A two-bit(s) scandal

OK, so I was wrong.

("See? Was that so hard?" you're saying.)

More than once over the years, the Blob has gotten itself in trouble with a couple constituencies by, well, making fun of some of their cherished notions. One is that the marching band halftime show is why people show up at football games. The other is that cheerleading is a sport.

Apparently on the latter count I misspoke, or misremembered, or some other weasel-y politician's word for "I was as wrong as ham on an ice cream sundae."

Turns out competitive collegiate cheerleading at the highest level is a sport. Because it's just as corrupt as any of 'em.

This upon the news the University of Kentucky has fired its entire cheerleading coaching staff after an internal investigation found evidence of alcohol use, hazing and public nudity at off-campus events. The probe also found lax oversight and poor judgment on the part of the retired program advisor.

So, to review: Booze, hazing, public nudity, lax oversight.

Sounds like Tuesday during the Rick Pitino Era at Louisville.

And, listen, the Blob is not trying to make light of all this. The hazing part is especially concerning. because people end up dead when it gets out of hand. Young people. People whose lives are just getting started.

Those lives never should be cut short the way those of frat kids were at San Diego State, Penn State, Washington State and Cornell just in the last year. They never should meet the fate of Robert Champion, who was beaten to death in a marching band hazing ritual at Florida A&M.

So, good for UK for showing the road to all four of its cheerleading coaches.

(Brief aside: A cheerleading program needs four coaches? You mean like head coach, tumbling coordinator, splits coordinator, makeup coordinator?)

(Also brief aside: Please don't yell at me. I honestly want to know.)

In any event, this is scandalous news for the Kentucky program, which is sort of the Kentucky basketball of cheerleading. The Wildcats have won 24 national titles in 35 years. And they don't employ one-and-dones the way John Calipari does.

Of course, it should be noted that what constitutes competitive cheerleading at a place like Kentucky is not two-bits-four-bits-six-bits-a-dollar. If you've ever watched it, it's not really cheerleading per se. It's more like team gymnastics.

But as what just went down in Lexington shows, it's as susceptible to moral rot as basketball or football or any other high-dollar collegiate sport.

Although I'm not sure that's how you want to win this debate.