[Bossy13Participant]

I was just reading an article on The Atlantic website about how college athletes should be getting paid. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/print/2011/10/the-shame-of-college-sports/8643/

A good article, that’s well worth the read. But there was one paragraph that jumped out…

"William Friday, the former North Carolina president, recalls being yanked from one Knight Commission meeting and sworn to secrecy about what might happen if a certain team made the NCAA championship basketball game. “They were going to dress and go out on the floor,” Friday told me, “but refuse to play,” in a wildcat student strike. Skeptics doubted such a diabolical plot. These were college kids—unlikely to second-guess their coaches, let alone forfeit the dream of a championship. Still, it was unnerving to contemplate what hung on the consent of a few young volunteers: several hundred million dollars in television revenue, countless livelihoods, the NCAA budget, and subsidies for sports at more than 1,000 schools. Friday’s informants exhaled when the suspect team lost before the finals."

It doesn’t mention if this was about a team from last season, but the preceeding part of the paragraph did talk about the 2011 tournament, which led me to believe that it was in fact last year that Friday was talking about. So…

1. Did I just miss this or has this rumour never really surfaced? Or did this happen a while ago, before my time and is common knowledge?

2. Does anybody think there was even the slightest chance something like that could have happened?

3. If so, what team do you think it was (assuming it was last season)? I can’t imagine any team ever throwing away a title like this but if I was forced to guess…  I can only think of one possible team – Duke. They were the defending national champions so the thrill of winning a championship had been satsified by most of the players. The notable exception being Irving but, being the odd’s on favorite to be taken first in the draft, he might have agreed considering he had a large personal reward to gain either way. People questioned why Singler went back to school? Maybe he was the mastermind behind the plan? ( again, I don’t believe that for a second, just playing devil’s advocate and trying to get Duke fans all riled up)

4. What would the fall out have been if a team refused to play the national championship game? 

[raybeasParticipant]

Kentucky (Wall, Cousins, etc) would do. Wildcat strike fits them perfectly.

[apb540Participant]

How is that something John Wall would do? The dude has a legit love for the game and does not care who he is playing against. Hell, he has been playing for free all summer long just cuz he loves playing ball.

[Bmore_DCParticipant]

Fab 5?

[the I in winParticipant]

I would love this.  the ncaa is a scam that makes millions while only giving "free tuition" to their athletes when we all know they’re doing their one required year of "JV" until they get to the pros.  College athletes are going to get paid no matter what so why not make it legal and take out the corrupt middle men.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

The Fab 5 played in two NCAA Finals, so that’s a big no.

What I will say is, I do not think this is serious, and that a team would be willing to do this. I could be wrong, but to me that sounds like a really far-fetched rumor. I truly cannot think of a team that would do this. I mean, look at all the banners at Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, North Carolina and Duke. Think those teams and their kids are going to say no to playing in the championship? Calhoun was in trouble last year, and his team still played. Calipari is going to say "No dice" to trying to win his first championship? I honestly have no idea how to even venture a guess at who would have done this.

While I completely think this would NOT happen, I will say that if it did, than their would definitely be some type of reform. Nonetheless, it seems that is what we are coming to. The biggest problem with paying NCAA players would be, of course, the regulation. Would every school pay the same amount? Would every player make the same amount? What would define how much a player makes? Not only that, but would boosters still not try to pay even more on top to keep getting the best recruits? I am for paying the players, because I think the NCAA has become incredibly hypocritical and outdated in many facets of their rules, but I truly wonder how it is going to work. Could you imagine if kids were fighting for scholarships and money? Well, might get ugly.

With all of this being said, I believe that if these players were given stipends, I would be all for it. They are making schools tons of money, and I think that it would be fair to let them reap some of the benefits while they are still in school. It would more than likely end a lot of silly debates on eligibility and would maybe allow someone like Enes Kanter to have played this past season, maybe even leading to more European prospects playing NCAA basketball. Still, I have 0 clue of the team that would have done this, and while they may have been seen as revolutionaries or freedom fighters, I am also guessing that it would have not at all looked good on the institution. Logic tells me this rumor is pretty bogus, and to think a coach would do this to his players or a player would do this to a coach seems to make little sense.

[Bmore_DCParticipant]

yea my bad i didnt read it close enough

[raybeasParticipant]

cause he didnt care one bit about the U of K. It was just a stepping stone for him. Cousins would’ve definitely, just on general principle (knucklehead). Orton would’ve. Patterson would’ve just cause he knew he was going pro anyway.

If this is true, I bet a lifetime of upthumbs that it was Kentucky that threatened it.

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