Sports and politics reflect the politics of political deception
By Derek Joy
And the autumn winds brought a measure of fresh air.
Just like that. The NCAA ended its nearly three year stranglehold on the University of Miami with minimal sanctions.
The lost of nine football scholarships over a three year period, three basketball scholarships during that same period and a three year probationary period that followed self imposed Bowl bans for two years and a ban on the ACC Championship game last year.
All of this came as a result of former renegade booster Nevin Shapiro blowing the whistle after he was indicted for a ponzi scheme. Shapiro was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
Shapiro’s involvement with the University of Miami as an athletic booster spanned a period of more than a decade.
Ironically, former Coach Randy Shannon, advised his superiors to be careful of Shapiro. Shannon’s warnings went unheeded.
What’s worse is that Shannon as the Head Coach couldn’t fire assistant coaches who undermined the program. And Shannon’s coaching career has pretty much been relegated to football purgatory, while others have not suffered the same fate.
But then, that’s how politics seem to work, too.
Take a look at how often elected officials and bureaucrats are exposed in the media for what is so often loosely termed unethical conduct.’ Those same actions in everyday about outside of politics and government would be deemed criminal.
Punishments, if any are handed out, for such transgressions are virtually non-existent. The perpetrators are simply slapped the wrist and freed to pursue other ill gotten gains.
For instance, Miami’s District 5 Commissioner Michelle Spence Jones was twice suspended from office for two felony charges. In the end, there was much to do about nothing.
Spence Jones ultimately won an acquittal on one charge and the other charge was dropped. That was only after more than 21 months of investigations, prosecutions, media attention and mounds of hoopla amid untold public dollars wasted.
Time and time again that is the outcome. As such, deception looms large among the accused and the accusers, people are thoroughly fed up with the scandals and the scandalous incompetence.
Consequently, more and more people see the politics of justice for elected officials and bureaucrats no more than a sporting view of politics. No real consequences for the guilty.
Nothing more than a game people play to appease the public while crooks and thieves get away unpunished. Deception of the highest order perpetrated by those who violate that fiduciary responsibility of trust.
Thus, it is no wonder that the city of Miami voters are expected to yield a low voter turnout on Nov. 5. It is the obvious result of apathy born of public deception.
And when all is said and done, who will be the next culprit embattled in a scandalous report of wrongdoing? What will the outcome be?
For sure, it is something to think about when the Number 7 ranked Hurricanes journey to Tallahassee on Saturday for a battle of unbeaten against the Number 3 ranked Florida State Seminoles.
Something even more to think about is the voter turnout and the result of the Nov. 5, elections.
