One cannot accuse UK fan of being gracious in defeat, nor humble in victory.
But that is not why I dust off the old profile and jump into the fray. It's time to give my take on what I feel sets the record straight on what some down my way refer to as "the great unpleasantness".
If my exact recollection is muddled or inaccurate I apologize, but then again I am just a slack jawed 'board monkey' same as each and every one of you. I will try to show brevity.
First off the never ending saga of the UNC investigation stems from a football player named Marvin Austin (who may or may not still be in the NFL) tweeting out during a party about how they were getting the 'tenant rate' on Cristal or some other sort of inebriate while at a party sponsored by some agent down in South Beach. As Brent Musburger said a few weeks later during the 2010 kickoff classic against LSU, Marvin was 'the poster child for why one should not tweet while drinking'. History shows the football program did take the hit for what transpired, got a three year sentence which included loss of scholarships and a one year postseason ban, Butch Davis got shown the door, then AD Dickie Baddour retired in disgrace, etc. Now during the course of the investigation the AFAM program scheme was uncovered, and yes it was a scheme much in line with the 'rocks for jocks' and other such courses which have been offered everywhere since time and memorial.
Some of you want to suggest Dean Smith concocted this little flim flam, not true. This was the brainchild of some lady in the academic arm of the athletic department whom took losses worse than y'all, a real curl up in bed and pull up the sheets after a loss kinda gal. And the numbers showed that in the close to two decade period this was in place that THOUSANDS took advantage of the offerings, athletes and non athletes, from revenue and non revenue programs. To steal a line from the end of Goodfellas, everyone had their hand out, and now it's all over.
Over time this situation/scandal has been the gift that keeps on giving for the media, particularly for outlets such as the Raleigh News and Observer as the fourth estate has always held a little bit of disregard for (in the words of Charles Kuralt) the 'university of the people' as access to the athletic program has always been akin to access to the Kremlin during the height of the USSR. Couple that with what I always have recognized as a holier than thou attitude from the southern part of heaven and you have a perfect storm.
Yet all of this could be long in the rear view mirror, anywhere else it would be. The NCAA had basically had their fill, but Carolina to their credit, or discredit (depending upon your point of view) continues to fight this battle. The NCAA of course will be more than happy to oblige, though it will be many a year if ever that the page will be turned.
In the end I do not think they do so to weasel out, or to protect Dean's legacy or whatnot, but because it is time for the whole order to fall. By that I mean it is time for the cabal of indentured servitude that is the college sports model to end. Well maybe not end because it is too ingrained into our society, too big to fail, too big to just go the way of the dinosaur because ain't nobody going to put the money and passion into another system. No where in the world is their a system like this in place where the university is the incubator for the replenishing of manpower for professional sport. At least your man Cal truly understands what in the end the real score is, as Adolph Rupp and Joe B. Hall did as well. And I think in your hearts that you know what the score really is, and really has always been. Our man Roy perhaps is still living a fantasy about the 'Carolina Way', and many of the Tar Heel nation also allow themselves to be delluded. Then again many benefit emotionally and intellectually from the system because as the commercials say, most will be turning pro in something other than their sport. But then again millions of us are not tuning into major media outlets to watch eggheads balance textbooks upon their heads.