Gary V. Powell, Author

As things unravel at Indiana University, it becomes increasingly clear that Kelvin Sampson was lynched by a mob--the same mob that hired him in combination with the mob of Bobby Knight fans that didn't want him in the first place and gathered like sharks in the water at the first hint of blood.

I never believed Sampson was a saint. My point was that he was no worse than anyone else and probably the best IU could have gotten in the wake of the Bobby Knight and Mike Davis disgrace. 

Let's face it, the idea that NCAA basketball is an amateur sport played by student athletes is a myth. NCAA basketball at schools like IU is nothing more than a farm sport for the NBA--we need to let go of the myth of student-athletes and amateurism.

And lets face this, IU's position that they've never been sanctioned by the NCAA since 1960 is the height of hypocrisy and unwarranted self righteousness. The Administration and most of the fans put up with the tyranny of Bobby Knight for years because he won, nothwithstanding that he was a bore, a violent bully, and an embarassment to anyone from IU with half a brain. He should have been sanctioned by both the university and the NCAA long before he was fired.

Kelvin Sampson was charged with participating in 10 illicit three way calls, none of which he initiated. IU's initial investigation indicated that Sampson erred, but did not lie in connection with his role in the calls. The University assessed penalties against Sampson and the team, but allowed Sampson to ccontinue to coach. Then,  when the NCAA (via dismissed IU President Miiles Brand) alleged major violations against Sampson and Bobby Knight Nation got a scent of blood in the water, the Administration buckled. They unloaded Sampson, without even the semblance of due process, for Christ's Sake,  in order to avoid charges of lack of institutional supervision and the potential of NCAA sanctions. The Administration bailed on Sampson and to save their own sorry asses and to satisfy the wishes of Bobby Knight Nation.

Worst of all, the Administration deserted a decent group of eighteen and nineteen year old kids, leaving them without a coach near the end of the season.

Now, the Administration and Bobby Knight Nation would have us believe that Sampson was letting things go to hell in a handbasket with his program and deserved to be fired for that, even assuming the charges about the phone calls are untrue. The Administration and Bobby Knight Nation apparaently think it's all right to kick noneteen year-old kids off the team on trumped up charges of insubordination to an interim coach the university never intended to keep. The Adiministration and Bobby Knight Nation apparently think it's just fine to crucify  Sampson (again without a hearing) and his players because the players were allegedly missing classes and partying it up.

Give me a break. Athletes always skip classes and party it up--they did when I was an athlete at IU and I'm sure they do it now. They did it under Bobby Knight, too. Discreetly. They do it at  every other University. To bring this up now as justification for firing Sampson, when it was never raised prior to his firing, is the height of unfairness.

I don't expect any coach to monitor everything his players do. I don't expect any coach's program to be spotless. It's the nature of the competitiveness of the game and the intensity of the coaches that lead to violations--again, why should we kid ourselves that NCAA basketball is anything but semi-pro.  

But I do expect my coach to be humble in victory and complimentary  in defeat. I expect him to honor his players and get the best out of them as people and athletes, despite their character flaws and limitations. I expect him to represent the University with honor.

Kelvin Sampson did all of this, plus he won.

The Administration failed to supervise Sampson and looked the other way until the NCAA violated the man and Bobby Knight Nation rose up.

Here's what I want. I want Rick Greenspan and President McRobbie to resign over this mess. The Foundation won't get another nickle of my money until they do.

God Bless Rick Crean. He'll earn every penny of his big paycheck.