If anyone really cares, the Big 33 game will be played against Ohio for at least one more year. There had been talk of changing the opponent back to Maryland, but that doesn’t appear to be the case any longer.
Everyone has their favorite theory as to why athletes get in trouble or screw-up. This despite mandatory preparatory seminars from the pro leagues for rookies and compliance classes in college. Pitt has an interesting and probably quite valuable speaker talk to its football players.
When Dave Wannstedt was looking for a multi-purpose speaker for Pitt’s football players this spring to augment the school’s compliance programs, he went with Ralph Cindrich. A former Pitt and NFL player, a current agent, Cindrich has perspective across the spectrum.
Whether he’s talking with college players, or giving advice to his clients, Cindrich knows the message is not always taken to heart.
“Lots of times,” he said.
Cindrich also believes the explosion of media coverage has led to more reportage on the foibles and legal missteps of young athletes. Here he sounds like Penn State’s Paterno, who in the past has expressed nostalgia for the days when, if a Penn State player ran afoul of the law, “I would go down (to the police station) and take him home. Then I would kick him in the rear and run him until his tongue dragged.”
But Cindrich sees the proliferation of legal problems for athletes as more than a case of additional media messengers.
“It’s the age we live in and the scrutiny athletes are under, along with the fact that a lot of these individuals are different than old-school players,” he said.
Wannstedt also sees more than one explanation.
“I would agree everything is magnified because the sports networks have grown and talk radio and the Internet,” he said. “I also think there are more guys leaving early.”
To some degree, I happen to think (hey, I said everyone has their own theory) there isn’t that much difference between then and now except we find out about a lot more than it used to be. There was a lot more opportunity, ability and chances to keep things quiet or covered-up.
Personally, I’m glad that it’s not so easily shoved aside. Not just for the comedy value, but because when a program or organization starts covering things up it’s hard to stop when the big stuff hits. The impulse is to still think you can still hide it, that it isn’t so bad. Then everything comes out. Think Colorado football for the last few years as an example.
