A Grip on Sports: The law of unintended consequences will be in play after NCAA rules on fall eligibilty

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Good morning. It’s Saturday. After what’s gone on in 2020, everyone should have another year of eligibility, as far as I’m concerned. We’ve earned it.

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• Wouldn’t it be great if Father Time granted us all our year back? Instead of growing older, grayer, fatter, we got a do-over on 2020? Have a year added on to the end of our life?

It only seems fair. But life isn’t fair, is it? Especially not to those almost 800,000 folks around the world who have lost their lives to COVID-19. Their time ran out, which makes our piddling problems pale in comparison. Yet, here we are, arguing day after day about whether it’s right to be playing sports.

It’s understandable. Sports serve as an escape from the woes of the world. They fill our days and nights, allowing us to concentrate on something other than ourselves for a while. They are communal and calming, entertaining and engaging. But when those woes engulf our escape route, where do we turn?

And when we see those who provide us such an escape treated poorly, we want to help. To make their lives easier in a way of thanks for doing the same for us.

When the NCAA basketball tournament was canceled last year due to the burgeoning pandemic – the case numbers then were nowhere near what they are now, though deaths were more common – we lamented the loss not just for us, but mainly for the players. They missed out on an experience that can never be made whole.

“Give them the year back” became a rallying cry. The powers that be running the NCAA looked at it, saw a host of problems and said no way. They decided to give those who played spring sports another year, as their sports never got started. But winter sports athletes, who had played most if not all of their season, nope. Too much money. Too many difficulties. Too little return.

It was the right choice, though most (including me) didn’t recognize it then. A decision to grant another year to everyone would have reverberated for a decade.

Now we are in August. Football looms, dominating the landscape. The 500-pound guerilla. And the NCAA is forced to make another decision. Yesterday, the Board of Governors looked into the maw of that guerilla and backed down.

Anyone associated with fall sports can play whatever schedule is available this season and not lose any eligibility. The year will not count against the five-year clock, in which athletes have to use their allotted four years. It’s a freebie.

In other words, if the SEC, Big 12 and ACC goes through with their plans to play football the fall, pull it off, none of the games count toward the players’ eligibility clocks.

Next year there will be, essential two freshman classes at every university. If scholarship limits aren’t changed (and there are no plans to do that right now), there will be hundreds of players around the nation with eligibility available, trying to squeeze onto a roster overflowing with applicants. Some will be squeezed right out the door from a school they have attended for a year or more. They will be looking for some place to play and finish their education.

No matter what, there will be a host of monetary issues that come from this decision, especially if scholarship limits are expanded. It would be more kindling to throw on a financial fire that is already consuming many athletic departments.

Which means it would be a fine time to exam the excesses of college athletics, especially as it relates to coaching salaries. Ya, sure. We all know that’s more of a long shot than the Cougars winning the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2021.

Last spring, the NCAA looked at the same eligibility issue, realized it wouldn’t work and said no. People howled. Yesterday the NCAA said yes. People cheered. But by not expanding scholarship limits, it put the onus on the schools. And there will be hell to pay down the road for football, volleyball and other fall sports as schools try to squeeze hundreds of players into dozens of spots.

Remember the story “The Monkey’s Paw?” The three wishes. And the unintended consequences? When it comes to trying to fix what the coronavirus has broken in 2020 college athletics, it’s almost as if we are living within that fictional world.

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WSU: If you are really wondering why it would have been difficult to have sports at Washington State right now, this Maggie Quinlan story might just explain it. … Around the Pac-12 and college sports, did the conference do the right thing in postponing the football season? One Oregon State player feels it did. … A Colorado player is happy to be back playing the position he loves. … UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s game is still evolving. … Arizona quarterback Grant Gunnell really impressed one person in his three college starts. … In basketball news, the lack of competition may help some players catch up in the classroom.

Gonzaga: Former GU standout Zach Collins is done for the season. He will have surgery on his injured ankle. Jim Meehan has more in this story. … Remember when Brandon Williams was the one that got away from the Zags? He’s still struggling to get back on the court for Arizona (or anyone).

Idaho: Benson Mayowa is back with the Seahawks. The former Vandal star is happy to be there.

Preps: Many states putting have put sports on pause, so non-high school events are filling the void. And some people are making money off the kids’ desire to play.

Mariners: The M’s broke out in a big way in the first inning last night, then held on for a 7-4 win over the visiting Texas Rangers. … The M’s made some roster moves. … If the Mariners make the trade listed here, I know of at least one Gonzaga fan who would be ticked.

Seahawks: Quinton Dunbar met with the media yesterday and if you guessed most of the questions were about the incident at the offseason party that got him into hot water, you would be correct. He never really explained what happened. … Chris Carson is not in camp but it’s not injury related. … Gov. Jay Inslee feels we need to get kids back into schools before we can talk about having fans at Seahawk games. … Phillip Dorsett hopes his speed is just one thing people will talk about.

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• I want to give you an early heads-up. In news I’m sure many of you can relate, Kim will be on furlough next week from her job. That means we’re spending time together. Which is a good thing, believe me (for me, if maybe not her). Anyhow, I may take a few days as well in the middle of the week. I’ll make sure I keep you informed. Until later …