May 1, 2008
Obama, UNC Dribble Around NCAA Rules
The NCAA has a long list of rules designed to protect its student athletes. They include a ban on basketball coaches watching members of their own team playing off-season pickup games.
But when it comes to presidential politics, even the NCAA can make exceptions.
With North Carolina scheduled to hold its presidential primary next week, Democratic party front-runner Barack Obama visited Chapel Hill for a campaign rally on Monday evening. And the following morning, Mr. Obama made arrangements to play a pickup basketball game with members of the team that made this year’s “Final Four” NCAA tournament.
The North Carolina basketball coach, Roy Williams, and his wife, Wanda, gave Mr. Obama a tour of the UNC locker room and then — even though NCAA rules prohibit his attendance at any such postseason pickup game — Mr. Williams sat along the sidelines as Mr. Obama played on the court with some of the Tarheels.
Mr. Williams realized his presence wasn’t within the letter of NCAA rules, but felt these were “extraordinary circumstances,” team spokesman Steve Kirschner told The News & Observer newspaper of Raleigh.
And an NCAA spokesman agreed. “This was a unique situation and not an NCAA issue,” NCAA media-relations director Erik Christianson told the newspaper. “It certainly was a great opportunity for the student-athletes to interact with a presidential candidate.”
Paul Basken | Posted on Thursday May 1, 2008 | PermalinkComments
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Obama, flunked bowling. Flunked church going as he did not remember what his pastor was preaching. He thinks gun owners, hunters, church goers are “bitter” at least in San Fransico.
Obama thinks all rules should be waived for him…so the NCAA did it.
— fred smith May 1, 04:57 PM #
I’m sure Madman McCain and Hillary will use this for campaign fodder.
— first marci May 1, 05:00 PM #
I’ll bet Fred (comment #1) gave George W a pass on lying about the weapons of mass destruction and using the tragedy of 9/11 to dupe the American people into war (where his buddies get rich on the blood of both Americans and Iraqis) and using torture and wire-tapping of US citizens to advance his neo-con objectives, but not Obama playing some hoops with UNC…oh no. Actually, Fred sounds bitter…proving that the truth is the only danger that lurks beneath the Obama campaign.
— RLW May 1, 10:45 PM #
OK folks, lighten up. Obama broke no rules. It was Williams who technically broke the rules. As a transplanted ‘Hawk, I and the Jayhawk nation forgave Williams after he wore a Jayhawk over his heart during the NCAA finals.
The NCAA made a fair ruling. And RLW, W is not running this year.
— the jayhawk May 1, 11:44 PM #
Ok Mr. Smith (#1), we are just going to humor you because I suspect you may be going through a traumatic experience … i.e. no more spinning of the truth to fit the agenda (just like you are immediately blaming Obama for an issue between the coach and NCAA), no more us versus them, just simply…Americans who are tired of the same old same old politics as usuall. In the words of one of Geico commercials … humans doing human things? That’s brilliant !!! Remember this: a change is going to come, and soon.
— Anene May 2, 01:55 AM #
I’m a Mc Cain supporter and I could care less. Obama looked good on the court (better than the alley) and it must have been a thrill for the players. I can’t figure out why a coach can’t watch a pick-up game anyway.
— Old Hand May 2, 11:42 AM #
to # 6, I’m an Obama supporter. Thanks for your comment!
— Ve May 2, 03:35 PM #