Policing the Skype machine

The NCAA hasn't exactly distinguished itself as a visionary when it comes to the rules it's enacted over the years.

College sports' governing body is decidedly more reactive than proactive, and its reactions typically unfold at a glacial pace.

That creates almost comical contradictions in today's rapidly-changing world of communications.

So let me get this straight: Coaches cannot text recruits at all, but they can hammer recruits with hundreds of e-mails or personal messages on their Facebook accounts.

Also: In-home visits are strictly limited, but a coach can videoconference with a recruit via the Internet and it's just considered a phone call.

The latter technology is brought to us by Skype, and coaches everywhere are doing it (including Clemson's Dabo Swinney). So while head coaches are barred from the road during the spring evaluation period, they can kick back in their offices and have plenty of face-to-face contact with junior hotshots from across the country.

These represent the latest loopholes in the rules that the coaches have managed to exploit, and it's hard to blame them for doing it.

It's times like these that make you wonder whether the bright bulbs at the NCAA think people still communicate by rotary phone.

But this story by ESPN.com says the NCAA appears on the verge of changing its ways.

"As we speak, we're undergoing a whole review of the current recruiting environment, and there are a lot of things on the table," said Brad Hostetter, the NCAA's director of Academic and Membership Affairs. "One of those things is how coaches are communicating with prospects."

As detailed in the priority item in agenda of the Feb. 3 and 4 meeting of the Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Issues Cabinet, the body is soliciting viewpoints and feedback to examine "communication methods and frequency, evaluations, campus visits and verbal and written offers of athletics aid." The meeting went on to direct staff members "to develop alternative recruiting models as a result of the discussion."

The goal is to sponsor legislation, potentially an overhaul of recruiting rules, at the June meeting next year. While Hostetter didn't provide a definitive answer on whether there would be a proposal to preclude videoconferencing, he used it as an example of an issue that is raising some concern among the members.

"We're really trying to take a step back during this review and look at everything that's going on in the recruiting climate," Hostetter said. "One thing that happens over time in the recruiting world is that we tend to adopt rules on a piecemeal basis to react to a particular change in technology. The cabinet is trying to take a step back and take a broad review."

The guy talks a big game, but it's hard to take the NCAA seriously when it's most recent proposal is to halt early commitments.

Do they really, with a straight face, think that prohibiting early offers will end early commitments?

Mark Bradley of the AJC has skewered UGA president Michael Adams over the years for various reasons, and justifiably so in my mind. But the columnist gives the prez props for his swift, professional handling of the Damon Evans fiasco.

Say what you will about Michael Adams – and over time we’ve all said quite a lot — but he has been tone-perfect in this time of turmoil. Had he been this presidential regarding Vince Dooley way back when, we might never have had reason to say such nasty things about this president. But that’s ancient history, and what matters more is this:

Georgia’s CEO was handed a plus-sized mess on the eve of a holiday weekend and, before business convened again Tuesday morning, he’d cleaned it up. Were Adams the head of BP instead of UGA, the Gulf Coast mightn’t be in such oily straits.

In The Charlotte Observer, Christian LeMay's father defends his son.

What did his son do? Stacy LeMay didn't want to discuss it. He did say: "It did not include drugs, weapons or any form of violence."

Under the current CMS ruling, Christian LeMay would be able to attend a CMS alternative school for those 30 days. He would not be allowed to play football for Butler until at least mid-October. Butler's season will start Aug.20. LeMay would miss more than half the season - about eight regular-season games - if the suspension stands.

However, the LeMay family will have an appeals hearing before a CMS school board panel. That likely won't occur until the end of August, Stacy LeMay said. "We're hopeful of a favorable outcome," he said. "We anticipate that."

He said his son's offense didn't deserve such a severe punishment.

"If all of us had our youthful infractions in the newspaper, how long would the article be?" LeMay said.

Eh...

It's not an unreasonable position for a father to take, given that a) he's the father, and b) his kid is still in high school.

But I'm guessing the father hasn't objected to all of his son's accolades that have been extensively covered in that paper, among other media outlets.

At Rivals.com, 10 scheme changes to watch in 2010. Lotta folks going to the 3-4.

Also at Rivals, a feature on Brad Brownell.

The Tigers already figured to have a difficult transition as they replaced first-team All-ACC forward Trevor Booker, the first senior taken in the NBA draft. Booker, who went to the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 23rd overall pick, was Clemson's first opening-round draft choice since 1994.

Now the Tigers must also adjust to a new coach and a new system.

"We have to be able to win games in the 80s and the 50s," Brownell said. "We want to be able to do both. We want to win games 85-81 and 58-55 because that's what happens oftentimes in the tournament. Good teams do that. They can adjust the tempo based on the opponent. That's what we'll try to do and that's what we need to do."

In The Post and Courier, the ACC's 20 most valuable offensive players.

And: Nick Saban ... movie star?


LW

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