Review of "Infractions"

This book captured my attention not only because it is about NCAA rule breakers, but because I work in healthcare compliance, the work done by the people in the Infractions Committee, which is where the author had worked, is very similar in nature to my profession.  For both a sports book and a book on a profession, I thought it was excellent.  Here is my review of "Infractions"

Title/Author:

“Infractions: Rule Violations, Unethical Conduct and Enforcement in the NCAA” by Jerry Parkinson 

Tags:

Football (American), basketball, college, ethics

Publish date:

September 1, 2019

Length:

376 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (outstanding

Review:

It is no secret that schools that compete in college sports have broken many rules, especially when it comes to recruiting, in order to gain a competitive edge.  The governing body of college sports, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) oversees compliance with the rules, investigates allegations of violations and deals out punishments to schools that are found guilty.  This book written by a former member of the NCAA's Committee on Infractions is an excellent look inside this segment of the organization.

Even though the NCAA has come under heavy criticism in the last few years, readers should not expect this book to be either a defense of the organization, nor is another one that bashes the NCAA because of unfair punishments, vague rules or any of the other reasons why NCAA-bashing has become popular. Instead Parkinson uses his experience in the rules enforcement area to explain to readers the inner workings of that committee through stories of past rule breakers.

Some of these incidents are well known, such as Southern Methodist University's (SMU) slush fund payments to players in the 1980's that resulted in the school receiving the only "death penalty" dished out by the NCAA. Two little known facts about this tawdry scheme and punishment for SMU are provided by Parkinson.  One, because SMU did not field a football team for two years (1987 and 1988) it is often reported the NCAA suspended the program for those two years.  Parkinson notes the penalty was only for one year and SMU voluntarily kept the program closed the second year believing they could not field a competitive team.  He also documents the school's basketball violations which are usually ignored in media reports, but were important in the decision to give such a harsh penalty because it made SMU have multiple major violations.

When discussing this case and the others, Parkinson writes in a balanced and fair manner. He states the facts of each case, he explains the cooperation or lack thereof by each school (an important factor in determining the result of the case) and what the Committee on Infractions did with the information provided. His inside look at the committee was also enlightening and will make a reader appreciate just how difficult the work can become.  For example, since the Committee does not have powers that some other investigative bodies have, such as the power to subpoena witnesses, it may be working without key evidence. 

While much of the reading is excellent, it can also be hard to digest. As one might imagine, the story of Penn State's assistant football coach who was found guilty of abusing children is still a difficult read, but even in cases like this, the material is enlightening as the reader will learn once again the difficulty of reviewing the infractions done by athletic programs, teams and coaches in order to win sporting contests.  This is a recommended read for not only college sports fans, but those who work in fields such as compliance and law for gaining an understanding of this profession in the world of athletics.

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.      

                                                    

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying Links:

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/university-of-nebraska-press/9781496205476/

https://www.amazon.com/Infractions-Violations-Unethical-Conduct-Enforcement/dp/1496205472/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "Season of Saturdays"

College football is one of those sports that at times feels bigger than the game itself.  Many towns and schools seem to have their ups and downs in their lives and successes based on how well the football team succeeds.   This book that examines the history of college football looks into that as well as other moral and ethical questions about the sport as well as provide some facts about the history of the game.   Here is my review of Micheal Weinreb's excellent book "Season of Saturdays."

Title/Author:

“Season of Saturdays: A History of College Football in 14 Games” by Micheal Weinreb

Tags:

Football (American), college, history, ethics

Published:

August 19, 2014

Length:

272 pages

Rating: 

4 ½ of 5 stars (excellent) – rounded to 5 for Goodreads and Amazon

Review:

College football is a uniquely American institution that can bring out the best and worst of everyone involved – players, coaches, schools, students and fans, just to name a few.   The moral and ethical questions that can be raised by this passion are examined in this excellent book on the sport by Michael Weinreb.  He covers the history of the sport from its beginnings as an Ivy League activity to today’s system with a 4 team playoff in 14 chapters, each representing a Saturday, and each one titled with a game that symbolized the state of the game for that era.

Weinreb writes each chapter with a good balance of factual research, thoughts for the reader to contemplate and wonderful stories on some of the greatest moments of the game.   He writes each chapter in a manner that hard-core fans will enjoy because of some of the memories and strategic coaching mentioned, but at the same time, casual fans will also enjoy it because there isn’t a lot of complicated talk about plays and formations so they will be able to follow along as well.   As a fan in between these two extremes, I enjoyed the book for the history lessons of the early game as well as the references to the games that I still remember today and how they have impacted the sport as a whole.

The book is also written in a manner that when Weinreb expresses an opinion or emotion, it is not judgmental, but will make the reader stop and think.  He does this many times during the book. To illustrate this, in the chapter titled “Texas 41, USC 38” (the 2006 National Championship game) he ends each section with a thought provoking statement and will express his thoughts by saying that the statement will either “bother certain people more than it bothers me” (Reggie Bush considered a bust) or “this bothers me more than it bothers certain people” (that college football is a prelude to the “real thing” [NFL football] on Sunday afternoons).  

This type of writing, prevalent throughout the book, made it an enjoyable read and one that I would certainly recommend to any college football fan.  

I wish to thank NetGalley for providing an advance reading copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

The book is a fast-paced read as each of the 14 chapters representing one week of the season is broken into segments that make reading each chapter easier.     

Do I recommend? 

All college football fans, from casual to hard-core will enjoy this book.   Also, readers who are looking to read about why the sport is so popular with all age groups and how much a team can become part of a town’s or campus’s psyche will find this book one that will address many of those questions.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Season-Saturdays-History-College-Football-ebook/dp/B00GEECHAW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1405260404&sr=1-1&keywords=season+of+saturdays

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/season-of-saturdays-michael-weinreb/1117313703?ean=9781451627817

(Note: links are for pre-orders before publication date of August 19, 2014)

Review of "Johnson and Johnson"

Title/Author:

“Johnson and Johnson: A Short Story about Athletics and Academics in College Sports” by Larry LaForge

 

Sport: 

College Football (American)

 

Genre:

Fiction, sports, American football, college, ethics, academics            

 

Published:

August 19, 2012

 

Length:

36 pages

 

Rating: 

3 1/2 of 5 stars – good

 

Review:

Southeast State University’s football team has risen to one of the powerhouses of college football under the tenure of Coach Brack Johnson.  This season looks to be one of the finest as the school is highly ranked in the polls.   All the money that the university has invested in the program with top-notch facilities seems to be paying off. 

Professor Carson Johnson is a rising star in his own right.  On the fast track to tenure, he notices a peculiar trend in the grades and scholastic work of the team’s All-American quarterback.  He does what he believes is the right thing and notifies the dean of academics.  Could this really be happening?

Larry LaForge has addressed this ethical dilemma that is faced by many schools in this era of college football.   This is a short story that alternates the viewpoints of the coach and the professor. The center of the controversy is the team’s star quarterback, Stan Rogers.   Rogers does suffer an injury during the season, but at the time, it is discovered that his academic record shows good grades for work done outside class, but poor grades for in-class work. This creates an ethical dilemma for both the coach and the professor as neither wants the school to appear to be “soft” on academics, but at the same time, needs the quarterback to play.  

The story does take an interesting turn on this issue as Rogers is held out due to his injury, even when it has healed, so this can be addressed.  Each time the story is told in one viewpoint, the section ends with a hint of what is about to happen.   However, this is never spelled out in that next section.   The reader doesn’t really get to experience what the ultimate decision will be.  Instead, the reader will have to draw his or her own conclusion based on the progression of SSU’s season and the action of the academic board.  

 It is a good story that is very relevant for the topic.   It could use a little more substance and character development for the quarterback and the athletic director.  It does have a nice touch with the alternating viewpoints as the reader does understand the issues each man does face.  All in all, a decent short read that college football fans will enjoy.

_________________________________________________________________ 

Did I skim?

No

 

Did I feel connected to the characters? 

Yes.  I especially felt the pain of Coach Brack Johnson, as coaching is a very tenuous occupation at best, and this new revelation made the coach engage with a very hard conversation with his family on what the proper choice should be.  

 

Pace of the story:

Good – switching between the coach and the professor was important with this theme and both sides kept the story moving forward.

 

Positives:   

Both sides of the issue were addressed in the same amount of detail, and the arguments were presented fairly.  This book did not preach one way or the other about the issue – it simply painted a picture of the troubles facing both coach and professor.

 

Negatives:

The final outcome could be presented in a more clear and concise fashion.  I did re-read the last two sections before the epiloge to ensure I understood the entire picture.  For a short story, I found that a bit unsettling, as most short stories will be sharper.   This is not to say that the reader will be left without a conclusion – he or she just has to draw that conclusion on his or her own.

 

Do I recommend?  

Yes, for college football fans or readers who like ethical issues in the book.  

 

Book Format Read: ebook (Kindle)

 

Author Media Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Larry-LaForge/e/B009137XU2/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

http://www.facebook.com/LarryLaForgeStories