States rights

Time now to check in on the beleaguered overseers of the NCAA, who once again find their magnificent illusion under siege, this time from the most feared adversaries of all.

Bring on the politicos!

Who, in California, seem poised to pass SB 206, aka the Fair Pay To Play Act, which would allow college students to make money off their own names, images and likenesses. As reported here by Deadspin, this has the overseers' knickers in a bunch, since it would threaten their carefully constructed system of indentured servitude.

Head overseer Mark Emmert released a statement that essentially says California shouldn't oughta do that, because then other states might follow Cali's lead, and then the whole tottery house of cards would come tumbling down. Emmert also said, quite disingenuously, that it would be a shame if the NCAA had to bar California student-athletes from competing for championships, because the proposed law would constitute the dreaded Unfair Advantage over student-athletes from other states not suitably enlightened.

The real fear, of course, is that other student-athletes in other states, and their legislative advocates, would see the Unfair Advantage as something that looked damned fine to them, and how can we get in on it? And suddenly jurisdiction would be taken right out of the NCAA's hands in this matter.

And Emmert and Co. thought losing to Ed O'Bannon (at least in part) was a nightmare.