Myles Brand had the strangest ideas. When he was president at Indiana, he had this crazy idea that his men's basketball coach should be a decent human being. When state legend Bob Knight went another route, Brand fired him. Just took the heat and fired him.
And when Brand became president of the NCAA, the crazy ideas continued. He truly believed student-athletes should be student -athletes. He thought they should graduate. And he thought that, if they didn't graduate, the school should be held accountable. The APR was created, and it has been fabulous. Graduation rates are up. Schools are scrambling to keep them up. Everyone wins.
Brand also thought cheaters shouldn't win, and he grew his investigative staff and unleashed the NCAA's fury on bogus prep schools and other greenhouses of scumbaggery.
The NCAA isn't a perfect place, but it is a much better place today than it was before Myles Brand took over.
The man was an idealist with great and noble ideas, and he will be missed.
RIP to a great, great man.
Myles Brand: Death of an Idealist
Posted on: September 16, 2009 9:51 pm
Score: 144
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Chickfighter Level: Superstar Since: Sep 15, 2008 |
Posted on: September 16, 2009 10:40 pm
Score: 135
Myles Brand: Death of an Idealiststudent-athletes |
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I think all the ridiculous posts being put up by the haters on the article about Brand's death speak volumns. Brand stayed the course in pursuit of his ideals even in the face of nasty criticism, often from those who need to be offended. This is particularly true of all those people who seem to think Bobby Knight is bigger than Indiana University.
Have I always agreed with Brand's approach to every issue? No. But he certainly took some positive steps toward making the NCAA better. Let's hope the organization finds another leader with "strange" ideas about student-athletes being student -athletes.