Wow.
That is my reaction after this year of sports.

Whether it was the bounties of New Orleans, the Ryan Braun scandal or the death of Joe Paterno, this year has proved to be one of the most controversial, and heartbreaking in recent memory.
The Slate sports writers really nailed it on the head when it comes down to the biggest sports memories from this semester.

The Ryan Braun scandal — huge.

The Ozzie Guillen controversy — not surprising.
The extreme violence in the NHL — needs to be addressed.
The death and scandal surrounding late Joe Paterno — heart wrenching.

All of these stories greatly impacted not only the sports world, but the Shippensburg community.
However, one of the biggest stories to shake the collegiate world and that has a huge impact on SU revolves around Bobby Petrino.

Nick and I debated this topic in last week’s Hot Corner, but the problem does not reside in just Petrino. Petrino is at the tip of the iceberg. An iceberg that not only involves scandal in the NCAA, but also a lack of judgement, a lack of caring and a lack of discipline.

College athletes, now more than ever, are being regarded as athletes instead of students. Gone are the days in which students were privileged to play a sport. Now, students are being recruited out of high school to make universities money.

The worst example of this occurs in college basketball. Recently the starting five at the University of Kentucky declared for the NBA draft after their freshman years. How in the world can these athletes be ready for the real world? A Classic example is Allen Iverson. Iverson attended Georgetown University. Do you really think that Iverson was smart enough to get into this school? No way. He was recruited to revive a downed program and to generate revenue for the school.

Transition to the NBA where he becomes a star, and makes over $100 million in salaries. Now, he is broke.

These college athletes are being taught to want money, fame and fortune. Gone are the role models that graced the sidelines that not only encouraged good sports teams, but good classmates, and good scholarly efforts. The whole fiasco surrounding Bobby Petrino puts a blemish on college coaches and the college game.

Who can be trusted?

It cannot be the coaches. Let the athletes do their one-and-done years. Let them get drafted. For those who make it, good for them. However, for the majority, a long road of debt and regret will ensue.

Athletes need to be students first so that they can excel in something other than sports.

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