MSU Compliance Office Speaks Up
I saw this over on Adam Rittenberg's ESPN blog, and it struck me as quintessential Sparty . . .
"Michigan State's compliance director feels for her counterpart at Michigan and sheds some light on the difficulties of enforcing time limits, Joe Rexrode writes in the Lansing State Journal.
Smith and her three full-time assistants try to get out and make sure MSU's 25 sports are being operated by the rules, she said, but scattershot observations are all her department can manage.
'We just don't have the manpower,' she said. 'If a [football] coach wanders out during the summer to watch seven-on-seven [passing] drills, there's nothing I can do about it. I can't legislate someone's morality. If they want to go and cheat, they're going to do that. No amount of education is going to change that. Every institution is one booster or one athlete away from a major violation. That's how we live our life in compliance.'"
It starts off sounding like they are being understanding, but quickly turns backhanded. It seems like MSU is trying to perpetuate the "Michigan Cheats" narrative by saying that they can't even be sure that their own team isn't cheating?
Sounds about right . . .
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:07 PM ^
I think I'll take it. If it were Dantanio he would have claimed he saw Rod personally at 7 on 7's and that MSU is set for 8 straight Rose Bowls and will dominate UM in both instate recruiting and overall dickishness for decades to come.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:36 PM ^
Actually, he's taken the high road by choosing not to comment. I'll certainly take that.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:11 PM ^
(sarcasm)
Afterwards, ESPN asked a COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS source, he said, "Yeah, working hard to get better is a lot worse than serving jail time for assault, that's why I'm back and DICKROD should be fired!"
(/sarcasm)
p.s. I wish the best for any kid who wants to try and improve himself and get past a trying time in his life.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:12 PM ^
one of the interesting points in the linked article is
As for this week's hot issue of practice time, MSU's athletes are required to fill out weekly logs that are turned in to Smith. When athletes arrive on campus, they all meet with Smith to go over the rules, and she tells them they can safely come to her with any concerns. And they have, about practice. MSU has self-reported "three or four" minor violations involving excessive practice time during her tenure, all involving non-revenue sports.So when MSU practices excessively it's just minor violations but when UM does it they are major violations. Got it.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:27 PM ^
I am sure the Free Press is already working on a hard hitting piece taking this information and using it to PROVE Dantonio gets the most out of his players....so much that they have had to self-report some minor violations. What a great character and stand-up guy that Dantonio is.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:37 PM ^
The practice violations were in "non-revenue sports". Even at Michigan State, football should be bringing in revenue.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:40 PM ^
Well, if the NCAA chooses to sanction MSU gymnastics or something, so be it.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:49 PM ^
Agree with you.
My comment was more about the nature of similar violations, major v. minor, not really about MSU or MSU football. That article could have been about Northwestern for all I care.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:29 PM ^
this alleged "support." It's like a convicted child molester offering to be a reference on a job application.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:37 PM ^
Most major programs would probably prefer that Michigan not be investigated regarding the allegations in the Freep article, out of fear that their own similar practices (coming as close to the line as possible without crossing it) might come under scrutiny. This is why you even see OSU coming out in defense of Michigan. The thing about MSU is that the average Sparty fan (and apparently the MSU staff) would happily see MSU risk future investigation if there was any chance that Michigan would be investigated as well.
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:35 PM ^
The West Virigia compliance office had that quick statement right after the jihad-inspiring article came out. Since then, there have been several asides posted in the Morgantown papers about how they "watched Rodriguez like a hawk." I'd link, but they're all a bit too angry-jilted-ex-loverish for human consumption.*
The incessant point has been "our compliance officers were all over it." The same sense came out in Ohio State's and Michigan's respective responses. All detailed constant surveillance, random drop-ins all the time from a vigorous compliance staff.
Yet here's MSU's compliance officer saying she's overwhelmed? Maybe everyone else is just hyperbolizing their compliance efforts. But if they're not, then, um, doesn't this article sound like Michigan State is way behind at least two Big Ten and one Big East school in its compliance efforts?
* At least they don't have to worry about us ever stealing their journalists.