by Jaybird » Thu Dec 19, 2024 1:54 am
Seems to me the ruling by a Tennessee Federal judge today in the Diego Pavia case should put an end once and for all to this nonsense about keeping Fedor in the penalty box. Sure, the facts are somewhat different, but the reasoning in the opinion applies. Collegiate sports are a business, and the NCAA is unreasonably and arbitrarily denying Fedor a business opportunity--a chance to pursue a basketball career by showcasing his talents--and that the NCAA is acting anti-competitively and in restraint of trade.
It'd be different, I suppose, if the NCAA hadn't approved any Euro pros, or if they had established clear standards about how much pro experience was too much. But they long ago cleared nearly everybody else in the same boat, and if there were any red lines about how many foreign pro games were too many--and if Zugic went over the maximum--I don't think anyone knows what the number is, and, anyway, we wouldn't have signed him in the first place.
I've been pounding the drum for a long time now that if Fedor or Creighton had gotten this case in front of a Federal judge, he'd be playing by now. Creighton's probably afraid of the restitution rule, but the Pavia judge shot that down too. The NCAA would quickly cave if they had to defend this in court, but maybe it's moot now. The reasoning in Pavia should apply to Fedor too, and should get him into the lineup.