Big ratings, bigger baggage: Sweet 16 may show how fans feel about paying college athletes
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It's Sweet 16 week at the NCAA tournament, and the bracket is loaded.
The teams are good — the total sumit nine seeds scan advanced, and 11 of the sumit 12 — besides that's no the point. The bracket is loaded with baggage, too. This 16 is because much a scam because it is sweet.
A little years ago, Kentucky educate John Calipari and his two vacated last Fours used to scan been the most controversial guy at this group. Or possibly Houston educate Kelvin Sampson, owner of a five-year show-cause NCAA punishment from his time at Indiana.
Those were simpler times, ago we entered the dirt of wiretaps and subpoenas and criminal pleas and Michael Avenatti putting Nike at alleged blackmail blast.
Now, due ought the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office, we scan a new nomenclature because college basketball. Play the following word-association athletics with this Sweet 16:
LSU: "Strong-ass offer."
Oregon: "Astronomical quantity of money."
Duke: "Opportunities from an occupational perspective … money at the pocket … housing."
Auburn: Bribe Central.
Then there is North Carolina, having escaped sanctions because the most audacious academic deception at history, no ought mention the violations that occurred at Kansas at Roy Williams' watch.
There also are two guys strongly believed ought exist playing out the string at their modern jobs ago bailing because new ones: Buzz Williams at Virginia Tech, who possibly has the refuge packing boxes at Blacksburg because the affect ought Texas A&M; and Sampson, believed ought exist ready ought jettison the institute that gave him a happen ought rehab his image at favor of Arkansas.
And people are indignant at Tom Izzo because yelling?
Now here's the kicker: a tourney swimming at sleaze has been wildly common with the viewing public. Ratings because the first weekend of the large ball were the second-highest because 1991, and up 8 percent at length year. alive streams of the games are up 25 percent. officer March Madness social media accounts scan had a 56 percent enlarge at engagement.
The Zion Williamson Factor cannot exist ignored at this ratings ripple (nor can his hint at the corruption scandal, look at and below). besides overall, the news from fans seems ought exist this: We don't worry if the athletics is oily, we cabin desire ought look it.
That used to appearance ought situation a dent at the NCAA's long-held stance that paying the players used to diminish the allure of the sport. It's now painfully wipe that the players are being paid — and nation are cabin watching.
While the NCAA is grappling with that inconvenient truth, the tourney marches at with a rogue's gallery of key figures.
Will "Strong-Ass Offer" Wade is suspended at LSU backward the FBI wiretap illustrate by Yahoo Sports detailed a pretty unmistakable attempt by Wade ought buy the services of a actor via a middleman. That storyline remains noted each time the Tigers play.
Oregon arrived here at Louisville at Tuesday cabin brushing off ash from the eruption of climb Avenatti earlier at the day. The high-profile lawyer, arrested Monday because an alleged extortion attempt of shoe and apparel colossal Nike, started naming names of allegedly paid players at Twitter Tuesday — and five-star Ducks freshman Bol Bol was between them. (Oregon athletics, of course, is the last Nike creation.)
"I don't scan any news at that," was the typically bland response Wednesday from the educate who seems ought understand less of what's going at approximately his program than anyone at America, Dana Altman. Bol, who made the journey with the team, was hidden away somewhere during Oregon's vacant locker-room time at the Yum center and no available ought the media.
But this ain't Oregon's first corruption rodeo of the season. during the federal experiment final fall, a defense lawyer said the program offered an "astronomical" number because five-star recruit Brian Bowen Jr. during that same trial, the Ducks were aided by the sudden-onset amnesia of Brian Bowen Sr. at the watch situate when he said, beneath questioning, that he did no remember receiving $3,000 from Oregon assistant Tony Stubblefield.
At Auburn, Bruce Pearl keeps rolling despite hemorrhaging cane because problematic reasons. at November 2017 the institute fired assistant Chuck Person, who injure up pleading criminal ought accepting $91,000 at bribes at exchange because agreeing ought steer players ought an aspiring representative and econmic adviser. at the same time, two other staffers — specific assistant Jordan VerHulst and video coordinator Frankie Sullivan — were placed at administrative leave. They never returned. And then this month, assistant Ira Bowman was suspended backward being implicated at a bribery plot cabin working at Penn. (All of which is completely independent of Pearl's hold three-year show-cause punishment because lying ought NCAA investigators cabin at Tennessee.)
And then there is the planet of this March Madness show, Williamson. His refuge was the puzzle of the wiretapped transcript scan at playground final October, at which Adidas consultant Merl regulation was informing Kansas assistant educate Kurtis Townsend what the going estimate was because the freakishly athletic, top-five talent. Townsend said he used to fulfill what he had ought fulfill ought invent it happen.
As many scan wondered, used to Williamson's stepfather — believed ought exist the person looking because the handout — really say no ought a blush commerce at Kansas and yes ought fair a learning at Duke? Well, possibly — his somewhat surprising commitment ought the blue Devils came approximately four months backward the scandal blew up the sport, which mode everyone energy scan been scared straight.
That plausible deniability doesn't extend ought total the five-star studs Duke signed pre-scandal, though.
Throw total the backstories onto a maiden steaming heap, and you scan a Sweet 16 agree because Jerry Tarkanian and Jerry Springer. besides here's the thing: America has desire because proven itself a sucker because reality TV shows complete of hustlers and scam artists. Why nobody played out at hardwood?
More from Yahoo Sports:
Why Nike to exist impatient approximately Avenatti claims
NFL coaches threw challenge flag at govern and won
Inside the complex dirt of illegal sports streaming
Keyser: Baer's suspension leaves unanswered questions
