By Staff
There comes a time when a governing body must step in when the penalties do not fit the crime.
Such is the case with the University of Miami-Florida International brawl, which took place Saturday at the Orange Bowl.
We applaud the stance taken by Florida International.
The school dismissed two players and placed the other participants on indefinite suspension.
The Miami Hurricanes, on the other hand, should be ashamed of themselves.
They placed one player on indefinite suspension and the others get a one-game suspension for their contest against hapless Duke this weekend.
Not only is the stance taken by Miami weak, but the number of people defending the one-game suspensions is ridiculous.
Hurricane alumni have been on radio and television spinning the sanctions put in place and applauding the new "zero tolerance" policy the school created.
In this case, it's too little, too late for the Hurricanes.
Miami has been a black eye to college football for far too long.
The NCAA is fond of sticking its nose in the business of schools when it is not needed.
But where is it now?
According to reports, the NCAA is "looking into it."
What does that mean? The NCAA needs to step up, lay down the law and put Miami in its place.
If it can suspend a player one game for posing for a charity calendar, it certainly can hand out suspensions for an on-field brawl.
It is time the NCAA and universities quit turning a blind eye to these types of problems and get with it.
College athletics have become big business, but a school's integrity shouldn't be compromised by dollar signs.