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So, Mitch Barnhart, in light of yesterday's announcement from the NCAA, let me ask you this: exactly what joined from the time you hired Billy Clyde Gillispie, and refused to even interview Calipari because he had "baggage" and two years later when you hired him?  That's right, the now vacated Final Four run earned on the back of Derrick Rose, ineligible due to his having someone else take the SAT for him.  Uh, in the immortal words of Seth Myers and Amy Poehler, REALLY, NOW MITCH, REALLY!!

As to the NCAA's decision, once again we have witnessed the toothless tiger (no pun intended) that the NCAA has transformed itself into following the death penalty handed down to SMU way back in 1986.  Memphis was found to have played an ineligible player during the entire 2007-08 season, because Derrick Rose, unnamed in the NCAA report but widely identified, had someone else take the SAT for him.  Another violation was found involving the ineligible player's brother receiving improper travel benefits, i.e. he traveled with the team and stayed with the team at their hotel, all courtesy of the school, of course.  So, in the face of the worst possible type of academic scandal the best the NCAA can do is vacate a Final Four appearance and tell Memphis to give back the money?  How about missing some television, banning them from the postseason, limiting their scholarships - you know, punishments that actually damage a school?

Furthermore, how in the world does the man in charge of the program slide away untouched, just like he did at when the NCAA took away UMass' Final Four run in 1996 for playing an ineligible Marcus Camby.  Do you for one moment believe that Calipari did not know any of this was going on?  Do you think it is totally accidental that he has taken two teams to the Final Four and each time the school's record was later vacated for playing an ineligible player?  Does he have some hidden tape of members of the NCAA Committee on Infractions partying with Rick Pitino?  Will Calipari ever be held accountable and will it finally happen in Lexington, a program whose own history with the NCAA is not exactly stellar?  Will the Sun rise in the west? 

At least Memphis has recourse against Calipari for repayment of a portion of the bonuses paid to him for reaching the Final Four.  That will offset to some extent the $615,00 that Memphis will have to give back to the NCAA if any appeal it decides to make is denied, as expected.

One bit of irony here, which really says a lot about how the NCAA operates, the Memphis women's golf team was also part of the NCAA report.  That team will lose two scholarships as a result of providing extra benefits to athletes.  So, as fits the NCAA pattern, the bigger you are, the lesser the penalty.

Here's a video clip from the Memphis press conference in response to the release of the NCAA report:

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