In the end zone?
The state’s highest paid public employee has been naughty again. University of Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel has admitted to gambling on basketball games for the past several years. Like he needs the money. Neuheisel makes an obscene $1.2 million a year and at least that much more in various perks and loan guarantees. That’s about ten times what the governor makes and about five times what the second highest paid state employee, the head of the UW medical school, earns.
This apple-cheeked young sleazeball has a nose for trouble. Last year, he was caught lying when he publicly denied interviewing with the San Francisco 49ers for a head coaching vacancy. Prior to his stint at UW, Neuheisel committed at least 50 “minor” infractions of NCAA rules at the University of Colorado. Interestingly enough, the slap on the wrist he got for those no-nos involved attending classes on the NCAA rules, one of which explicitly prohibits gambling of any kind by athletes or coaches.
Neuheisel was all choir-boy innocence today as he claimed he didn’t realize he was doing anything wrong. One of the most successful college football coaches in the nation isn’t aware of a rule that the most casual fan knows by heart. Right.
If past history is any indication, he won’t lose his job over this. UW athletic director Barbara Hodges has stood by her man before. Certainly public opinion is running about 2-1 against his being fired.
After all, what kind of example would that set for the players? That you must be held accountable for your actions? It is to laugh. Coach Neuheisel’s example is quite clear to his players, at least one of whom seems to get arrested every week for some infraction or another. Any investigation of such misbehavior is quickly hushed up and the public never knows if the miscreant is punished or just given a good talking to.
Is it any wonder athletes come out of college believing that they are above the law? That’s exactly what they have been taught by example for four (or more) years. I’m just glad Neuheisel is a man. If he were Martha Stewart, I wouldn’t dare criticize lest I be accused of participating in a witch hunt.
11:04:56 PM 
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