Louisville Is Described As 'One Of The Dirtiest Programs In The History Of College Basketball' Under Rick Pitino

[Yahoo] – Haney was even more direct, mocking the entire concept that the Cardinals could be an aggrieved party, labeling it, “One of the most non-compliant and dirtiest basketball programs in the history of the NCAA.”

Both say they want to use the trial to force a change to the amateurism rules that prevent players to get their fair market value and turned a nothing scandal into an actual federal case. Maybe something good can come of this, they argue.

“Something needs to change,” Code said.

“This could transform college basketball,” Haney said.

Well, this is quite the statement to make while at a sentence hearing. In case you missed it three guys from the FBI investigation into college hoops were sentenced to prison from the first trial.

That’ll stop paying players! That’ll show everyone!

Now, while it’s still incredibly stupid that this is a crime and the fact that people are going to jail for paying players/families to play college basketball, we’re getting some gold from a content standpoint.

The DIRTIEST program in college hoops. Think about that statement for a second. Through all the scandals. Through Baylor’s coach covering up a GODDAMN MURDER. Through all of it, Louisville is called the dirtiest program for strippers and trying to get players to play there by paying players.

What I do like from this hearing though is the quote after that from Merl Code and his agent Haney. Something does need to change and I hope this does transform college basketball. Ideally this needs to bring up what amateurism really is and hopefully have the NCAA look at its own rules instead of pointing the blame at AAU, grassroots basketball or the NBA like it did with the Rice Commission.

Again, just let these kids make money off of their name, likeness and image. Schools don’t have to pay anyone – I’m fine with that. Their payments are the scholarships and everything like that. But, let them make money off of NLI. Who cares? For everyone saying well the richest schools will get the best players – they already are doing that. Guess what, they are also business guys. If they make a bad investment, they aren’t going to make that major investment again. That has to happen soon.

Otherwise we’ll be dealing with ‘dirty’ programs forever.