HenryFTP

It really galls me to be defending the University of Spoiled Children, but I think Pat Haden's point is not that they would expect to get off scot-free for what his predecessor's administration did, but rather their consternation that the only penalty imposed on a player whose father committed a serious infraction was a one-day suspension. SC's pending appeal is aimed at reducing their penalty, not eliminating it entirely. Bear in mind that one of the key issues in their appeal is their argument that Bush's ineligibility should only apply to the 2005 season, not their MNC 2004 season.

Having said all that, I do agree that the NCAA dropped a house on Southern Cal because of their arrogance -- Auburn has clearly orchestrated a far more clever and polished show of constructive engagement with the NCAA, as opposed to the widely publicized reports of USC's steadfast denial of any wrongdoing. In other words, the "dumb" country cousins outsmarted the "smart" city slickers again.