Jim Brown calls NCAA 'the most reprehensible organization God ever created'

There's no avoiding the rift that's been widening between NCAA executives clinging to the old guard and trying desperately to protect amateurism, and those thinking more progressively, trying to move towards a new system that's more amenable to the athletes who make the business of college sports go boom.   

Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown pretty obviously fits into the latter camp, though his opinions on the NCAA seem to be lacking something in nuance. At a roundtable discussion with Barry Sanders, Harry Carson, and Larry King Saturday at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Fan Fest, Brown reportedly called the NCAA "probably the most reprehensible organization God ever created." 

The comment was in response to a question from a fan about why a player with a career-ending injury in college could not receive a payment to compensate for lost future income.

Ever outspoken and willing to stir the pot, Brown may have been exaggerating for effect (though it's unclear whether he truly believes that God created the NCAA), but he is taking a hard stand, which is what college athletes need if they're to gain traction, push forward, and build on the momentum of the Northwestern football team's victory with the National Labor Relations Board on May 26. 

"I'm totally for change and total change," Brown added. "And I think that body needs to be torn apart and put back together with everybody's best interests in mind. I wanted to say it as harsh as I could, because I want them to come at me in any way they want to. Because it's a shame the way that it happens."