Can the NCAA get anything right?

First, it was Memphis.

If you remember, a month ago the NCAA shot down the Tiger's appeal of the punishment they received for using an ineligible Derrick Rose because, as the infractions committee said:

Where is the risk if there is no significant penalty when things go awry? If the IAC sets aside the penalties in this case, it would send the message that an institution can take chances, even with knowledge of potential infractions problems, with impunity.

Then, they threatened to increase the penalty if Memphis didn't let the appeal die.

Which is ridiculous on all accounts, considering it was the NCAA's Clearinghouse that deemed Rose eligible to play.

But we all know that already.

What you may not know is that the NCAA recently reduced the significant punishment of Rob Senderhoff. If you remember, Senderhoff was given a three-year show-cause penalty because he was the assistant that patched through the illegal calls between Kelvin Sampson and recruits, a violation which is the cause of the current situation in Bloomington, and the reason Sampson is coaching in the NBA right now.

When I say reduced, take that term with a grain of salt.

The NCAA appeals committee rejected the request by former Indiana assistant coach Rob Senderoff to have sanctions against him reduced -- despite agreeing the committee on infractions "abused its discretion" in a number of ways.

Oddly, though, the appeals committee's final determination stated, "Despite our findings that the Committee on Infractions in a number of ways abused its discretion in this case, we do not find that the penalties imposed were excessive in light of the nature, number and seriousness of the violations as well as the unique circumstances under which they occurred."

Umm, can't the NCAA just admit they are wrong once in a while?

That wasn't the worst part, according to Senderhoff's lawyer:

He was bothered that the official NCAA press release did not mention the appeals committee's findings that the infractions committee had abused its discretion.

"That was the heart of Rob's appeal," Tompsett said. "And for the NCAA to issue a press release that doesn't tell the public that the appeals committee agreed with us shows the lengths the NCAA is willing to go to protect the Committee on Infractions."

Seriously, though, is anyone surprised?

I'm not.