If X.......

[XUGRAD80]

Just spent a week in the mountains of NC with some family and friends. The friends were fans of other teams, but all are serious college basketball fans and we spent a lot of time talking about the current pay scandal, the NC academic scandal, and college sports in general. The question that came up was this.....

IF the school you are a fan of (in our case XU) is implicated in the current scandal, or in future scandals, that show your school (X) to be serious cheaters or a sham of an academic institution.....How would that effect your support and fandom for the school? (X)


It was pretty consistent among us that we would stop all support and refuse to buy any tickets until all that were involved, from the administration down to the players, were removed and replaced.

What say you?

[sirthought]

I think that is a bit much to ask.

Everyone of these people are a product of the environment they are having to live in.

Some coaches may be complicit, but there are external pressures breaking them down well beyond the perceived payout. The AAU guys, shoe guys, agents...they are all telling them they can make it work and be more successful. That gets to a person. It's likely not every coach in a programs participated. I think head coaches should likely be let go, but unless it's proven an assistant was involved, why make them look even more guilty?

Admin folks really don't have (or take) the time to know the ins and outs of how these coaches are working behind the scenes. An AD *might* track every assistant, but people above that...never. And this money wasn't coming from the school directly. There is a compliance person, but even if they have suspicions they don't want to shine a bad light on their employer without real evidence and knowing they won't get burned. They probably hope that if one player got on the team via payouts, that the next players will want to come to school without that enticement. You can't fire a school president who might otherwise be doing good things for the school and community, unless there is proof they had knowledge of the whole thing.

Players are just taking life as it comes at them. I don't blame them if someone says they want to help their family. You could give them the boot, but if they haven't committed a crime (even if the others have) then are we really no longer committed to trying to educate this person?

[XMuskieFTW]

I think I'd be 100% fine in remaining a fan if we were caught paying players. I find the Dez Wells railroading much more egregious than paying players(who should be paid anyways) would be, and my fandom made it through that.

[Blue Blooded-05]

The word “fan” is short for “fanatic” which is defined by Google dictionary as “a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal.”

A rival team gets busted: Cue the outrage “... they’re sleazebags...”

My team gets busted: Cue the excuses “... they’re just doing what they had to do to compete against everyone else doing it...”

This would probably hold true for me. I cannot say whether I am proud or ashamed of that fact.

[GoMuskies]

I'd want us to clean house. Gladdenguy would demand Fr. Graham's ouster. So that wouldn't change.

[paulxu]

With a lot of (and hopefully not misplaced) confidence in Sister Rose and Chris Mack, I'm just hoping Sean and Book's two years here don't somehow come back to leave a stain on our program.

[GetUp5]

Not to make us sound all high and mighty, but it'd definitely catch me off guard because we're Xavier. We're the school that was the little engine that could for all these years. We did things the right way, we developed players, we established a winning culture and we grew this thing from the MCC to the A10 to the Big East. From Schmidt to the Gardens to Cintas. Xavier's basketball history is blue collar and built on a tradition of guys doing things the right way. So, it'd definitely be disappointing because we're not a state school that has fans come and go. It really does feel like somewhat of a family. I think more than anything, I'd feel kind of stupid for believing in all this "tradition" and "doing things the right way" talk.

That being said, the culture in CBB is getting out of control. Has been for awhile. It gets really hard for schools like Xavier to compete when the blue bloods, on top of their pedigree and unlimited resources, are paying players and their handlers.

I'd definitely be conflicted. I wouldn't STOP being a fan, but I'd want a damn good explanation and would want heads to roll.

[gladdenguy]

I would much rather pay players then have another Dez Wells situation.


Now, if I was a Louisville basketball fan, I might be done with my team. Hookers, hiring and keeping a scumbag of a coach for that long, AND paying players while on probation.......that could do it. However, the Kentucky fans who try to bash Louisville fans......just stop. That is too much.

[BandAid]

My affection for Xavier basketball goes deeper than a coach, a player on the team, or an athletic director. At this point it's the strongest link to the school that contributed to molding me into the person I am. If we were to engage in paying for players while it is against the rules, I would want the responsible parties removed from their positions. But I'll forever be a Xavier fan.

[xeus]

I'm just hoping Sean and Book's two years here don't somehow come back to leave a stain on our program.

I think you're thinking of Monte Mathis.

[Masterofreality]

I'd want us to clean house. Gladdenguy would demand Fr. Graham's ouster. So that wouldn't change.

So......True.

[Masterofreality]

I would much rather pay players then have another Dez Wells situation.


Now, if I was a Louisville basketball fan, I might be done with my team. Hookers, hiring and keeping a scumbag of a coach for that long, AND paying players while on probation.......that could do it. However, the Kentucky fans who try to bash Louisville fans......just stop. That is too much.

I agree 100% on all of this.

[THRILLHOUSE]

I would much rather pay the players than have the student section call themselves The Holy Land.

[xu82]

My affection for Xavier basketball goes deeper than a coach, a player on the team, or an athletic director. At this point it's the strongest link to the school that contributed to molding me into the person I am. If we were to engage in paying for players while it is against the rules, I would want the responsible parties removed from their positions. But I'll forever be a Xavier fan.

That's probably true for me too, but I can forgive!

[gladdenguy]

I would much rather pay the players than have the student section call themselves The Holy Land.

Yeah that was disappointing. I'm surprised that got past Coach Mack. Seems like something he could have nixed. Probably Graham's final decision.

[Masterofreality]

I would much rather pay the players than have the student section call themselves The Holy Land.

Seconded.

[bobandtim]

Seconded.

I think rules should be same for all NCAA basketball programs. Very tough to police compliance, but worth the effort I'm home😎

[xukeith]

I'd want us to clean house. Gladdenguy would demand Fr. Graham's ouster. So that wouldn't change.

Agree.

[xukeith]

Yeah that was disappointing. I'm surprised that got past Coach Mack. Seems like something he could have nixed. Probably Graham's final decision.

Calling it the Holy Land is so sad. I bet the average X graduate can't tell you 3 things about St. Ignatius or what a Jesuit means or any thing "Holy" about what the Catholic church teaches. It is a great school but "light" on Catholicism.
It is a great school like Marquette, Georgetown, etc. But it is keeping up with secular colleges to be just like or better than others as opposed to stand out as it's Catholic roots. All about the almighty $$. LOVE the basketball team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!