fair shake wrote:
The bigger question here is why did the NCAA allow Rupp and Co. to pay back what had been spent on him, in regard to sponsorship and other perks? The NCAA's opened up a can of worms that very well could come back to bite them in the ass. Rupp joining the Oregon project (a professional running organization at the time- dont know if it still exists) should have proved him ineligible for college competition, that would have been the case for anyone else. "MONEY TALKS AND BULLSHIT WALKS"
Note: I want to make one thing very clear here, that this is not about Rupp. Rather this is about NIKE, the NCAA, Salazar, and Rupp's parents. They all have done wrong by this gifted runner.
You have your facts mixed up.
1. "pay back what had been spent on him, in regard to sponsorship."
Rupp was never sponsored by anyone and that isn't what he had to pay back. NCAA rules, as most probably know, are somewhat complex. The Rupp's were paying for things all along, but the money they paid back was for things the NCAA ruled they should have paid for originally. Athletes can have things paid for travel wise etc. in certain circumstances.
2. "Rupp joining the Oregon project (a professional running organization at the time"
The Oregon Project was never an exclusively professional running organization.
3. "why did the NCAA allow Rupp and Co. to pay back ... The NCAA's opened up a can of worms..." "should have proved him ineligible for college competition, that would have been the case for anyone else."
Really? Are you sure that all kinds of other athletes haven't been given chances to pay back benefits (phone card useage etc.) to maintain eligibility? You're 100% wrong to state this situation is unique to Rupp.