An embargo lifted on Eric Bledsoe Story

So because the Eric Bledsoe story broke on the Friday night of Memorial Day weekend - a weekend where writers were on vacation, readers were lake/river/pool side - the story is finally reaching the full caliber of speculation today. So I am lifting my bad on goods from crappy sources and wanted to give another piece on the issue.


Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal made a point to shed some light after his weekend analysis and stint away from the city.

Crawford's examination and subsequent conclusion of the potential investigation of Bledsoe's eligibility and improper benefits is exactly the point every fan should know. Conclusions can't be drawn on this investigation. You are dealing with the NCAA. The NCAA can do whatever they want. There are no 'rules' for punishment, the governing body has no precedent despite previous offenses of the same caliber, and they seem to make it up as they go.

The CJ's writer brings up a perfect analogy for this issue. The Marvin Stone eligibility of 2003. The NCAA investigated in February of Stone's senior season and during it Stone was benched. The investigation dragged out until Conference USA tournament, where the Cards wanted proof or at least word that the NCAA would be making a ruling. Neither was granted - and the Cards played Stone and nothing was ever said about the situation again.

For some reason the National media didn't blame Rick Pitino or Tubby Smith, the New York Times didn't fly investigators to Kentucky for details. This issue didn't involve John Calipari - so it didn't involve much fuss - and ultimately nothing transpired.

However, a similar issue with eligibility arose during the Derrick Rose situation last season. The NCAA investigated during the season, failed to tell Memphis. Rose played and those games he played were later forfeited.

The teams, writers, and fans involved in each story expected totally different outcomes based on prior rulings of the NCAA. What the writers and fans don't realize is that each case is 'evaluated' differently and thus the ruling or lack-there-of is different.

So when we look at Kentucky's Eric Bledsoe situation, you have to wait to cast your own ruling. Only the NCAA knows if they will actually even make a ruling. At this point, only the NCAA knows if they have even investigated. But you can't worry, cast blame, and do everything else every Kentucky fan and rival are doing at the moment.

We'll see what happens when it happens.