I have a few thoughts on this whole scandal but I promise to try to limit my comments to no more than one or two more posts. Let me start me start with this. What we see unfolding now is just the “TIP of the iceberg.” And anybody who’s paid even the slightest bit of attention to college basketball or college football knows THAT’S the Truth.