Let Rebels Enjoy Their Title . . .

Behind the sanctimonious stance of the NCAA infractions committee, there seems to be an arbitrarily punitive and perhaps vengeful motive pertaining to its investigation of UNLV’s basketball program.

Leaking damaging rumors about schools to the media before the competition of an investigation is tantamount to lynching. The NCAA has done so with UNLV, thereby disrupting its program and discouraging athletes to join the school for fear of possible retributions by the NCAA.

Tarkanian should be accountable for any misdeed he perpetrates, but first he should be proven guilty. It behooves the NCAA to exercise fairness in its own practices.

ARMEN GOENJIAN, Long Beach

Editor’s note: Tarkanian was, indeed, found guilty of recruiting violations by the NCAA in 1977, and UNLV was ordered to suspend him for two years. Tarkanian took the case to court, where it dragged on for nearly 12 years before the Supreme Court decided, in late 1988, that the NCAA had such a right. R ecently, Tarkanian and the NCAA settled out of court, but another possible recruiting violation by Tarkanian has been under investigation by the NCAA since 1987.