SI: Top 10 Most Embarrassing Moments in College Football

[MrMustang1965]

SMU ranks #2 in article written by Sports Illustrated Viewpoint columnist Tim Layden.

Just wondering...why is Sherwood Blount never mentioned in these kinds of articles?

2. SMU gets the death penalty: Feb. 25, 1987

The history and mythology of modern college football are papered with examples of programs whose keepers and boosters flaunted NCAA rules by building quasi-professional programs with marginal student-athletes. But only one has received the NCAA's death penalty: Southern Methodist University. The Mustangs rose to the top of the high-powered Southwest Conference in the early '80s, riding on the back of the Pony Express backfield (Eric Dickerson and Craig James), and twice finished in the top five in the nation. At swank parties all over Texas, where football is big business, SMU alums bragged to their Longhorn and Aggie brethren. Then the bubble burst: SMU was found to have made approximately $61,000 in payments to athletes from funds provided by a booster, with the approval of university officials as high up as former -- and future -- Texas governor Bill Clements, who was then chairman of SMU's board of governors. NCAA officials did not levy the penalty lightly, but, said Dan Beebe, the lead investigator on the case, "I'm not sure what else would have gotten the message across to those people.'' It has been nearly two decades since the NCAA took down SMU; 16 schools have since been eligible for the death penalty, but none have received it. SMU has never recovered. "It's like an atomic bomb,'' SMU coach Phil Bennett told Sports Illustrated in 2002. "The NCAA did it once and caused devastation beyond belief, and it's never going to be done again.''

For the other rankings, here's the link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/w ... 4/moments/

1. Death & Teddy Roosevelt, November 1905
2. SMU Gets the Death Penalty
3. Woody Hayes Punches Opposing Player
4. Scandals Everywhere in Old Big Eight
5. Segregation
6. Colorado's Fifth Down
7. Alabama Buys Albert Means
8. The Foot Locker Spree
9. George O'Leary's Resume
10. The BCS Mess

[Mustangs35SMU]

"The NCAA did it once and caused devastation beyond belief, and it's never going to be done again.''

So true. So very very true.

[jtstang]

NCAA officials did not levy the penalty lightly, but, said Dan Beebe, the lead investigator on the case, "I'm not sure what else would have gotten the message across to those people.''

Also so true. Embarassing, yes, but also deserved.

[Terry Webster]

I think that the NCAA has to do it again. If everyone believes that it will never happen, nothing will change in regards to recruiting. I don't know who they could get but I think someone will push it to point where it will have to happen.

[jtstang]

I think that the NCAA has to do it again. If everyone believes that it will never happen, nothing will change in regards to recruiting. I don't know who they could get but I think someone will push it to point where it will have to happen.

Well you can certainly ask a legitimate question whether it has lost its deterrent effect, assuming it ever had one.

[CalallenStang]

I think that the NCAA has to do it again. If everyone believes that it will never happen, nothing will change in regards to recruiting. I don't know who they could get but I think someone will push it to point where it will have to happen.

They might get their opportunity with OU.

[BUTitan]

I think that the NCAA has to do it again. If everyone believes that it will never happen, nothing will change in regards to recruiting. I don't know who they could get but I think someone will push it to point where it will have to happen.

They might get their opportunity with OU.

yeah right.

[Mustangs35SMU]

I think that the NCAA has to do it again. If everyone believes that it will never happen, nothing will change in regards to recruiting. I don't know who they could get but I think someone will push it to point where it will have to happen.

They've had their chances to bust people like they did SMU and give them the death penalty...but they haven't and won't.

[CalallenStang]

I think that the NCAA has to do it again. If everyone believes that it will never happen, nothing will change in regards to recruiting. I don't know who they could get but I think someone will push it to point where it will have to happen.

They've had their chances to bust people like they did SMU and give them the death penalty...but they haven't and won't.

Bill, you know as well as I do that so far (until possibly what is going on with OU once it ALL comes out) the NCAA has not encountered anything NEAR what SMU did.

[MrMustang1965]

The NCAA won't levy the 'death penalty' against OU. If it did, it would kill the economy of Norman, OK. I am still of the belief that the reason it was leveled against SMU is because 1) SMU was guilty as sin; 2) habitual offender; and 3) levying the DP against SMU in Dallas, TX was not going to affect the economy of the city or surrounding area one iota. SMU depends on Dallas...Dallas does not depend on SMU. Norman, OK depends on OU...OU does not depend on Norman, OK. Same can be said for College Station, Tuscaloosa, Chapel Hill, etc. You'll never see the DP levied again. And especially in a city/town that depends on the university/college for its economy.

[BUTitan]

Don't know how the Baylor loss to UNLV isn't on there. It was the most embarassing moment of my life.

[SMUltimedia]

I'm also surprised segregation isn't higher on the list...

[mrydel]

Don't you have to have a sport on probation or at least recently on probation to be eligible for the DP. I do not follow OU's woes but I do not think they are eligible for the DP under the guidelines. This incident, when officially investigated will put them in position for it however.

**The above statement is subject to being over ruled by facts unknown to the author.

[SmooBoy]

Besides the DP, the other two for me occured in 1989's first post DP season:

* 95-21 in the Astrodome (in one of their 13+ scores, Ware must have hidden the ball for 7 full seconds on his hip before heaving a bomb over our hapless defense)

* Notre Dame player intentionally runs out of bounds in show of "mercy" late in South Bend game (ND was eventual National Champ)

[CalallenStang]

Don't you have to have a sport on probation or at least recently on probation to be eligible for the DP. I do not follow OU's woes but I do not think they are eligible for the DP under the guidelines. This incident, when officially investigated will put them in position for it however.

**The above statement is subject to being over ruled by facts unknown to the author.

I don't know what their football situation is but I do know that this incident will open up an NCAA investigation that could reveal violations (such as Peterson's car) that the University ruled were OK. The NCAA Investigation should also take into consideration that OU investigated the players' employment earlier this year and ruled that there were no violations.

OU's basketball and men's gymnastics programs are currently on probation due to "faliure to monitor" which is considered one step below "lack of institutional control." The latter punishment was recommended during the investigation of those programs, but the NCAA settled on a lesser punishment instead.