Lets be clear up front: North Carolinas response to the NCAAs notice of allegations is a little arrogant, a little elitist and, well, a lot right.The school is essentially saying that, yes, the courses in the African-American Studies department were a sham. And yes, a disproportionate number of athletes took those sham courses. But, the school counters, the NCAA shouldnt be able to charge the school with lack of institutional control or failure to monitor for two reasons:Its not the NCAAs businessSitting next to the scores of mens and womens basketball players and football players were everyday students.To the casual reader it is downright laughable. What else does the NCAA have to do other than to maintain academic integrity among its athletes? And since when is the retort, well everyone else was doing it, too a good defense?As ridiculous as the argument sounds, theyve got a point.In what is arguably the biggest case, in both scope and the brand name of the school being investigated, to fall on its enforcement staffs desk in decades, the NCAA may very well have a difficult time landing its two most serious charges. For that, it has no one to blame but itself and a thick rulebook that intentionally glosses over academic integrity.The NCAA membership worked long and hard studying and trying to decide what should and shouldnt be a bylaw, what is and is not within the manual, athletic director Bubba Cunningham said. The quality of the class, we understand and have said for some time didnt meet our normal standards, but that doesnt mean its a violation of a bylaw.There are two issues at play here.First up: What exactly is the NCAAs job? From the organizations own mission statement:Our purpose is to govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount.The key words are to govern competition. Nowhere does it say that the NCAA has a say so in the governance of or determining the merits of an institutions academic courses. In fact, the same organization that somehow has deemed itself worthy to determine if thousands of high schools meet their standards for initial eligibility is purposefully standoffish when it comes to telling colleges and universities what is and is not up to snuff.Once an athlete is enrolled in school, the NCAA monitors whether he or she is making the proper progress toward graduation -- i.e., taking enough, and passing enough, courses; making sure that student athletes are graduating at a proper rate. If not, the NCAA penalizes schools.But it does not -- nor does it want -- to police whether the courses athletes are taking are worth a fig. Its the NCAAs version of a separation of church and state.Weve got sports; you get class.The organization, in fact, hasnt created a by-law regarding academic integrity since 1983.For many, many years we have had presidents on the council and faculty athletic representatives on the council and each and every time when theyve looked at what the role of the NCAA is relative to academics they stay out of it, Cunningham said. They dont want the NCAA in the classroom. ... We work with our accrediting agency for academic issues. The NCAA Is our athletic agency. They each have different jurisdictional responsibilities.The second problem for the NCAA? The number of regular Joes and Janes who took the same courses as the athletes did. The NCAA tried to point to the paper classes as an impermissible benefit, a gift given to athletes to help them along because of their stature as big men and women on campus. Critics naturally and logically argue that if the academic support staff steered athletes to these courses they were, in fact, receiving an extra benefit.But UNC is asking, if everyone on campus was given the same chance to take the courses, no matter how fraudulent they were, how can it be construed as a benefit given only to athletes?The simple answer: It cant.The NCAA knows it cant, which is why in April the organization announced new rules regarding academic misconduct. Schools now must adhere to strict academic integrity policies. A violation of those policies now will equate to an NCAA violation. Heres the kicker from the NCAAs own press release:Additionally the proposal recognizes schools cant predict every type of academic integrity issue that could occur. Therefore, some misconduct committed by staff members or boosters that doesnt violate a schools academic misconduct policies may still violate NCAA rules.In other words, well know it when we see it.Surely under those rules, North Carolina wouldnt have passed the smell test.In adjudicating UNCs case, the rules are too little too late, enacted after the NCAA began its investigation.Instead the school is allowed to make what, by all accounts, is a nervy, illogical and downright laughable defense.And it just might work. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Deacon-Jones-Jersey/ . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Lamarcus-Joyner-Jersey/ . Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. 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SINGAPORE -- Svetlana Kuznetsova became the first player to reach the last four of the WTA Finals after sealing her second round-robin victory this week, beating Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday.Kuznetsova fell to the ground, smiling, after securing a 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) win on a fourth match point.I felt the support of the crowd and I couldnt let anyone down, said Kuznetsova, who at 22-8 has the most three-set match wins this year. So I had to fight.When defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska prevailed over Garbine Muguruza 7-6 (1), 6-3 in the second match, the Poles win guaranteed Kuznetsovas progress in the competition.In five previous WTA Finals appearances, Kuznetsova had never advanced beyond the round-robin stage.Muguruzas 0-2 standing eliminates the Spaniard from semifinal contention. The second semifinal berth in the White Group will be decided between Radwanska (1-1) and Pliskova (1-1) on Friday.The four players from the Red Group -- No. 1 Angelique Kerber (2-0), Simona Halep (1-1), Madison Keys (1-1) and Dominika Cibulkova (0-2) -- will vie for the two semifinal spots in round-robin matchhes on Thursday.ddddddddddddKuznetsova served for the match at 5-3, but never had a match point until the tiebreaker. Pliskova had an opportunity to serve out the match at 6-5.Kuznetsova returned to a top 10 ranking this year for the first time since she last played at the WTA Finals in 2009.When the two-time Grand Slam champion was asked whats helped her recapture her flair for the game, she said, My heart. I just love [it]. Ive not been at my best my past years. Something changed this year and Im just enjoying my game.Kuznetsova traveled to Singapore after securing the last berth in the year-end competition by winning the Moscow title last Saturday.On Monday, a fatigued Kuznetsova saved a match point to capture a dramatic three-set win over Radwanska. During the match, Kuznetsova chopped off a portion of her braid that was flapping in her face.Kuznetsova suggested if a movie was to be made of her last week it should be titled either Life of a Hustler or Workaholic. Cheap NFL Jerseys Camo Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys 2020 Wholesale Black NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys China NFL Gear Wholesale NFL T-shirts Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Nike NFL Jerseys China Wholesale NFL Hoodies Black China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Store China Jerseys ' ' '