The death penalty is alive in Texas

The NCAA did the right thing Thursday coming down on the Baylor University men's basketball team for its handling of the Patrick Dennehy situation.

According to ESPN's Andy Katz, Baylor will only play 16 regular-season games, all in the Big 12, in 2005-06. The Bears are eligible for the conference tournament and postseason but probably can only earn an NCAA berth by winning the tournament, since an at-large berth would be highly unlikely.

Former coach Dave Bliss and assistant Doug Ash have been banned for 10 and five years respectively. If in the unlikely event some school somewhere would hire either of them, they must appear before the NCAA and explain themselves.

I doubt even my alma mater -- Queens College in beautiful Flushing, N.Y. -- would take a chance on either of them.

While what the NCAA has handed down to Baylor was bad, it's not quite what the SMU football team got in the 1980s, it's still bad. This will give time for Baylor to repair itself.

What do you think? I'd like to know.