Waiting Game
--by Jackie Baker
In an almost predictable move, the NCAA decided to perpetuate its persecution of Olympic skier and potential collegiate athlete Jeremy Bloom. According to The Denver Post, lawyers for the NCAA, which has drawn decades worth or criticism for its mistreatment of student-athletes, filed a continuance in the injunction hearing between the organization and Bloom, held on Wednesday, July 31
Judge Daniel Hale of the Boulder District Court decided that a permanent injunction hearing is necessary, and scheduled that hearing for August 12, 2002.
Hale was unable to present Bloom with a final decision as to whether he will be allowed to play football for CU while keeping his skiing sponsorships and other endorsements due to possible future complications. NCAA Bylaw 19.8 allows the organization to require CU to forfeit any games won with Bloom on the field if his case is ever reversed.
"To have that wiped out a year from now, I wouldn't like that personally. As a judge, I could care less," said Hale during the hearing, according to the August 1, 2002, edition of The Denver Post.
Should Bloom win the permanent injunction, CU officials will have to decide if they are willing to risk the team's eligibility to let Bloom play. Should the injunction be overturned in appeal, CU would not only forfeit games in which Bloom played, but could also be ineligible for any number of NCAA championships, and be subjected to financial penalties, including CU's share of television revenues. That's quite a heavy burden to bear for a kid who just wants to ski and play football.
"In this case, if it's heads, the NCAA wins, and if it's tails the student-athlete loses," said Bloom's attorney Peter Rush is a July 31 story posted on ESPN.com.
NCAA lawyers are allowing Bloom to enroll at CU and begin practice as a wide receiver for the football team August 8. While he waits for the injunction and the school's decision, Bloom must show an attempt to end his contracts with his skiing sponsors, Oakley, Under Armour, and Dynastar by August 17 in order to maintain his NCAA eligibility.
"I don't want to say I would quit (skiing)," Bloom said in the same edition of The Denver Post. "I'll see what happens. Let's just say I will not put CU in jeopardy, whatever that means."
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