Wooden was probably a great man but a saint he wasnt; at least during his college coaching tenure. We all have our vices and John was no different. His happened to be greed (winning) even if it meant looking the other way. Any other program and coach that mirrored what went on during the Sam Gilbert years at UCLA would be tagged with “lack of institutional control.” The titles may have been tainted but never stripped. The NCAA doesnt like to strip titles usually choosing to vacate wins i.e Memphis. No I am not a Memphis fan. The NCAA waited until Wooden retired to handle Sam and UCLA.

I do wonder what the NCAA would have done had Memphis won the title. I dont think they would have had to vacate any wins. Kansas played with Arthur who was ineligible so maybe Kansas would have been the one who had to vacate their season. Oh the hypocrisy.. One coach gets anointed the label of doing it the right way while another is labeled dirty when both are playing by the same rules. The media tells us which shade of gray is right.

As Bill Walton so pointedly said “I took a pay cut when I left UCLA”.

When coach K. retires from Duke and you write a blog lauding him please omit the phrase “doing it the right way”. Even he has had some shenanigans. I would be remiss not to mention him. He doesnt have to vacate a season of wins nor have a title stipped. Doesnt have any asterisk beside one of his titles. Apparently looking the other way and playing dumb afflicts Coach K too. I guess if so many will buy it you might as well sell it right?

Media,writers,fans,etc are all color blind when it comes to gray. We,the fans, are told who the good guys are and who are the bad guys. It is abundantly clear one person’s moral compass may not point in the same direction as another’s as far as right and wrong conduct and belief are concerned.

Neil,I just thought I would at least mention beyond hinting that Mr Wooden had help that he shouldnt have had.