As promised, Joe Noecera followed up Saturday's powerful Ryan Boatright column with round two today. It's more of the same, which is a good thing, though today's piece does feature a few extra uses of the word "Gestapo."
Here are some highlights, which give you an idea of just what the NCAA investigation process entails:
Tanesha is a single mother raising four children on a small salary. The N.C.A.A. investigators viewed her circumstances as a cause for suspicion, not sympathy. For instance, she owns a car. Where did she get the money to pay for it, they asked? How did she pay for her home? And so on.
Concluding that she had no choice but to cooperate - otherwise, her son would surely pay a severe price - Tanesha turned over her bank statements, as the N.C.A.A. demanded. Four N.C.A.A. investigators pored through her financial records and conducted interrogations in Aurora, seeking "evidence" that she was getting money from "improper" sources. (Tanesha declined to comment.)
...
Most astonishing, an N.C.A.A. spokeswoman told me that the organization does not have the legal authority to compel cooperation from parents. Again, technically true: Its real weapon - the threat of destroying their sons' careers - is far more potent than any mere subpoena.
It's another good piece, make sure to read the whole thing.