Violent gangs impact college sports

[Casino67]

CBSnews.com:

COMPTON, Calif. - In 2007, Brandon "Bull" Johnson charged straight out of Dominguez High in Compton, Calif., and straight into the starting lineup at the University of Washington.

Today, the 22-year-old Johnson sits in a southern California jail and faces murder charges in connection with the shooting of an 18-year-old suspected gang member this summer. Johnson, who has denied all charges, is accused of being, in the words of a prosecutor in the case, "directly affiliated" with the infamous "Bloods" gang.

CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian and Sports Illustrated spent five months looking into the influence violent gangs are having on college sports.

"The kinds of crimes that gang members are most likely to be involved in are the kind of crimes that ought to concern athletic directors, police chiefs, university presidents and coaches," said Scott Decker, a professor of criminology at Arizona State University.

Decker co-authored a study, funded by the Justice Department, showing for the first time the dangerous, hidden influence of gang members in major college sports.


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I don't suppose the money these programs bring in has anything to do with recruiting criminals.