Banned Bonnies Boycott
From the Cheap Seats
by Chris Hahn
The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team has decided not to play the last two games on the schedule because there is no hope for its season afterward. As a result of using an ineligible player (Jamil Terrell) for much of the season, the Atlantic 10 Conference presidents banned the Bonnies from the conference tournament, leaving them with no chance to make the NCAA tournament. With ‘nothing’ to play for, several of the players left for spring break despite upcoming games against UMass and Dayton.
Much of the media has jumped all over the school and players claiming the decision not to play is a disgrace. In fact, there has been very little support for the players who lost their chance at fulfilling a dream aside from the support the school administration seems to have for the decision. The same media is often chastising the NCAA for its ridiculous rules and over-the-top punishments. Yet when the opportunity presents itself, the media has jumped off the bandwagon and started attacking the players.
Why not boycott the remaining games? For over a week, we have heard the story of Toni Smith’s right to not face the flag because of injustices…so why can’t the Bonnies choose to not play their remaining games because of injustices? There’s very little doubt that the players feel as if nobody is going to help them in this inequity, so they are taking a dramatic stand.
Even a team in the cellar of the conference would have a chance to run the table and get an NCAA bid. So if St. Bonaventure could win the A-10 tournament without Terrell, why shouldn’t it get a birth? Don’t the players deserve to show what kind of team they are without him, especially since none of them knew he was ineligible?
Head hundreds of miles west and you’ll find Fresno State. The university has banned its team from postseason after confirming allegations of academic fraud from three years ago. Although none of the current players were involved in the incident, they will bear the punishment. So despite the 20-6 record that would have the Bulldogs receiving an at-large bid even if they didn’t win the conference tournament, the Fresno State players will be at home throughout March.
Don’t get me wrong…I’m all for tough sanctions when programs break the rules. The problem is that we have still yet to find the appropriate way to handle it without hurting innocent student-athletes. Taking actions in the middle of the season is only in the programs interest and not those of the current players. The NCAA needs to find a way to reverse this absurdity and punish the programs following a season while allowing innocent players to transfer if so desired.
St. Bonaventure should not have given the players the option of how to proceed, instead insisting they play out the rest of the schedule. And I’d like to think those kids would have realized that life isn’t always fair and that they can’t just run away and quit when the breaks don’t go their way. But in a world where The Masters will be without commercial sponsorship due to protesters and a college player is headline news for protesting the flag, it’s hard to look down upon the Bonnies for their choice.