Duke basketball alum mocks NCAA for sleazy money grab

A tone-deaf action by the NCAA has a Duke basketball figure on his soapbox.

For the umpteenth time across his more than 25 years as an ESPN talking head, former Duke basketball player and assistant Jay Bilas has called attention to the NCAA’s shady practices.

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This time, the 57-year-old has obviously taken issue with the NCAA’s recent filing to legally own a play on the phrase “March Madness.” On Monday, responding to a tweet from trademark attorney Josh Gerben, Bilas scoffed at any kumbaya motives behind this “Mask Madness”:

Look, if the purpose of “Mask Madness” is purely to spread a message regarding public safety, then one might think the NCAA would be against anyone trademarking the phrase. After all, the nonprofit organization should genuinely hope other “companies” tag along on its fast-cash campaign, right?

Perhaps if that was the case — or if the plan was to give all profits from every sold mask to either the “student-athletes” who actually play the games or some sort of COVID-19 relief fund — then even Bilas would pitch in by supporting “Mask Madness” on his Twitter account. Instead, the Dukie was left to cringe and hiss at the NCAA’s apparent money grab:

Similar takes to those of the Duke basketball product

Compared to the tweets from other media members around the sports world, the brief mockery from Jay Bilas came across as too kind:

As many folks across social media were quick to point out, the slogan itself is asinine and potentially counterproductive. Yes, if only the NCAA hired a VP of common sense — as Dan Wolken of USA TODAY Sports suggested above — then the decision-makers would have noticed that “Mask Madness” indeed sounds like a taunt at those who do endorse mask-wearing.

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