The scandalous Rick Neuheisel era at the University of Washington reportedly is over. The Washington football coach was fired Tuesday morning by athletic director Barbara Hedges because he broke NCAA gambling rules by participating in a basketball tournament pool, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported on its Web site tonight. The article, citing multiple unidentified sources close to the program, reported that Huskies offensive coordinator Keith Gilbertson would be named interim coach and that the coaching staff would be retained. :dis:
IMO UW is saving their own @ss by firing Neuheisel. Neuheisel was hoping an office memo would save his job. He says the memo stated it was okay to participate in pools with people outside the athletic department. I believe the NCAA considers that a no-no as well. He should have known better, but he's a relatively young coach who shouldn't have a problem landing on his feet elsewhere next fall.
As a former college athlete, I can tell you that it is made completely known that gambling in ANY form is against the rules. Before they even ask your name, you're told not to gamble. It doesn't matter if it is $5 or $5,000, or if it is a different sport. Regardless of whether it is a dumb rule or not, it is a rule and he broke it. Jim Rome put it best when he said that you're better off doing heroin on the mound of the 7th game than you are gambling.
Would Neuheisel have been fired if he had bet $5? Hell No. OK, he broke a rule. Is firing him a just punishment under the circumstances? Hell No. When I was in college a group of friends had a regular poker game every week. No high stakes but you could usually win or lose up to $100. A couple of the guys who played regularly were athletes at the time. If you have followed LSU sports for the last 20 or so years you would recognize their names if I were to say them. It never occured to me that they could get in any trouble if it had become known that they played in a small time poker game. I doubt it it occured to them either that they might be breaking some NCAA rule. Several years ago I was in a bar and became aquainted with a guy who was LSU's starting quarterback at the time along with a couple of his teammates who were with him. We ended up playing Liar's Poker - a game where everybody holds up a dollar bill and bets according to the serial numbers on the bill and the winner gets the other players dollar. I lost $20. The QB won about $50. Should the NCAA have investigated and revoked all the players scholarships? Hell No. Sure, the NCAA needs to enforce rules against gambling on college sports but they should be realistic about drawing the line about what is gambling that is detrimental to the game and what is simply an innocent pastime. Unless there is a lot more substance to what Neuheisel did than has come out HE DID NOT DESERVE TO BE FIRED!
I believe Neuheisel knew gambling is a no-no. Neuheisel has had problems everywhere he's been. This isn't a shock..
But that stuff was not betting on NCAA sports which is what they are saying is the rule that he broke. If true he would be more in violation of NCAA policies than Price at Alabama. They either need to change the policy or fire him. WHy have the policy if you are not going to enforce it.
When you make millions a year. 5000 is like 20. Now another ex head coach can go and be assist. at Miss. State.
<< But that stuff was not betting on NCAA sports which is what they are saying is the rule that he broke. If true he would be more in violation of NCAA policies than Price at Alabama. They either need to change the policy or fire him. WHy have the policy if you are not going to enforce it. >> Agreed
I wrote this last week in another thread: I think the Neuheisel issue is a bit ridiculous. I understand the NCAA's position about gambling, but I also believe they want to have it both ways. Office pools for the NCAA basketball tournament are commonplace, and the NCAA knows this. They do not attempt to stop it, nor could they. In fact, they profit from such pools as fan interest and, as a result, television viewership is increased due to such pools -- due to "gambling." Now, Neuheisel did not just put down $5 on an office pool, but $5000 to a guy making over $1,000,000 per year is about the same as $20 to a guy making $50,000. Like Jordan and his gambling amounts, he lives in a different world than most. He did not bet on an individual game; he did not bet on or against his school; he did not bet on football; he did not bet on or against his football team. He merely did what thousands -- probably millions -- of people do each year. If the NCAA believes he should be fired, Myles Brand and company should look a little closer at themselves. Unless the NCAA is willing to admit to the benefits it receives from gambling on college sports, Neuheisel should remain in his position.
