I thought his APR article was akin to the prosecution's opening statement, and needed a defense, so I wrote him:
Brad from Denver writes: Tim, Your article about APR ratings in the Big 12 left the door open for people to criticize Colorado. The Buffaloes' rating is in peril primarily because of recent attrition of players that were ineligible because of academics, an area that Colorado is more stringent on than just about any other school. Players don't study, they don't play; they don't play, they leave. All schools
aren't created equally, and it is more difficult to achieve a 2.6 GPA at some schools than others.
Accordingly, I do not find it a coincidence that Baylor and Colorado, arguably the two Big 12 schools with the most rigorous academic standards, are at the bottom of the list.
Tim Griffin: I agree with your point about grades at some schools than others. But to steal a line from Tony Soprano, Colorado's APR score is what it is. It's close to falling below the level where punitive penalties start kicking in. If Coach Dan Hawkins is having trouble keeping players eligible and then they transfer, he might consider attracting players who would be more likely to stay.
The APR is the first piece of academic reform that actually has some teeth in it. The NCAA does a lot of things wrong. But I think this piece of legislation that is good for college athletics.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/big12/0-9-39/Mailbag--Why-isn-t-Tommie-Frazier-in-Hall-of-Fame-.html
I guess that's the trick - simply recruit players who are going to stay. Somebody call Hawk on the road and tell him to stop recruiting players that eventually leave.