Mike Williams' punishment unjust

Mark Twain said it best when he opined, "In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards." But perhaps the acme of idiocy came not with school boards, but with the organization that governs their athletics -- the National Collegiate Athletic Association. This organization prides itself on enforcing its rules even when they conflict with silly notions like common sense or basic logic. Think of the NCAA as someone who circumnavigated the globe and then still insisted that the world was flat. This idiocy was demonstrated in full force with its decision to prevent Mike Williams from returning to the University of Southern California.

Williams was an All-American wide receiver who achieved nearly everything he could at the college level. The USC bio of Williams points out that he was named to nine separate All-American first teams and was also named CBS.SportsLine.com's National Player of the Year. It's quite a resume.

Normally, such a player would forgo his final years of college eligibility and enter the NFL, where he could make millions playing a sport he played for free in college. However, as a sophomore, Williams was not allowed to go into the NFL draft because of a rule that states that a player must be three years removed from high school to enter the league.

Williams was content to return to USC, where he would be a Heisman Trophy favorite on the number one team in the country. However, soon after last season, the NFL's "three-year rule" was overturned in a federal court when another player brought suit against the league. With obstacles no longer in his way, Williams declared for the draft, severed his ties with USC and hired an agent. Williams was a sure first-round pick with millions of dollars awaiting him.

Unfortunately, the rug was soon pulled from beneath him. Shortly before the NFL draft, the previous ruling was overturned. A higher court reinstated the "three year rule," thus making Williams, again, unable to be in the draft.

The receiver was stuck in legal limbo. He was not eligible for the NFL because of his age, and he was not eligible to play in college because he had hired an agent and violated his amateur status by receiving money and gifts.

After the second ruling, ESPN reported that "Williams severed ties with his agent and began the process of applying to the NCAA for reinstatement. He returned to USC and took summer classes, seeking to have his academic eligibility also restored."

However, this was not enough for the NCAA. A few weeks ago, the NCAA denied Williams' request for reinstatement. The association justified the decision in a statement saying, "There were two obstacles facing Mike for eligibility; one related to academics and one related to amateurism, and sports agents in particular. Either one was sufficient to prohibit participation in competition. In this case, neither obstacle could be cleared."

This decision simply does not make any sense. Both reasons are shortsighted and show a lack of understanding of the circumstances of this unique situation. As an organization, the NCAA should be looking out for the best interests of the student athletes. It should not look to punish and admonish them for events beyond their control.

It was not Williams' fault that the federal court reinstated the NFL's rule. He is clearly the victim in this instance, first of bad timing and second of the NCAA. Williams was not the one who spearheaded the lawsuit and thus should not be forced to bear the risks that come with it. He simply took advantage of an opportunity that was afforded him.

Would anyone else have acted differently in his shoes? He had to hire an agent to promote himself in hopes of being picked higher. A higher pick translates into more money. Taking a half-sincere approach would have damaged his draft stock.

When the NFL door closed, he tried to go to back to school. He enrolled in the summer to show progress toward a degree. He returned all the money given to him by his agent and through endorsements. Unfortunately, the NCAA still saw the world as flat.

Apparently, according to the NCAA's logic, Williams should have considered things that were beyond his control before they happened. How silly of him to not consult his crystal ball and predict the legal future. It also reeks of hypocrisy to punish Williams for trying to profit from his name when the NCAA makes millions each year in television and endorsement deals without paying the players a dime.

It's often said that what is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right. But a decision that's both right and popular should be a no-brainer. That's the choice NCAA officials were confronted with. It's too bad for Mike Williams that they didn't have a brain.

Craig Cohen is a Wharton junior from Woodbury, N.Y. He Hate Me appears on Fridays.

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