Strong Pharisee vibes emanating from the NCAA

This is the Deep South. The Bible Belt. Everyone knows about the Pharisees, right?

The holier-than-thou, legalistic, do-gooders talked about in the Bible who, when it came to obeying law, were all about crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i.’ Unfortunately, they were clueless when it came to the spirit of the law.

The law said to rest on the Sabbath. So, in their eyes, the healing a person stricken with a debilitating ailment on the Sabbath is sinful. That’s not resting on the Sabbath. Jesus hammered them for thinking like that.

Maybe it’s past time for the NCAA to receive some hammering. The organization may not be run by self-acclaimed Pharisees, but Pharisee-type thinking seems to be becoming more and more prevalent within its brain-trust.

The story regarding Julio Jones and Mark Ingram and their offseason fishing trip has been circulating for some time now. Apparently, the two Alabama football players went on a fishing trip with a mutual friend of theirs – Curtis Anderson, a 55-year-old man from Athens.

Anderson reportedly paid for the fishing trip. But Jones and Ingram weren’t just guests on the trip. They were Good Samaritans, too. Anderson apparently is in such bad physical condition that he can hardly move, and it was Jones and Ingram who helped him get around on the trip. According to Anderson, he was friends with the two even before they became well-known Crimson Tide standouts.

The bottom line to the story is that there is now the question of whether or not Jones and Ingram received improper benefits in the eyes of the NCAA since they didn’t pay their way. At least that’s what Alabama compliance officials are worried about. That’s why they conducted an investigation into the matter and reportedly submitted a report to the SEC office, which will, in turn, share the information with the NCAA.

Alabama officials have asked that Anderson halt all contact with Jones and Ingram.

No, all the details of the story haven’t been revealed. And no, the NCAA hasn’t pronounced any judgments. But the fact that this type of story has created so much angst among Alabama fans in recent months leads me to believe that there’s just a little bit too much Phariseeism flowing through college football these days.

Again, maybe there’s more to this story that’s yet to be revealed, but, regardless, when good people do good-hearted deeds and then have to fear punishment from the NCAA – you know, that organization that champions well-rounded student-athletes being positive role models in their community—something’s wrong.

Heck, I’m still surprised I didn’t earn the Arkansas football program seven years of probation, the vacation of all its wins in 1998 and 1999 and no bowl appearances for four years.

Yes, I confess. I committed an NCAA sin.

After covering practice one day in the late 1990s, I was leaving the football complex and ran into running back Chrys Chukwuma standing outside by himself.

He didn’t have a ride. And he needed one.

I gave him one. And, no, I didn’t collect the gas money for the 45-second, out-of-my-way trip, and I didn’t collect the cost for the wear-and-tear on my car.
Maybe the NCAA will stone me later.

Visit CrimsonConfidential, Your Inside Source for all the Latest on Crimson Tide Athletics