Extreme makeover. The only way to clean up recruiting? Overhaul the system. (O Tempores, O Mores)

In any interview with a star college athlete, the following question is asked by the reporter: "So, how did you wind up at [fill in powerhouse college name here]?" The answers fall into a narrow range of reasons.

A) "I knew the team's [quarterback/point guard/cover corner] was leaving, so there was an opportunity for playing time."

I'm not sure why the whole CU sex/rape/bunghole coach scandal has my morally self-righteous panties in a twist. I rot for UCLA, they do corrupt and stupid things as well, and I haven't even noticed them winning too much lately.

Should I blame these recruits for shacking up with the whores and snorting the fine cocaine of their a**es, maybe not. I'm sure that I were 17 years old and able to accurately throw a football 80 yards, I'd be in the gutter snorting also.

I think the aspect of this whole squalid barforama that has me royally cheesed off is that

a) The coach aided, abetted and supported an atmosphere where 'Oh well, rape happens'.

b) The university is at least publically posturing that it would welcome Barnett's continued services, if no proof of wrong doing is produced. What ever happened to Caesar and his wife maintaining an ethical standard that was above suspicion.

c) The alums, some of whom have cute, infinitely rapeable daughters themselves, are practicing a hideous, studied ignorance to the whole disaster. "Gee, can't the AD hire a better PR firm?"

Oh well, it's no big deal. I'll go back to minding my own affairs. Everyone does it, and these crazy sl*** are just making it up. Besides, you never know what you'll get if you drag $100 through a trailer park.

The best way to clean up recruiting? Get these gorillas off college campuses!

Somebody explain the connection between a college -- a place of learning and academic achievment -- and football -- a meaningless athletic endeavor?

Set up a "farm league" like baseball has and use THAT for the feeder tier to the pros. After all, that's all college football is anyway. That and a money machine for the regents.

Decouple the success of a university's athletic teams from its academic prowess. Let each earn its own success or failure. Doing so removes the pressure for colleges to field a winning xxxx-ball team to prop up sagging academics.

Colleges should not be sports franchises.

I attended and was close to small college football programs that intentionally scheduled early-season games against powerhouse programs.

These games were on-the-road at the powerhouse home-field, and the small school was guarranteed a bunch of $$$$ for the game appearance.

For some programs, these lop-sided road games helped balance the Athletic budget for the year. The large powerhouse got a full stadium for what was a scrimmage.

Money is definitely involved. Anything goes.

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