Who says you can’t un-bark the dog — 108 victories wiped out! And anybody who thought that the university’s voluntary decision to not engage in post-season play this year would somehow soften the NCAA’S blow down the road just got a big time reality check.

Like hyenas dismembering a downed zebra, the NCAA slashed and gnawed at the Syracuse athletics programs until even the bones got scattered all over hell.

I really think the university is in big trouble with this ruling. They will have to give back a ton of NCAA television money, just for starters, and the very public black-eye is bound to affect endowments, alumni giving, attendance, grants and research, and a host of other givens at SU. Then there’s the sports side — recruiting, ticket sales, scholarships, and an immeasurable loss of pride for students, alumni, and fans. Integrity? What’s that? Expect the late-night TV comedians to get into the act early and often, with the vaunted SU basketball program the brunt of countless jokes and finger-pointing. I can hardly wait.

For years, the cash cow of big-time SU sports paid a lot of bills there in Syracuse. Too bad the administration didn’t learn early on that CYA is rule #1 in order to keep the money coming in, and the whole student-athlete charade on-going.

What a monumental screw-up, is all I can say. And in reality, the people at the top have nobody but themselves to blame for the entire sad episode.

John Winthrop
SDA ’63
Cayucos, CA