Oklahoma State Scandal - Why Should I Care?

Why should I care indeed? This story could be written about any school in the country. Just so happened Oklahoma State caught the glare for some reason.

In the post-Penn State era, these scandals seem almost ho-hum and very low on my radar. Paying players vs. a school covering up pedophilia. Abusing drugs vs. administrators turning a blind eye to child abuse when told about it. What really matters in the grand scheme? Low-level incidents or true institutional failure and criminal behavior.

Nothing will compare to Penn State obviously but my point is that guys taking money and having folks pass their classes is nothing new. Where's the shock in that? Where's the newsworthiness in reporting something that happens seemingly every year? Are reporters playing Catch a Criminal or are we actually trying to change a system in the process. 

It's like police officers catching weed sellers and low-level guys while the bigger empire just replaces them with other folks. I’m not shocked by these things anymore. It's all a byproduct of a crooked empire where winning is always prevalent and more money is at stake, coaches, AD’s and boosters will do whatever it takes to win.

A Word on the Auburn Scandal: We're Focusing on the Wrong Things

Mike McNeil, 26, and Gene Chizki at an Auburn practice in 2009.

After reading Selena Roberts' piece on what may or may not have transpired at Auburn in 2010 and 2011, I think the reaction from most people have been misguided. Most of the focus I've seen has been on violations on whether or not players' grades were changed or if guys were paid.

When I read and re-read this story, my concern was for Mike McNeil and if his civil rights had been violated during his arrest for an alleged robbery and if Auburn had left him and his family out to dry considering the questionable evidence against him.

According to Roberts' piece, McNeil - whose trial starts on April 8 - was not read his Miranda rights and has pleaded innocent to all charges of armed robbery. The five witnesses who testified to being robbed have given conflicting stories on how many were involved. Yet for 14 hours, McNeil and four others were held in a holding cell or spoke to authorities while they were told their coaches would arrive for them.

It appears also that McNeil's car was used in the robbery. Three of the men - Dakota Mosley, Shaun Kitchens and Antonio Goodwin - confessed to their role and Goodwin was sentenced to 15 years. McNeil might have been a victim of poor judgment and being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Those are facts. Now here are my concerns.