Gambling, Gambits, Hubris and Greed
Charges stemming for the Iowa DCI's probe of gambling send Iowa State in search of a new starting quarterback, while conference realignment moves at a breakneck pace
AMES — Lamentation, according to Webster’s, is “an expression of sorrow, mourning, or regret : an act or instance of lamenting.”
Consider this column mine, now that I can set back, decompress, and reflect on an eventful and occasionally depressing week.
Where should I start? With good personal news, I guess.
I officially rejoined Cyclone Fanatic this week — and can still freelance for the esteemed Cedar Rapids Gazette. That’s a rare “win-win,” so I’m grateful for that good fortune.
But the overriding emotion I felt over the past several days is grief. It’s profoundly sad that Iowa State’s former starting quarterback Hunter Dekkers is likely done playing at the NCAA level because of charges he faces stemming from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s inquiry into gambling.
Dekkers is a tremendous talent and vehemently disputes the charges. If they hold up, however, he’ll lose all remaining NCAA eligibility. Poof. A once-promising career engulfed by ghosts of parlays past. Some call what Dekkers allegedly did (tampering with records, underage gambling for starters) “dumb.” I disagree. I was also a young man once. You can feel invincible and untouchable at that age. Some in the realm of politics and corporate board rooms (e.g. Big Hollywood vs. the actors and writers) flex that way at each and every age. That’s where greed comes into the picture, which also saddens and enrages me.
But I shall stick to sports — for now, anyway.
Hubris and greed combined comically, sadly, and ruthlessly as the Pac-12 was reduced to rubble, the Big 12 swelled to the Big 16, and the Big Ten ballooned all the way uo to the Big 18.
Colorado, then Arizona, then Arizona State and Utah jumped to the “Big 12.” USC and UCLA annunced they’d be joining the Big Ten last summer — and then, after Colorado left the Pac-12 and Arizona appeared poised to join it — the Big Ten swooped in and plucked Oregon and Washington from the so-called “Conference of Champions.” True as it was, it seems such a cruel moniker now. The Pac-12 is the “Leftover 4” largely because the league’s media rights deal took so long to materialize and once it began to take shape, no one was satisfied with it.
So the greenbath ensued. Dollar signs flashed and everyone’s eyes glazed over before rolling into the back of college football’s collective head. It’s like Homer Simpson with beer and doughnuts.
Resistance is futile. Follow the money because that’s all that matters; regional rivalries be damned. Tradition, mocked. “Amateurism.” More like “amateur hour” — but hey, lots of the lucky people are getting paid.
Hence my lamentation, which I offer humbly and as a matter of course. I got my “win-win” this week. For everything else, a gaping chasm separated the “winners” from the “losers” and there’s no turning back. After all, there’s money to be made.
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Well said ROB!