While I write about sports and business, I don't often write about friends embroiled in scandal. Obviously, I couldn't overlook Bruce Pearl's situation without comment. Here's my October Basketball Times column on Bruce Pearl and the state of college sports...
These days, you can’t tell the good guys from the bad
Marc Isenberg
October 2010
Everyone knows cheating is wrong, in all areas of life. As the college sports world and the media continue to grapple with this “agent problem,” we should remember: the problem is far more pervasive than agents. This is a college sports problem. Agents play a key role, no doubt. But, there are many characters in this bad play. There are coaches, trainers, athletic administrators, financial advisors and people whose motives aren’t so clearly defined. Ultimately, everybody wants to make a buck. A million. Or a billion. It’s the American way.
People should abide by the rules, whether they play, work for or are associated with NCAA sports. Violators should be caught. End of story. We’d all love to eradicate or even lessen cheating in college sports. But how?