Hey, I didn’t pick the picture.

Anyway, these are some in-context excerpts from an interview with NIU Athletic Director Gerald O’Dell about the recent NCAA convention:

“I don’t see any action that was taken that really dealt with reform, that really wasn’t the issue.”

“When you look at the pieces of legislation, let’s look at Prop 30. That had nothing to do with reform.”

“I can be very honest with you.”

“Joe, let me just try to help you on this.”

Let me write one thing before I anger Mr. O’Dell in the following space: I feel pretty confident that NIU athletics has the best interest of its athletes in mind, that it cares for numbers like 3.2 in the GPA column as well as 9-2 in the won-loss standings. But I got that impression from the 45-minute talk I had with President La Tourette, not the 30-minute evasion exercise I sat through with the AD.

I wondered afterwards if the initials on O’Dell’s paycheck were NCAA PR or, in fact, NIU. No action taken that dealt with reform?

Knock, knock, anyone there? Hi, Dick Schultz here. NCAA executive director. That doesn’t help you? Uh, let’s see. Oh, I gave a speech at our pow-wow a couple weeks ago, talked about a lot of changes. You can look it up. Word for word.

The convention was a reform orgy. Steps were forced through by had-it-up-to-here college presidents that are designed to better student-athlete progress with the books and to make sure Jim the Quarterback should even be here at all.

If shortening basketball and spring football practice time (Prop 30) to free up book splitting isn’t a change, why was there so much debate? You don’t freak out when you don’t get a speeding ticket.

La Tourette said there was noise about graduation rate release in Dallas because many universities would blush when the public found out their athletics were academically bankrupt.

O’Dell almost mentioned embarrassment once. Instead, he said the graduation rate debate was “more about the complexities of the disclosure than the disclosure itself.” Then he searched his NCAA manual for the various by-laws to enlighten me. And searched. And searched.

Maybe I put him on the spot, maybe I should have told him to put the book down, please, I only have 15 more minutes. I didn’t think a confrontational atmosphere would do any good, though.

I’m sure you weren’t lying, Mr. O’Dell, but there doesn’t need to be a denial period anymore. People realize not every program is under the table. The best public relations move is to tell the truth, not put lipstick and mascara on it. You said programs with problems were a minority. Let’s look at the facts.

In Division I-A basketball, 86 of the 293 member teams were punished in some way in the 1980s. Twenty-nine percent, yep that’s a minority. Division I-A football suffered sanctions against 57 of its 106 members. Fifty-three percent.

I know, football and basketball aren’t the only sports, but they are the money sports. And money is the evil root, right?

O’Dell has been described as a marketing whiz but not so whizzy in the people department. A look in the eye would have enhanced my first impression and you know what that dandruff commercial says.

Last week both O’Dell and La Tourette said they are proud of our athletic graduation rate and would get back to me on my request for a copy. HEY, let’s set an example and release those rates before 1992.