The Saga Of P.J. Hairston

North Carolina basketball has usually been able to avoid the types of scandals that hit other big time programs because I believe that they make an effort to follow the NCAA's 5000 page rulebook to the last sub-article. This is a new day in college athletics. The players want their piece of the pie and they want it now. Former college players just won a settlement against EA Sports over the use of their likenesses in a college football game. Players from several colleges, including Vad Lee of Georgia Tech while they were playing UNC, wore an emblem in support of the players on their uniforms in last Saturday's football games. I have always held the belief that players do get paid with a college education. That is the reason they are supposedly in college- to get an education. At most colleges these days, a four year education is equal to well over a $100,000 and probably a whole lot more. That little factoid has been lost in the money grab by those who do not get paid in dollars and cents and by those that make the 5000 page rule book. P.J. Hairston decided to come back for another year of college basketball at UNC and almost all fans that would be the 'Heels saving grace this season. He is a legitimate scorer from anywhere on the court if he can harness his slightly undisciplined game. Hairston is alleged to have received a benefit of a rental car for several months and the NCAA is hot on the trail of that. Hairston was suspended by head coach Roy Williams for the summer and is finally being allowed to practice with the team starting today. They have not decided how many games he will be suspended for but I believe that the 'Heels should take a page out of Texas A & M's book. They suspendedreturning Heisman winner Quarterback Johnny Manziel for the first half of the first game. Another player from another school got suspended for one quarter. I may be biased but I believe the NCAA has come down rather harshly on UNC in the past two or three years. They have still not ruled on the University of Miami's violations that happened well over a year. They dropped the hammer on UNC almost immediately. UNC also had enough integrity (or feared the forfeiture of games due to the use of ineligible players) to sit these players out until the NCAA made their ruling. The NCAA is a big business and those that believe it is just a "ruling body" is kidding themselves.