Follow me on twitter @scashhomey
I am a sports fan, and I assume that everyone that is a regular reader of this blog is as well. As sports fans, we enjoy watching, playing, and following the daily news of our favorite sports. ESPN is the television staple for sports fans; we go to bed at night and wake up in the morning to Sportscenter trying our best to convince our significant other that each airing is in fact a new edition. As sports fans we tend to associate with other sports fans (birds of a feather…as they say). It’s nice to have friends that enjoy the same sports as we do, and we enjoy watching the games with them whether we root for the same or rival teams. For those of us that are truly fortunate, we will marry a fellow sports fan (which I did). Which means that sports will never be one of the things you have to sacrifice when making the usual compromises that come with marriage. All in all, being a sports fan is awesome because it gives us an escape from the rigors of everyday life, and a hobby to be passionate about.
Most sports fans have a certain sport or sports that they follow very closely. Personally, I love the NFL and NBA above all others. However, I also follow college basketball closely, and I stay in tuned with the on-goings of college football (although I only watch a few full games each season). I am also a golf fan (and a bad golfer), and I keep tabs on NASCAR and MLB. As for hockey, I’m a 30 year old black man raised in the south. That should explain my interest in hockey. We in the community of sport fandom have different levels of passion about a wide variety of sports, but our devotion to those interests connects us with other fans around the globe. This is a special and unique community eleven months of the year. In March however, there is nothing unique about being a sports fan, because everyone suddenly becomes a sports fan, or at least a fan of college basketball.
Strange things start to happen once the calendar turns to March. You suddenly don’t mind hearing that cheesy “One Shining Moment” song every time you turn to CBS. Your company totally ignores the corporate policy on gambling and turns a blind eye to all of the tournament pools taking place in the office. People who don’t know the difference between dribbling a basketball and dribbling a soccer ball are suddenly into college basketball and filling out brackets. I rarely, if ever, fill out a bracket. The odds against getting it right are astronomical, so I just don’t take the time to do it. Plus, if I did fill them out, Kentucky (the college basketball team that I have been following since my youth) would always end up winning. The best and most amusing thing about this college basketball phenomenon is the strategies used by others when filling out their bracket. Some of them include:
Picking the Best Team – This is the method that I would prefer if I filled out a bracket (with Kentucky always winning every game, of course). This method is used by the college basketball fan that really follows the sport. They know (or think they know) the advantages and disadvantages of each team in every matchup. They fill out their bracket with first-hand knowledge of the teams involved.
Conference Affiliation – Die-hard college sports fan are fiercely loyal to their conferences. If their team can’t win, they would rather a team in their conference win. This is strictly for bragging rights. If they can’t say Roll Damn Tide! They’d at least like to be able to shout SEC! SEC! SEC!
Chalk – In this situation the highest seeded team will win every game in the tournament. This will NEVER happen in a 68 team tournament.
Cutest Mascot – This one is understandably more popular with women. I’m not saying that it can’t work, but I am saying that the University of Georgia has never won the tournament. Personally, I don’t think that dog they have for a mascot is all that good-looking.
Which Mascot Would Win A Fight – Let’s just say, this is probably why the Fighting Okra of Delta State don’t play Division 1 basketball. Obviously, they wouldn’t have a chance.
Then there’s my personal favorite. I promise you I am not making this up. Please keep in mind that I earn my living as an engineer, thus my co-workers are also engineers.
Two years ago, one of my co-workers was filling out his bracket. He went to a small school in the Northeast that will never win the NCAA tournament, neither will any team from the conference that they play in. Therefore, it was obvious that he wasn’t filling it out for his team or a fellow conference member to win. Instead, his chosen method was….
Which School Would Win in a Fight – After hearing this, I immediately thought that he would simply pick the school with the worst academic reputation to win each game. I was assuming that he would equate partying, drinking, and not doing well academically with the ability to fight. Boy was I wrong! In fact, he had the opposite strategy. He picked the engineering schools with the best academic reputation to win each game, because they have the intelligence to build better weapons and defense systems to be used in combat. I am not making this up! Using his logic, if MIT ever figures out how to apply that brain power to the hardwood, the tournament will never be the same.
Lines on paper (otherwise known as brackets) have helped make the NCAA tournament the multi-billion dollar enterprise that it has become. I hope the enterprising person who figured out how to get the whole country interested in the tournament has received some benefits from this tremendous idea. There isn’t much that the NCAA does right. In fact the NCAA tournament in the only thing that I think they do get right. It is only rivaled by the Super Bowl when you think of championships creating excitement for their sport. Think about it. The only people who give a damn about the World Series are people who live in the cities that are participating. The NHL, really? I challenge anyone to name the last three Stanley Cup Winners. The NBA is all about stars, so casual sports fans don’t really care which teams are playing in the finals, they are more concerned about which individual players are playing. As for college football, thanks to the recent dominance of the SEC, it has pretty much become a regional sport, almost like NASCAR (I know people in Big Ten country and on the west coast aren’t going to like that).
The NCAA tournament has something to offer for everyone. If you are a college basketball fan, you get to see the 68 best teams in the country battle for the title. If you are a casual fan, you get to stop by some pretty good games while channel surfing and realizing that nothing else is on. If you’re not a fan at all, you still get to pretend to know sports by filling out your bracket and joining your office’s “only legal in March” gambling pool.
As it always does, this year’s tournament will feature some monumental upsets, and some surprisingly close games. A twelve seed will definitely beat a five seed in the first round, simply because it happens every year. When this happens, fans and the media will absolutely love it. Everyone loves the story of the underdog taking out the favorite in the tournament. We are a country that loves seeing David slay Goliath. This is where I differ from most. While I don’t mind seeing an early round upset or two during the first week of the tournament, by the time we get down to eight teams, I root for Wal-Mart! I want to see the super-powers square off. The Butler’s and VCU’s of the world are nice stories, but they have no place in my Final Four. I am hoping to see Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina, and Missouri in the Final Four. They have been the best four teams all season and they all play in big boy conferences. Will it happen? Probably not, but that’s the fun of this tournament. None of us know what’s going to happen.
And now for my Baller & Scrub(s) of the Week….
BALLER – NCAA Tournament Selection Committee: You may want to take a screenshot of this section and frame it, because I NEVER GIVE THE NCAA PROPS FOR ANYTHING! This is the most asinine group of administrators in the history of the world. Yet, they manage to do a great job with the tournament year in and year out. Some years the tournament is not very exciting, but that is a product of how the teams play, not which teams are invited. Also, if you are a coach, team, or fan that feels as though you were snubbed, GET OVER IT! If you weren’t clearly one of the 68 best teams in the country, then you run the risk of being left out. I have no sympathy for #69.
SCRUB #1 – Every NFL Quarterback not named Rodgers, Brees, Brady, Manning (Eli), Roethlisberger, Rivers, Stafford, or Newton: I have bad news for you. Your team doesn’t like you very much. Whether they will admit it or not, your team has reached out to Peyton Manning’s representatives to check his interest in replacing you. Fortunately for the makers of Kleenex, Peyton can only take one of your jobs, so there will be a box waiting in all of the survivor’s lockers to cry out their frustrations when training camp starts. The NFL is a cold, cold world. Arguably the best quarterback in NFL history is now available. Never mind the fact that he is 36 years old and has had four neck surgeries. Your team still likes him better than they like you. So suck it up and get over it. Or you could simply go join Terrell Owens in the Indoor Football League.
SCRUB #2 – ESPN: I miss the non-stop Jeremy Lin coverage. What happened to it?! He still plays in the NBA, right? Is he any less interesting now? Don’t quit on us now, please start back inundating us with Jeremy Lin coverage.
Follow me on twitter @scashhomey
Showing posts with label ncaa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ncaa. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Sunday, June 12, 2011
SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM
Follow me on twitter @scashhomey
It seems as though the NCAA is as busy as ever investigating and punishing schools and “student-athletes” for taking what they consider to be improper benefits. With that in mind, I ask, “How can an improper organization punish someone for taking improper benefits?” Let’s face it, the NCAA is one of the most hypocritical organizations in America. They have created rules that allow them to benefit from the hard work of others, who do not reap equal benefits, and then punish them for trying to benefit from their hard work.
According to their own website, the NCAA was originally formed in order to “protect young people from dangerous and exploitive practices…” This was in 1906, and over the years as college athletics has grown the scope of the organization’s duties have also grown. However, in my opinion it seems that the scope of the organization has grown to the point of directly doing one of the things that they explicitly set out to prevent, which is exploiting “student-athletes”.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAS A PROBLEM! Every time you turn around it seems as though a different program is being investigated, put on some sort of sanctions, or having players suspended for some sort of violation of NCAA rules. According to the NCAA “student-athletes” (on scholarship) should perform for their university for the payment of tuition & fees, books, room & board, and a small stipend. To some people that may seem like a sweet deal. The “student-athlete” gets the opportunity to receive a free education in exchange for playing a sport that they enjoy. I too agree with that train of thought on the surface. However, once you pull back the top layer of that logic, you begin to see that this statement makes no sense at all and that they NCAA is simply an unconscionable organization that has figured out a way to profit handsomely on the backs of those working for basically nothing. Now, I will not disrespect those who suffered through one of the most troubling times in our nation’s history say that the NCAA and the BCS conferences are treating the “student-athletes” like slaves, but I will say that they are treating them more along the lines of how sharecroppers were treated.
I have heard the arguments made by some affiliated with major college athletics that say, that these kids are afforded the opportunity to receive a free education, which will prove to be priceless and provide the “student-athlete” with innumerable benefits over their lifetime. To that I call B.S! This is a case of providing someone with something that has no value to them. While it is true that there are some “student-athletes” who use their athletic abilities in order to get an education that will further them in life, more often than not, the athletes that fans fill the stadiums to see on Saturday’s are in college for one reason, and one reason only. To play football! Many of these kids do not have the academic credentials to otherwise be accepted and receive scholarships to the Universities that they represent on Saturday afternoons, nor do they have the capacity to succeed academically at these instituations. Therefore rewarding them with free tuition, books, and room & board is like my employer paying me with pepperoni pizza’s (I don’t eat pork). Giving someone something that is of no value to them is essentially the same as giving them nothing at all.
This has been a hotly debated issue on various websites, blogs, and by the paid talking heads on television. Many feel that it is now time for “student-athletes” to be paid. While I agree with that thought, I am not naive enough to actually think that will put an end to the problem. This will not solve the problem because it will be impossible for everyone to be satisfied with their pay. For instance, let’s pretend that the NCAA was paying all (BCS conference) football players $500 a month. That would mean that Terrell Pryor, the quarterback of Ohio State University, who is has won 3 Big Ten Championships, and has a 31-4 record as a starter would be paid the same as the third-string defensive tackle at Washington State. How difficult do you think it would be for someone to point that fact out to Pryor and offer him more than that allowance. Therefore, while the “student-athlete” should be paid, the problem will still persist. I have also heard someone say that the “student-athlete” should receive a percentage of the revenues from their jersey sells upon graduation. That won’t work either, because most don’t graduate. The bottom line is that big-time college football is not an extra-curricular activity. It is a multi-billion dollar business. EVERYONE profits from it except the players. Conferences sign billion dollar television deals, coaches are millionaires, and the schools get to reap the benefits from the sale of tickets, parking, concessions, and merchandise.
While most reasonable people agree that the system is flawed, no one has come up with a solution to this flawed system….until now. I have thought of a way to ensure that college football players are treated fairly, and also force the NCAA to return to their original mission and end the exploitation of the “student-athlete”. This solution will take a considerable investment from the NFL, but it will prove to be well worth it to them as well.
I will be the first to tell you that I like baseball about as much as I like ice hockey (I am a black man born and raised in Atlanta, so that should tell you how much I like ice hockey), but baseball’s minor league system is one of the best ideas in all of sports. With that in mind, I propose that the NFL create a minor league system. Not one with three levels, simply one league with each of the 32 NFL teams running one minor league team. Each NFL team should have a minor league team that is located in a different city within the state in which they play, or in a neighboring state. For instance, the Atlanta franchise could play in Macon Georgia, the Indianapolis franchise could play in Ft. Wayne Indiana, and the Philadelphia franchise could play in Deleware. These teams will be stocked with players drafted by the teams (in the newly expanded 14 round NFL draft) that four years are less out of high school. This means is that players will now have a choice coming out of high school. They could either attend college where they will have to stay a minimum of two years (I don’t like that part of my proposal, but I decided to throw the colleges a bone) or they can enter the NFL draft, where they will more than likely be taken in a later round and assigned to the team’s minor league affiliate.
I am well aware of the fact that a 17 or 18 year old kid is not physically or emotionally mature enough to play in the NFL. However, I feel as though being in an NFL system during those formative three or four years out of high school will be more beneficial to them then playing for a college coach. These minor league teams will be staffed by former NFL coaches who are looking to get back into the professional game. For example, the list of coaches could include Dennis Green, Jim Fassel , Herm Edwards, Dan Reeves just to name a few. Of course, there will also be a spot reserved for Chan Gailey because he is just a nice guy that always finds a landing spot when his employer decides to go in another direction. These coaches will teach these kids the pro game and develop their skills with an eye on being successful in the professional game. This is vastly different from the job that is being done at the college level, where the job of the coach is to win games, not to develop their stars to accomplish their dreams and succeed at the next level. The NFL will also love having the ability to train quarterbacks to play in a pro-style offense, and also teach offensive linemen to run block, which is becoming a lost art in the college game Minor league players will make between $40,000 and $60,000 per year. Therefore the players will be able to be paid a salary for their hard work, while also working toward their ultimate dream.
The NCAA would also benefit from my plan. Due to the fact that most of the athletes who have no interest in the academic programs at the respective schools will be earning a living in an NFL farm system, the NCAA will have a much easier time keeping the sport “clean” according to their standards. The term “student-athlete” will actually have real meaning. The students that choose to attend college would also feel better about the idea of playing for a free education (because I am sure that this plan will all but eliminate the billion dollar television deals and ultimately drive down the economic benefits of the coaches and administrators of the sport). Most major networks would choose to spend their money on the NFL minor leagues, which would essentially be the same quality of football that is played in major conferences today. Therefore the greed that surrounds what is allegedly amateur athletics will be gone, and amateur athletes can truly be amateur athletes instead of pawns in a highly lucrative game of chess that is currently being played between the major conferences and the television networks.
Earlier this week, a caller on a college sports radio show asked, “Why don’t schools just form football teams with the general student body, instead of recruiting athletes with the sole purpose of playing football?” The host replied, “That’s what the Ivy League does. When was the last time you saw one of their games on ESPN on a Saturday night?”
That conversation sums up the entire issue. College football is now big business, and everyone benefits besides the players that are putting it all on the line. It is time to put an end to that.
Follow me on twitter @scashhomey
It seems as though the NCAA is as busy as ever investigating and punishing schools and “student-athletes” for taking what they consider to be improper benefits. With that in mind, I ask, “How can an improper organization punish someone for taking improper benefits?” Let’s face it, the NCAA is one of the most hypocritical organizations in America. They have created rules that allow them to benefit from the hard work of others, who do not reap equal benefits, and then punish them for trying to benefit from their hard work.
According to their own website, the NCAA was originally formed in order to “protect young people from dangerous and exploitive practices…” This was in 1906, and over the years as college athletics has grown the scope of the organization’s duties have also grown. However, in my opinion it seems that the scope of the organization has grown to the point of directly doing one of the things that they explicitly set out to prevent, which is exploiting “student-athletes”.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAS A PROBLEM! Every time you turn around it seems as though a different program is being investigated, put on some sort of sanctions, or having players suspended for some sort of violation of NCAA rules. According to the NCAA “student-athletes” (on scholarship) should perform for their university for the payment of tuition & fees, books, room & board, and a small stipend. To some people that may seem like a sweet deal. The “student-athlete” gets the opportunity to receive a free education in exchange for playing a sport that they enjoy. I too agree with that train of thought on the surface. However, once you pull back the top layer of that logic, you begin to see that this statement makes no sense at all and that they NCAA is simply an unconscionable organization that has figured out a way to profit handsomely on the backs of those working for basically nothing. Now, I will not disrespect those who suffered through one of the most troubling times in our nation’s history say that the NCAA and the BCS conferences are treating the “student-athletes” like slaves, but I will say that they are treating them more along the lines of how sharecroppers were treated.
I have heard the arguments made by some affiliated with major college athletics that say, that these kids are afforded the opportunity to receive a free education, which will prove to be priceless and provide the “student-athlete” with innumerable benefits over their lifetime. To that I call B.S! This is a case of providing someone with something that has no value to them. While it is true that there are some “student-athletes” who use their athletic abilities in order to get an education that will further them in life, more often than not, the athletes that fans fill the stadiums to see on Saturday’s are in college for one reason, and one reason only. To play football! Many of these kids do not have the academic credentials to otherwise be accepted and receive scholarships to the Universities that they represent on Saturday afternoons, nor do they have the capacity to succeed academically at these instituations. Therefore rewarding them with free tuition, books, and room & board is like my employer paying me with pepperoni pizza’s (I don’t eat pork). Giving someone something that is of no value to them is essentially the same as giving them nothing at all.
This has been a hotly debated issue on various websites, blogs, and by the paid talking heads on television. Many feel that it is now time for “student-athletes” to be paid. While I agree with that thought, I am not naive enough to actually think that will put an end to the problem. This will not solve the problem because it will be impossible for everyone to be satisfied with their pay. For instance, let’s pretend that the NCAA was paying all (BCS conference) football players $500 a month. That would mean that Terrell Pryor, the quarterback of Ohio State University, who is has won 3 Big Ten Championships, and has a 31-4 record as a starter would be paid the same as the third-string defensive tackle at Washington State. How difficult do you think it would be for someone to point that fact out to Pryor and offer him more than that allowance. Therefore, while the “student-athlete” should be paid, the problem will still persist. I have also heard someone say that the “student-athlete” should receive a percentage of the revenues from their jersey sells upon graduation. That won’t work either, because most don’t graduate. The bottom line is that big-time college football is not an extra-curricular activity. It is a multi-billion dollar business. EVERYONE profits from it except the players. Conferences sign billion dollar television deals, coaches are millionaires, and the schools get to reap the benefits from the sale of tickets, parking, concessions, and merchandise.
While most reasonable people agree that the system is flawed, no one has come up with a solution to this flawed system….until now. I have thought of a way to ensure that college football players are treated fairly, and also force the NCAA to return to their original mission and end the exploitation of the “student-athlete”. This solution will take a considerable investment from the NFL, but it will prove to be well worth it to them as well.
I will be the first to tell you that I like baseball about as much as I like ice hockey (I am a black man born and raised in Atlanta, so that should tell you how much I like ice hockey), but baseball’s minor league system is one of the best ideas in all of sports. With that in mind, I propose that the NFL create a minor league system. Not one with three levels, simply one league with each of the 32 NFL teams running one minor league team. Each NFL team should have a minor league team that is located in a different city within the state in which they play, or in a neighboring state. For instance, the Atlanta franchise could play in Macon Georgia, the Indianapolis franchise could play in Ft. Wayne Indiana, and the Philadelphia franchise could play in Deleware. These teams will be stocked with players drafted by the teams (in the newly expanded 14 round NFL draft) that four years are less out of high school. This means is that players will now have a choice coming out of high school. They could either attend college where they will have to stay a minimum of two years (I don’t like that part of my proposal, but I decided to throw the colleges a bone) or they can enter the NFL draft, where they will more than likely be taken in a later round and assigned to the team’s minor league affiliate.
I am well aware of the fact that a 17 or 18 year old kid is not physically or emotionally mature enough to play in the NFL. However, I feel as though being in an NFL system during those formative three or four years out of high school will be more beneficial to them then playing for a college coach. These minor league teams will be staffed by former NFL coaches who are looking to get back into the professional game. For example, the list of coaches could include Dennis Green, Jim Fassel , Herm Edwards, Dan Reeves just to name a few. Of course, there will also be a spot reserved for Chan Gailey because he is just a nice guy that always finds a landing spot when his employer decides to go in another direction. These coaches will teach these kids the pro game and develop their skills with an eye on being successful in the professional game. This is vastly different from the job that is being done at the college level, where the job of the coach is to win games, not to develop their stars to accomplish their dreams and succeed at the next level. The NFL will also love having the ability to train quarterbacks to play in a pro-style offense, and also teach offensive linemen to run block, which is becoming a lost art in the college game Minor league players will make between $40,000 and $60,000 per year. Therefore the players will be able to be paid a salary for their hard work, while also working toward their ultimate dream.
The NCAA would also benefit from my plan. Due to the fact that most of the athletes who have no interest in the academic programs at the respective schools will be earning a living in an NFL farm system, the NCAA will have a much easier time keeping the sport “clean” according to their standards. The term “student-athlete” will actually have real meaning. The students that choose to attend college would also feel better about the idea of playing for a free education (because I am sure that this plan will all but eliminate the billion dollar television deals and ultimately drive down the economic benefits of the coaches and administrators of the sport). Most major networks would choose to spend their money on the NFL minor leagues, which would essentially be the same quality of football that is played in major conferences today. Therefore the greed that surrounds what is allegedly amateur athletics will be gone, and amateur athletes can truly be amateur athletes instead of pawns in a highly lucrative game of chess that is currently being played between the major conferences and the television networks.
Earlier this week, a caller on a college sports radio show asked, “Why don’t schools just form football teams with the general student body, instead of recruiting athletes with the sole purpose of playing football?” The host replied, “That’s what the Ivy League does. When was the last time you saw one of their games on ESPN on a Saturday night?”
That conversation sums up the entire issue. College football is now big business, and everyone benefits besides the players that are putting it all on the line. It is time to put an end to that.
Follow me on twitter @scashhomey
Monday, December 27, 2010
THE MYTHICAL BOOK
Can someone please show me the official NCAA rulebook? If you have a copy, please send it to me. I will even send you a self-addressed, pre-paid, Fed-Ex envelope in which to send it. I challenge anyone to produce this document, because I simply don’t believe that it exists. Until I see this book with my own eyes I will believe that the National Committee of Asinine Administrators are simple making up the rules as they go along, with a focus on accommodating the growth of their pocket books and the well-being of their highest revenue generating member institutions.
It’s no secret that I hate the NCAA, and would like nothing more than to see this hypocritical organization broken up like the $710 million revenue generating monopoly that they are. (This $710 million figure is according to THEIR 2009-2010 revenue budget), so FORGIVE ME FOR THINKING THAT THEY ARE NOT REPORTING EVERYTHING AND THAT THIS NUMBER IS INDEED UNDERSTATED!
I know that I may sound like the Mad Blogger right now (I keep hearing a voice in the back of my head shouting “tell’em why you mad son”), but the NCAA’s handling of the most recent incident at The University of Ohio State (at least that's what Pryor thinks that school is called) is absolutely ridiculous. Everyone outside of Auburn, Alabama should be mad as hell at this farce of a punishment that was given out to the NCAA darlings that reside in Columbus Ohio. Auburn fans, just keep your mouth shut on this one because you all are currently getting away with things that would make former SMU boosters proud (Cam Newton may be the highest paid state employee in Alabama).
Apparently four prominent (and six total) Buckeye football players (and allegedly student-athletes) have been found by the NCAA to have accepted improper benefits. These benefits were the proceeds that the players made by selling championship rings, jerseys, and other awards for cash. While I disagree with 90% of NCAA rules, I do believe that these stupid rules should be enforced fairly and evenly throughout all of their member institutions. This means that if players at two different schools violate an NCAA rule, they should be subject to the same punishment. This is obviously not the case with the NCAA. Apparently the punishment for selling memorabilia is a four to five game suspension (although I seriously doubt that we will see that in writing anywhere). I am guessing that this is the punishment because University of Georgia wide receiver AJ Greene (who should be the first receiver drafted in April) was forced to sit out four games and pay back the proceeds that he got from selling an Independence Bowl jersey. He sat out the first four games of Georgia’s season (presumably because they were the next four games after he was found to have violated the rules), which basically ended their season before it got started. The University of Ohio State on the other hand is governed by a different set of rules. Since they are among the NCAA and the bowl system's favorite programs, the punishment for their star players will be slightly different from Greene’s. They will face a five game suspension as opposed to Greene’s four game ban, however, this suspension does not start until next season. This means that these players will be able to play in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 4th.
Many people are wondering how you can suspend players for the following season for violations that you discovered this season. Also isn’t it much more of a deterant to other players if the players are forced to miss a BS (the “C” is optional, so you can include it if you like) game. It is logical for people to feel this way, but the logical people who have these questions must remember two things. 1) The NCAA is not a logical organization therefore they do not make logical decisions, EVER! and 2) This is The University of Ohio State, which means that they are indeed above the law.
Just think back to the days of Maurice Clarett, who received thousands of dollars in improper benefits while leading the old Scarlett and Gray to a National Championship in 2002. In addition to the improper benefits, he repeatedly lied to NCAA investigators about his dealings in Columbus. Instead of punishing the program, the NCAA let The University of Ohio State simply toss Clarett to the wayside, without suffering any punishment. So in essence, the player who led the team in rushing and practically won the National Championship for them single-handidly (by making great offensive and defensive plays) was dismissed from school (which he deserved), but the school got to keep their National Championship and all of the revenue that came with it, and coach sweater-vest is still stalking the sidelines in Columbus beating up on glorified high school teams around the state of Ohio, while playing in a BS game almost every year. Their non-conference schedule annually includes Ohio University, Akron, and Youngstown State. In addition to that, they play in a Big Ten Conference that usually proves to be pretty weak, yet year in and year out they are highly ranked and virtually ensured in playing in a top bowl game. Even this season, when the Big Ten Conference had a three-way tie at the top, the Buckeye's still received a BS bid over Michigan State, because they have more of a national profile and they “travel well” (I guess any vacation is better than going to Cleveland), and thanks to the NCAA they will be traveling with their starting quarterback, running back, and two other key starters.
The thing that really makes this punishment laughable is the fact that the four key players that were suspended for the first five games of next season are all eligible to enter the NFL draft. If they choose to do so (which I am sure at least three will), The University of Ohio State would receive virtually no punishment for this incident, which is to be suspected because the boys up there in Columbus are definitely above the law. The NCAA stated along with this decision that postseason play is a “unique opportunity” that is “evaluated differently” when it comes to punishment, which is in essence saying that this is a high-profile game and we want to put our best product on the field, damn the rules that we created to govern ourselves by.
Although I gladly cheer each time this asinine organization makes a bone-headed decision that makes them look like the idiots that they are, I must applaud them for at least pretending to crack down on players who sell their memorabilia and paraphanelia. There are some that argue that these items belong to the players and are theirs to sell if they please. I strongly disagree with this argument, because this will open the door to players selling their $300 conference championship rings to boosters for $20,000. If that wouldn’t amount to a recruiting advantage, I don’t know what would. Just imagine coach sweater-vest telling a recruit that he should come to The University of Ohio State where he can win Big-Ten championships and sell the rings for tens of thousands of dollars. Worse yet, boosters of schools that are recruiting high profile prospects could potentially start buying thier high school championship rings and t-shirts for thousands of dollars, just to let the recruits know how much they "love a winner".
For all of the Division 1 athletes that may read this entry, I want to leave you with some words of advice. Do not sell your personal rings and other awards until you are eligible to go pro, and your chances of getting away with it increases ten-fold if you attend The University of Ohio State.
One Final Thought: The NCAA ruled the players eligible to play, but the idiots at The University of Ohio State can take a stand and do the right thing by suspending the players themselves. I seriously doubt that they will do such a thing, but there is still the remote possibility that they will do what's right.
AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK:
BALLER OF THE WEEK: LeBron James (Miami Heat) – Last week he messed around and got a triple-double against the Lakers. LeBron proved once again that he is the best player in the league with his 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists on Christmas day.
BALLER OF THE WEEK: Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) – 25 of 37 for 404 yards with 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. They say that big-time players show up in big-time games, which is what Rodgers did in a must win game for his team’s playoff hopes.
SCRUB OF THE WEEK: The NFC West – If Seattle beats St. Louis on Sunday they will win the division with a 7-9 record. Worse yet, they will have a HOME game to open the playoffs. If this happens, something tells me the NFL will be reseeding playoff teams by record next season. The NFL also shares in this honor for making this game the NBC Sunday Night Football game. What did the rest of us do to deserve to have this as a nationally telvised game? This punishment should be reserved for the people in Seattle and St. Louis only!
Totally Unrelated to the World of Sports: If you enjoy hip-hop and are in the market for something new to bump in your iPod, I strongly recommend Friday Night Lights by J. Cole. Give it a listen if you haven't already, you won't be disappointed. As a matter of fact, if you download it for FREE from his website at http://www.jcolemusic.com/ and don't like it, I will give you your money back!
It’s no secret that I hate the NCAA, and would like nothing more than to see this hypocritical organization broken up like the $710 million revenue generating monopoly that they are. (This $710 million figure is according to THEIR 2009-2010 revenue budget), so FORGIVE ME FOR THINKING THAT THEY ARE NOT REPORTING EVERYTHING AND THAT THIS NUMBER IS INDEED UNDERSTATED!
I know that I may sound like the Mad Blogger right now (I keep hearing a voice in the back of my head shouting “tell’em why you mad son”), but the NCAA’s handling of the most recent incident at The University of Ohio State (at least that's what Pryor thinks that school is called) is absolutely ridiculous. Everyone outside of Auburn, Alabama should be mad as hell at this farce of a punishment that was given out to the NCAA darlings that reside in Columbus Ohio. Auburn fans, just keep your mouth shut on this one because you all are currently getting away with things that would make former SMU boosters proud (Cam Newton may be the highest paid state employee in Alabama).
Apparently four prominent (and six total) Buckeye football players (and allegedly student-athletes) have been found by the NCAA to have accepted improper benefits. These benefits were the proceeds that the players made by selling championship rings, jerseys, and other awards for cash. While I disagree with 90% of NCAA rules, I do believe that these stupid rules should be enforced fairly and evenly throughout all of their member institutions. This means that if players at two different schools violate an NCAA rule, they should be subject to the same punishment. This is obviously not the case with the NCAA. Apparently the punishment for selling memorabilia is a four to five game suspension (although I seriously doubt that we will see that in writing anywhere). I am guessing that this is the punishment because University of Georgia wide receiver AJ Greene (who should be the first receiver drafted in April) was forced to sit out four games and pay back the proceeds that he got from selling an Independence Bowl jersey. He sat out the first four games of Georgia’s season (presumably because they were the next four games after he was found to have violated the rules), which basically ended their season before it got started. The University of Ohio State on the other hand is governed by a different set of rules. Since they are among the NCAA and the bowl system's favorite programs, the punishment for their star players will be slightly different from Greene’s. They will face a five game suspension as opposed to Greene’s four game ban, however, this suspension does not start until next season. This means that these players will be able to play in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 4th.
Many people are wondering how you can suspend players for the following season for violations that you discovered this season. Also isn’t it much more of a deterant to other players if the players are forced to miss a BS (the “C” is optional, so you can include it if you like) game. It is logical for people to feel this way, but the logical people who have these questions must remember two things. 1) The NCAA is not a logical organization therefore they do not make logical decisions, EVER! and 2) This is The University of Ohio State, which means that they are indeed above the law.
Just think back to the days of Maurice Clarett, who received thousands of dollars in improper benefits while leading the old Scarlett and Gray to a National Championship in 2002. In addition to the improper benefits, he repeatedly lied to NCAA investigators about his dealings in Columbus. Instead of punishing the program, the NCAA let The University of Ohio State simply toss Clarett to the wayside, without suffering any punishment. So in essence, the player who led the team in rushing and practically won the National Championship for them single-handidly (by making great offensive and defensive plays) was dismissed from school (which he deserved), but the school got to keep their National Championship and all of the revenue that came with it, and coach sweater-vest is still stalking the sidelines in Columbus beating up on glorified high school teams around the state of Ohio, while playing in a BS game almost every year. Their non-conference schedule annually includes Ohio University, Akron, and Youngstown State. In addition to that, they play in a Big Ten Conference that usually proves to be pretty weak, yet year in and year out they are highly ranked and virtually ensured in playing in a top bowl game. Even this season, when the Big Ten Conference had a three-way tie at the top, the Buckeye's still received a BS bid over Michigan State, because they have more of a national profile and they “travel well” (I guess any vacation is better than going to Cleveland), and thanks to the NCAA they will be traveling with their starting quarterback, running back, and two other key starters.
The thing that really makes this punishment laughable is the fact that the four key players that were suspended for the first five games of next season are all eligible to enter the NFL draft. If they choose to do so (which I am sure at least three will), The University of Ohio State would receive virtually no punishment for this incident, which is to be suspected because the boys up there in Columbus are definitely above the law. The NCAA stated along with this decision that postseason play is a “unique opportunity” that is “evaluated differently” when it comes to punishment, which is in essence saying that this is a high-profile game and we want to put our best product on the field, damn the rules that we created to govern ourselves by.
Although I gladly cheer each time this asinine organization makes a bone-headed decision that makes them look like the idiots that they are, I must applaud them for at least pretending to crack down on players who sell their memorabilia and paraphanelia. There are some that argue that these items belong to the players and are theirs to sell if they please. I strongly disagree with this argument, because this will open the door to players selling their $300 conference championship rings to boosters for $20,000. If that wouldn’t amount to a recruiting advantage, I don’t know what would. Just imagine coach sweater-vest telling a recruit that he should come to The University of Ohio State where he can win Big-Ten championships and sell the rings for tens of thousands of dollars. Worse yet, boosters of schools that are recruiting high profile prospects could potentially start buying thier high school championship rings and t-shirts for thousands of dollars, just to let the recruits know how much they "love a winner".
For all of the Division 1 athletes that may read this entry, I want to leave you with some words of advice. Do not sell your personal rings and other awards until you are eligible to go pro, and your chances of getting away with it increases ten-fold if you attend The University of Ohio State.
One Final Thought: The NCAA ruled the players eligible to play, but the idiots at The University of Ohio State can take a stand and do the right thing by suspending the players themselves. I seriously doubt that they will do such a thing, but there is still the remote possibility that they will do what's right.
AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK:
BALLER OF THE WEEK: LeBron James (Miami Heat) – Last week he messed around and got a triple-double against the Lakers. LeBron proved once again that he is the best player in the league with his 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists on Christmas day.
BALLER OF THE WEEK: Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) – 25 of 37 for 404 yards with 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. They say that big-time players show up in big-time games, which is what Rodgers did in a must win game for his team’s playoff hopes.
SCRUB OF THE WEEK: The NFC West – If Seattle beats St. Louis on Sunday they will win the division with a 7-9 record. Worse yet, they will have a HOME game to open the playoffs. If this happens, something tells me the NFL will be reseeding playoff teams by record next season. The NFL also shares in this honor for making this game the NBC Sunday Night Football game. What did the rest of us do to deserve to have this as a nationally telvised game? This punishment should be reserved for the people in Seattle and St. Louis only!
Totally Unrelated to the World of Sports: If you enjoy hip-hop and are in the market for something new to bump in your iPod, I strongly recommend Friday Night Lights by J. Cole. Give it a listen if you haven't already, you won't be disappointed. As a matter of fact, if you download it for FREE from his website at http://www.jcolemusic.com/ and don't like it, I will give you your money back!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
KEEP YOUR WORD COACH
**Remember that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (thus the pink blog). Please do whatever you can to contribute to finding a cure for this terrible disease that affects so many.**
The one skill that separates good college football coaches from great college football coaches is their ability to recruit. Great players can make average coaches look much better than they actually are (i.e. Larry Coker during his Miami run), and average players can make great coaches look average (i.e. Steve Spurrier at South Carolina). College coaches are willing to do any and everything to get these great players to play for them. For instance, I am yet to figure out how Ron Zook can consistently get great players to play for him. Some coaches bend the rules to get recruits on campus, while other coaches flat out break the rules to get recruits on campus. There are even those who play by the rules. No matter what approach they take, success in big-time college recruiting comes down to one skill. The ability to make an 18 year old kid feel like he is an athletic god, and convincing his parents that you will take care of him as if he was your own son, make sure he gets a great education, and do your best to help him get to the next level in life, whether he intends to play in the NFL or be one of the remaining 94,328 (whatever that commercial says) players that will go pro in something else. I am not going to sit here and call all college coaches liars, but I am sure that they some interesting things to players, parents, and high school coaches to convince them that their university is the right place for them.
In Saturday's game against the Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma quarterback (and reigning Heisman Trophy winner) Sam Bradford was knocked out of the game for the second time this season with an injury to his throwing shoulder. The first shoulder injury caused Bradford to miss three games, and it is thought that this injury is similar to the first one. For those of you who don’t fully understand the significance of an injury to a quarterback’s throwing shoulder, I will try my best to explain. I want to make it clear that I am not a medical doctor nor am I a football coach, but I think I can explain this one. The quarterback is the player on the football team who is responsible for throwing the ball. You throw the ball with you arm, and the shoulder is the second most important part of the arm (behind the elbow) when it comes to throwing a ball. To make a long story short, Bradford is one serious shoulder injury away from throwing like Chad Pennington. No disrespect to Pennington, who gets more out of a dollar store water pistol arm than any quarterback in NFL history, but being compared to Chad Pennington will definitely have an adverse affect on Bradford’s draft prospects. In my very knowledgeable opinion, he is on track to become the next quarterback of the St. Louis Rams. (That’s my fancy way of saying that he will be the first pick in the 2010 NFL draft.) While most players would dread being drafted by a franchise in such disarray, the $40+ million in guaranteed money that the first pick will receive, should do a lot to make St. Louis look like a wonderful place to play football.
With so much at stake for Bradford, It is now time for Bob Stoops to put the player’s physical and financial health ahead of his desire to win games this season. I am sure that Bob Stoops made the same empty promises to Bradford’s parents that he has to every other star player that he has recruited. But now, it is time for Stoops to be a man of his word, and SHUT DOWN BRADFORD FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON!!!!
Oklahoma is currently 3-3 on the season and 1-1 in the conference, with that loss coming to Texas (who would own the tie-breaker if they finished with the same conference record). Therefore, it is safe to say that they will not be playing for the national championship this season, and their chances of playing for the conference championship are essentially dead as well. That being said, it is clear that they really don’t have anything to play for, except pride, which is a responsibility that your backup quarterback should be able to handle. Truth be told, if they were undefeated and ranked 1st in the nation, I would still feel as though it would be irresponsible for Stoops to allow Bradford back on the field.
Bradford is twenty-two years old, and is obviously going to want to get back on the field as soon as possible. If he comes out and says that he wants to shut it down for the season to protect his draft status, college football fans and the college football media are going to bash him repeatedly for being “selfish” and for “thinking about himself more than the program.” Which is why, he should continue to rehab as hard as possible and say all of the “right” things about wanting to get back on the field with his teammates and win games for Oklahoma (blah, blah, blah). Bob Stoops on the other had should be the responsible adult who protects the kid from himself by making sure that he never plays another down as a college football player. It is the job of Stoops to make sure that everyone sees the big picture, and realize that he must do what is best for Sam Bradford the person, and not the Oklahoma football program that will still be there long after Bradford is gone.
Truthfully, I don’t believe that college football programs or the NCAA really cares about what is in the best interest of their student athletes. The only thing that they really care about is money. With Bradford on the field, Oklahoma would definitely get more media exposure (which would help recruiting). They would also win more games, and play in a third tier bowl game, instead of a fourth tier bowl game (more money for the school). Bob Stoops would also get to increase his career wins. Basically, everyone EXCEPT BRADFORD has something to gain from him risking a career altering or ending injury, and continuing to play.
Now is the time for Bob Stoops to step up and show future recruits that he really does have their best interest in mind and will always do what is best for them long-term, even if it hurts the short-term future of his program. Whether he is man enough to do it remains to be seen. All I know is that Sam Bradford is one shoulder injury away from becoming Chad Pennington, and it would be a shame if he suffers that hit on a college football field before he ever gets to cash in on all of his talent and potential. Stoops, DO THE RIGHT THING & SIT THE KID!!!! The future of the Rams is in your hands.
AND NOW FOR MY BALLER AND SCRUB OF THE WEEK!
BALLER: Mark Ingram (Running Back - University of Alabama) - Although I despise Nick Saban, I absolutely love to watch the University of Alabama football team. Simply put, THEY PLAY THE GAME THE WAY IT SHOULD BE PLAYED! They play clean, hard, and with BAD INTENTIONS!!!! The ring leader on their offense is running back Mark Ingram. Ingram earns Baller Status for his 24 carry 246 yard performance against South Carolina. For those of you who aren't very good at math, that's a whopping 10.3 YARDS PER CARRY! He also had a touchdown. HE IS A BAD MAN!!!!
SCRUB: Rush Limbaugh (REJECTED Owner of the St. Louis Rams) - Rush, you being my Scrub of the Week has nothing to do with your political beliefs. This is America, and you have the right to be either Democrat, Republican, Independent, Any Combination of Them, or Neither. That is your business. However, the reason that you are my Scrub of the Week is because you actually tried to become a part owner of a team in a league that is nearly 70% African-American after you have made numerous racial and prejudice statements about African-Americans and black NFL players over the years. Are you serious? This isn't a politcal blog, so I won't get into Limbaugh's infamous quotes. Let's just say he isn't the type of person who needs to own a team that is mostly made up of African-Americans. Nothing good can come from that situation.
The one skill that separates good college football coaches from great college football coaches is their ability to recruit. Great players can make average coaches look much better than they actually are (i.e. Larry Coker during his Miami run), and average players can make great coaches look average (i.e. Steve Spurrier at South Carolina). College coaches are willing to do any and everything to get these great players to play for them. For instance, I am yet to figure out how Ron Zook can consistently get great players to play for him. Some coaches bend the rules to get recruits on campus, while other coaches flat out break the rules to get recruits on campus. There are even those who play by the rules. No matter what approach they take, success in big-time college recruiting comes down to one skill. The ability to make an 18 year old kid feel like he is an athletic god, and convincing his parents that you will take care of him as if he was your own son, make sure he gets a great education, and do your best to help him get to the next level in life, whether he intends to play in the NFL or be one of the remaining 94,328 (whatever that commercial says) players that will go pro in something else. I am not going to sit here and call all college coaches liars, but I am sure that they some interesting things to players, parents, and high school coaches to convince them that their university is the right place for them.
In Saturday's game against the Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma quarterback (and reigning Heisman Trophy winner) Sam Bradford was knocked out of the game for the second time this season with an injury to his throwing shoulder. The first shoulder injury caused Bradford to miss three games, and it is thought that this injury is similar to the first one. For those of you who don’t fully understand the significance of an injury to a quarterback’s throwing shoulder, I will try my best to explain. I want to make it clear that I am not a medical doctor nor am I a football coach, but I think I can explain this one. The quarterback is the player on the football team who is responsible for throwing the ball. You throw the ball with you arm, and the shoulder is the second most important part of the arm (behind the elbow) when it comes to throwing a ball. To make a long story short, Bradford is one serious shoulder injury away from throwing like Chad Pennington. No disrespect to Pennington, who gets more out of a dollar store water pistol arm than any quarterback in NFL history, but being compared to Chad Pennington will definitely have an adverse affect on Bradford’s draft prospects. In my very knowledgeable opinion, he is on track to become the next quarterback of the St. Louis Rams. (That’s my fancy way of saying that he will be the first pick in the 2010 NFL draft.) While most players would dread being drafted by a franchise in such disarray, the $40+ million in guaranteed money that the first pick will receive, should do a lot to make St. Louis look like a wonderful place to play football.
With so much at stake for Bradford, It is now time for Bob Stoops to put the player’s physical and financial health ahead of his desire to win games this season. I am sure that Bob Stoops made the same empty promises to Bradford’s parents that he has to every other star player that he has recruited. But now, it is time for Stoops to be a man of his word, and SHUT DOWN BRADFORD FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON!!!!
Oklahoma is currently 3-3 on the season and 1-1 in the conference, with that loss coming to Texas (who would own the tie-breaker if they finished with the same conference record). Therefore, it is safe to say that they will not be playing for the national championship this season, and their chances of playing for the conference championship are essentially dead as well. That being said, it is clear that they really don’t have anything to play for, except pride, which is a responsibility that your backup quarterback should be able to handle. Truth be told, if they were undefeated and ranked 1st in the nation, I would still feel as though it would be irresponsible for Stoops to allow Bradford back on the field.
Bradford is twenty-two years old, and is obviously going to want to get back on the field as soon as possible. If he comes out and says that he wants to shut it down for the season to protect his draft status, college football fans and the college football media are going to bash him repeatedly for being “selfish” and for “thinking about himself more than the program.” Which is why, he should continue to rehab as hard as possible and say all of the “right” things about wanting to get back on the field with his teammates and win games for Oklahoma (blah, blah, blah). Bob Stoops on the other had should be the responsible adult who protects the kid from himself by making sure that he never plays another down as a college football player. It is the job of Stoops to make sure that everyone sees the big picture, and realize that he must do what is best for Sam Bradford the person, and not the Oklahoma football program that will still be there long after Bradford is gone.
Truthfully, I don’t believe that college football programs or the NCAA really cares about what is in the best interest of their student athletes. The only thing that they really care about is money. With Bradford on the field, Oklahoma would definitely get more media exposure (which would help recruiting). They would also win more games, and play in a third tier bowl game, instead of a fourth tier bowl game (more money for the school). Bob Stoops would also get to increase his career wins. Basically, everyone EXCEPT BRADFORD has something to gain from him risking a career altering or ending injury, and continuing to play.
Now is the time for Bob Stoops to step up and show future recruits that he really does have their best interest in mind and will always do what is best for them long-term, even if it hurts the short-term future of his program. Whether he is man enough to do it remains to be seen. All I know is that Sam Bradford is one shoulder injury away from becoming Chad Pennington, and it would be a shame if he suffers that hit on a college football field before he ever gets to cash in on all of his talent and potential. Stoops, DO THE RIGHT THING & SIT THE KID!!!! The future of the Rams is in your hands.
AND NOW FOR MY BALLER AND SCRUB OF THE WEEK!
BALLER: Mark Ingram (Running Back - University of Alabama) - Although I despise Nick Saban, I absolutely love to watch the University of Alabama football team. Simply put, THEY PLAY THE GAME THE WAY IT SHOULD BE PLAYED! They play clean, hard, and with BAD INTENTIONS!!!! The ring leader on their offense is running back Mark Ingram. Ingram earns Baller Status for his 24 carry 246 yard performance against South Carolina. For those of you who aren't very good at math, that's a whopping 10.3 YARDS PER CARRY! He also had a touchdown. HE IS A BAD MAN!!!!
SCRUB: Rush Limbaugh (REJECTED Owner of the St. Louis Rams) - Rush, you being my Scrub of the Week has nothing to do with your political beliefs. This is America, and you have the right to be either Democrat, Republican, Independent, Any Combination of Them, or Neither. That is your business. However, the reason that you are my Scrub of the Week is because you actually tried to become a part owner of a team in a league that is nearly 70% African-American after you have made numerous racial and prejudice statements about African-Americans and black NFL players over the years. Are you serious? This isn't a politcal blog, so I won't get into Limbaugh's infamous quotes. Let's just say he isn't the type of person who needs to own a team that is mostly made up of African-Americans. Nothing good can come from that situation.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
IT IS TIME FOR BOBBY TO GRACEFULLY BOW OUT
I am going to change up the format of this week’s blog. Instead of ending with the Baller & Scrub of the Week, I am going to start with my Baller of the Week and then end with my Scrub of the Week.
BALLER OF THE WEEK: THE NFL – While watching the NFL last Sunday, you may have noticed that a lot of coaches were wearing baseball caps with pink bills. Officials are also wearing pink wristbands. The goal posts are protected by pink padding, and commentators & game analysts have been wearing their best pink shirts and ties. Most notably, the players have been wearing pink wristbands, gloves, and thanks to a brilliant idea by DeAngelo Williams of the Carolina Panthers, pink cleats. For those that don’t know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast Cancer affects roughly 1 in every 8 American women and countless other worldwide. The purpose of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to raise awareness of the disease and to also raise money to continue to improve treatment and ultimately find a cure. The NFL, which is the most popular sports league in America, is definitely doing its part to raise awareness through its high-visibility support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many of the pink items that are being worn by players and coaches can be purchased from nflshop.com with a portion of the proceeds going to breast cancer research.
All over America, a variety of fundraisers are taking place to raise money to fight breast cancer. Walks are one of the most popular types of fundraisers. My wife will be participating in American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.” If you would like to sponsor her by making a donation to the American Cancer Society’s efforts to fight breast cancer, please click on the link below.
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY10SouthAtlantic?px=13127018&pg=personal&fr_id=19944&fl=en_US&et=5ytmJfK6d1OE2FiXxAR-xw..&s_tafId=360975
You may have noticed that this week’s entry appears to be written in pink font. Don’t adjust the color settings on your monitor. This is my way of contributing to the fight against breast cancer. Therefore all entries written this month will be done in pink (with a dark background so that it can easily be read).
Now for this week’s entry:
This is by far the most difficult blog entry that I have had to write since I started STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! For those of you who know me or read this blog regularly, it is obvious that I am a huge sports fan. Although, I enjoy watching many different sports, players, and teams there are four entities that I am especially loyal to. I am obviously a HUGE NFL FAN! I enjoy the entire league, I don’t have one particular team that I am a fan or, I am simply a fan of NFL football. I watch and follow every team in the league. I am also the Self-appointed President of the unofficial Atlanta Hawks fan club. I have been a Hawks fan forever, and have been serving in my current capacity of self-appointed President since 2004. I am also a big fan of the University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball program, and the Florida State University football program. The fact that I have been a Florida State football fan since my childhood is what makes this such a difficult entry to write. I regretfully say that IT IS NOW TIME FOR BOBBY BOWDEN TO GRACEFULLY BOW OUT!!!!
Since 1976 (before I was born) Bobby Bowden has been a stalwart on the sidelines at Florida State University. During his illustrious tenure with the Seminoles, Bowden has won 12 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships (FSU didn’t join the conference until 1991) and 2 National Championships. His career record as a head coach (including stints at Samford University & West Virginia) is 384-127-4. His 384 career wins are second all-time behind only Joe Paterno of Penn State (388 wins). Of Bowden’s 384 wins, 311 of them came at Florida State. Needless to say, he is a legendary coach and figure in college football. He has also coached many future NFL stars such as Warrick Dunn, Deion Sanders, Derrick Brooks, Peter Boulware, Darnell Dockett, and Leon Washington just to name a few. I could name more but it really would take up too much space. However, I would be remised if I didn’t mention Charlie Ward, who never played in the NFL for reasons that are an entirely different blog topic.
In the 73 years of football at FSU before Bowden’s arrival Florida State had a combined record of 157-136-14. This includes a 19-37 record in the in the last four seasons before Bowden took over. This basically shows that the Florida State University Football Program was built by Bobby Bowden. Unfortunately, today it seems as though it is being destroyed by Bobby Bowden.
There are those that say, “Bowden built that program from nothing, so he should be able to coach as long as he wants to.” I used to be amongst that crowd until I stood back and took an objective look at the program that I have loved since childhood. The truth is that since the end of the 2000 season, FSU has a record of 69-40. Now I know that some of you are wondering what all the fuss is about, because that is a respectable record that a lot of schools would love to have. That is true for most schools, but not for an elite program, the caliber of which Florida State used to be. Prior to 2001, FSU had an unprecedented streak of finishing the season ranked in the top five for 14 CONSECUTIVE YEARS!!!! Do you really think a program that had grown accustomed to that type of success can deal with living in the land of the mediocre programs? We are talking about a team that had grown accustomed to annually playing in the few bowl games that should actually exist. Their last three bowl appearances have been in the Emerald Bowl, Music City Bowl, and the Champs Sports Bowl. Now, I am not putting down other programs that would be celebrating such bowl appearances, but at Florida State this is flat out embarrassing.
There are also those that say that, “It may be time for Bowden to step down, but FSU has to handle this situation better than they have.” To those people I ask, “How can Florida State handle the situation any better than they have?” Not only does everyone know that this should be Bowden’s last season as head coach, they also know that his last season should have been about four years ago. The Florida State University administration has been tremendously patient with Bowden. They have endured countless scandals, the recent losing, and in my opinion, six years of the worst offensive play-calling in the history of college football. The six years I am referring to are 2001-2006 when Bobby’s son, Jeff served as offensive coordinator. With Jeff Bowden calling the plays, you could be certain of one thing. You were going to see a plethora of screen passes each Saturday afternoon. Down and distance didn’t matter, he was going to be sure that he got at least 30 screen passes into every game plan. Whether they up by 20 or down by 20, you can be sure that a screen pass was coming at some point on each drive.
I must commend FSU for being proactive and going ahead a hiring their next head coach. I feel as though Jimbo Fisher will do an excellent job to restore Florida State back to their rightful place among college football’s elite programs. He is an innovative offensive mind who has a track record of success. Many people say, “Bobby doesn’t coach now, so why bother forcing him out as head coach?” I agree that at this point Bobby Bowden is no more than a figurehead. His primary role at this point consists of mostly shaking hands and kissing babies to raise money for the program. However, there is one problem with him staying on in his current figurehead capacity. He still has the title of head coach, therefore giving him complete control over the coaching staff. Bobby is an extremely loyal person, which is why his assistant coaches enjoy great job security. There needs to be some staff-wide changes that won’t take place until Jimbo is officially made head coach. Mickey Andrews is certainly not the defensive genius that he once was and Bobby even welcomed back fired NC State coach Chuck Amato (who was originally on Bobby’s staff from 1981 to 1999). The bottom line is that it is time for sweeping changes at FSU and they won’t take place until the Jimbo Fisher era officially begins.
You may have noticed that I have not mentioned Bowden’s age one time in this entry (he will be 80 years old in November), because that honestly doesn’t matter to me. Truthfully, if FSU were still winning and competing year in and year out for Conference and (more importantly) National Championships, I would not be writing this blog. I feel as though, as Tony Kornheiser likes to say, “THIS IS A GOTS TO GO SITUATION!”
I know that everything is cyclical, but at no point in the cycle should Florida State be the fourth best college football team in the state of Florida (behind Florida, Miami, and South Florida with Central Florida and Florida Atlantic fast approaching at this pace). The arrow on this program is clearly pointing down, and I honestly don’t think it will ever point up again under Bowden’s leadership.
By no means am I saying that FSU should kick Bowden out like yesterday’s trash, I mean he did build the program. He should be given a football related role within the athletic department and he should be paid his entire coaching salary (over $2 million annuallly) for the rest of his life. However, he should no longer be the football coach. The 2010 season should start a new era of Florida State football.
SCRUB OF THE WEEK: Florida State University Football Team – You are currently 2-4 overall with a 0-3 conference record. That’s why you are my Scrub of the Week. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
BALLER OF THE WEEK: THE NFL – While watching the NFL last Sunday, you may have noticed that a lot of coaches were wearing baseball caps with pink bills. Officials are also wearing pink wristbands. The goal posts are protected by pink padding, and commentators & game analysts have been wearing their best pink shirts and ties. Most notably, the players have been wearing pink wristbands, gloves, and thanks to a brilliant idea by DeAngelo Williams of the Carolina Panthers, pink cleats. For those that don’t know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast Cancer affects roughly 1 in every 8 American women and countless other worldwide. The purpose of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to raise awareness of the disease and to also raise money to continue to improve treatment and ultimately find a cure. The NFL, which is the most popular sports league in America, is definitely doing its part to raise awareness through its high-visibility support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many of the pink items that are being worn by players and coaches can be purchased from nflshop.com with a portion of the proceeds going to breast cancer research.
All over America, a variety of fundraisers are taking place to raise money to fight breast cancer. Walks are one of the most popular types of fundraisers. My wife will be participating in American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.” If you would like to sponsor her by making a donation to the American Cancer Society’s efforts to fight breast cancer, please click on the link below.
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY10SouthAtlantic?px=13127018&pg=personal&fr_id=19944&fl=en_US&et=5ytmJfK6d1OE2FiXxAR-xw..&s_tafId=360975
You may have noticed that this week’s entry appears to be written in pink font. Don’t adjust the color settings on your monitor. This is my way of contributing to the fight against breast cancer. Therefore all entries written this month will be done in pink (with a dark background so that it can easily be read).
Now for this week’s entry:
This is by far the most difficult blog entry that I have had to write since I started STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! For those of you who know me or read this blog regularly, it is obvious that I am a huge sports fan. Although, I enjoy watching many different sports, players, and teams there are four entities that I am especially loyal to. I am obviously a HUGE NFL FAN! I enjoy the entire league, I don’t have one particular team that I am a fan or, I am simply a fan of NFL football. I watch and follow every team in the league. I am also the Self-appointed President of the unofficial Atlanta Hawks fan club. I have been a Hawks fan forever, and have been serving in my current capacity of self-appointed President since 2004. I am also a big fan of the University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball program, and the Florida State University football program. The fact that I have been a Florida State football fan since my childhood is what makes this such a difficult entry to write. I regretfully say that IT IS NOW TIME FOR BOBBY BOWDEN TO GRACEFULLY BOW OUT!!!!
Since 1976 (before I was born) Bobby Bowden has been a stalwart on the sidelines at Florida State University. During his illustrious tenure with the Seminoles, Bowden has won 12 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships (FSU didn’t join the conference until 1991) and 2 National Championships. His career record as a head coach (including stints at Samford University & West Virginia) is 384-127-4. His 384 career wins are second all-time behind only Joe Paterno of Penn State (388 wins). Of Bowden’s 384 wins, 311 of them came at Florida State. Needless to say, he is a legendary coach and figure in college football. He has also coached many future NFL stars such as Warrick Dunn, Deion Sanders, Derrick Brooks, Peter Boulware, Darnell Dockett, and Leon Washington just to name a few. I could name more but it really would take up too much space. However, I would be remised if I didn’t mention Charlie Ward, who never played in the NFL for reasons that are an entirely different blog topic.
In the 73 years of football at FSU before Bowden’s arrival Florida State had a combined record of 157-136-14. This includes a 19-37 record in the in the last four seasons before Bowden took over. This basically shows that the Florida State University Football Program was built by Bobby Bowden. Unfortunately, today it seems as though it is being destroyed by Bobby Bowden.
There are those that say, “Bowden built that program from nothing, so he should be able to coach as long as he wants to.” I used to be amongst that crowd until I stood back and took an objective look at the program that I have loved since childhood. The truth is that since the end of the 2000 season, FSU has a record of 69-40. Now I know that some of you are wondering what all the fuss is about, because that is a respectable record that a lot of schools would love to have. That is true for most schools, but not for an elite program, the caliber of which Florida State used to be. Prior to 2001, FSU had an unprecedented streak of finishing the season ranked in the top five for 14 CONSECUTIVE YEARS!!!! Do you really think a program that had grown accustomed to that type of success can deal with living in the land of the mediocre programs? We are talking about a team that had grown accustomed to annually playing in the few bowl games that should actually exist. Their last three bowl appearances have been in the Emerald Bowl, Music City Bowl, and the Champs Sports Bowl. Now, I am not putting down other programs that would be celebrating such bowl appearances, but at Florida State this is flat out embarrassing.
There are also those that say that, “It may be time for Bowden to step down, but FSU has to handle this situation better than they have.” To those people I ask, “How can Florida State handle the situation any better than they have?” Not only does everyone know that this should be Bowden’s last season as head coach, they also know that his last season should have been about four years ago. The Florida State University administration has been tremendously patient with Bowden. They have endured countless scandals, the recent losing, and in my opinion, six years of the worst offensive play-calling in the history of college football. The six years I am referring to are 2001-2006 when Bobby’s son, Jeff served as offensive coordinator. With Jeff Bowden calling the plays, you could be certain of one thing. You were going to see a plethora of screen passes each Saturday afternoon. Down and distance didn’t matter, he was going to be sure that he got at least 30 screen passes into every game plan. Whether they up by 20 or down by 20, you can be sure that a screen pass was coming at some point on each drive.
I must commend FSU for being proactive and going ahead a hiring their next head coach. I feel as though Jimbo Fisher will do an excellent job to restore Florida State back to their rightful place among college football’s elite programs. He is an innovative offensive mind who has a track record of success. Many people say, “Bobby doesn’t coach now, so why bother forcing him out as head coach?” I agree that at this point Bobby Bowden is no more than a figurehead. His primary role at this point consists of mostly shaking hands and kissing babies to raise money for the program. However, there is one problem with him staying on in his current figurehead capacity. He still has the title of head coach, therefore giving him complete control over the coaching staff. Bobby is an extremely loyal person, which is why his assistant coaches enjoy great job security. There needs to be some staff-wide changes that won’t take place until Jimbo is officially made head coach. Mickey Andrews is certainly not the defensive genius that he once was and Bobby even welcomed back fired NC State coach Chuck Amato (who was originally on Bobby’s staff from 1981 to 1999). The bottom line is that it is time for sweeping changes at FSU and they won’t take place until the Jimbo Fisher era officially begins.
You may have noticed that I have not mentioned Bowden’s age one time in this entry (he will be 80 years old in November), because that honestly doesn’t matter to me. Truthfully, if FSU were still winning and competing year in and year out for Conference and (more importantly) National Championships, I would not be writing this blog. I feel as though, as Tony Kornheiser likes to say, “THIS IS A GOTS TO GO SITUATION!”
I know that everything is cyclical, but at no point in the cycle should Florida State be the fourth best college football team in the state of Florida (behind Florida, Miami, and South Florida with Central Florida and Florida Atlantic fast approaching at this pace). The arrow on this program is clearly pointing down, and I honestly don’t think it will ever point up again under Bowden’s leadership.
By no means am I saying that FSU should kick Bowden out like yesterday’s trash, I mean he did build the program. He should be given a football related role within the athletic department and he should be paid his entire coaching salary (over $2 million annuallly) for the rest of his life. However, he should no longer be the football coach. The 2010 season should start a new era of Florida State football.
SCRUB OF THE WEEK: Florida State University Football Team – You are currently 2-4 overall with a 0-3 conference record. That’s why you are my Scrub of the Week. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
WHAT'S THE POINT
I never played big-time college sports, so hopefully someone who did or who knows more about college sports than I do can answer these two questions for me. What is the point of NCAA investigations? and How does the NCAA determine what programs or issues to investigate? The recent investigation into the high school transcript of a former University of Memphis player who fits the description of Derrick Rose has prompted me to ask these questions, because in my eyes, the NCAA is the most bass-ackwards sports organization that I have ever seen (that hasn’t been run by Isiah Thomas).
It has been reported by a variety of media outlets that the NCAA is investigating allegations of a player fitting the description of Derrick Rose using a stand-in for the SAT Test and having high-school grades changed so that he would be able to qualify for a scholarship at Memphis (where he only played the mandatory one season). Although these allegations would qualify as big violations of NCAA rules, I find the timing of this particular investigation rather peculiar. Since he has left high school Derrick Rose has led Memphis to a Final Four, become the #1 draft pick in the NBA, led the Chicago Bulls to the playoffs (where they participated in one of the best playoff series of all time), and won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year. So, I ask of you, do you really think that he cares about an NCAA investigation into his high school transcript? Also, if Barney Fife and the rest of the NCAA investigators find that these allegations are true, what can they do to him?
There are those who would argue that the investigation still needs to take place and that the coaches and/or administration must be held accountable if any wrong-doing has taken place. However, that will also be difficult to do because the “Teflon Don” himself John Calapari is no longer pacing the sidelines at Memphis. He has taken his great recruiting ability and excellent coaching skills to COLLEGE BASKETBALL WINNINGEST PROGRAM, The University of Kentucky (he has also been told that he is not at risk in the investigation). So again I ask, what is the point?
There are only a couple of possible outcomes for this investigation. One possibility is that nothing could happen. If the NCAA finds that no rules were broken during the recruiting of the player that fits Rose’s description, then life would go on as normal for all of the concerned parties. However, if it is decided that violations did take place, then Memphis will almost certainly face some sort of NCAA sanctions. This could mean that they could possibly have to forfeit their recent Final Four appearance and all of the income earned from it. Trust me, no one is going to forget that they made it to the Final Four even if the NCAA strips them of that distinction. Much like everyone still remembers the Fab Five of the University of Michigan from the early 90’s. The NCAA also found them guilty of rules violations and removed all of their records from the books, IN 2003 (man I’m glad the guilty parties had to deal with the consequences of their actions, the NCAA is never late, but always right on time)! They could also lose scholarships and/or be put on probation. What a way for new coach Josh Pastner to start his head coaching career?
As far as elite college basketball jobs go, the University of Memphis does not qualify as one of them. They are in a terribly weak conference and were only regularly on TV because they had a high-profile coach, in Calipari, that was able to recruit the kids that networks wanted to put on television and schedule games with big name programs. Now that he is gone, look for Memphis, if they avoid NCAA sanctions to remain near the top of Conference USA, but not garner very much national attention. On the other hand, if the NCAA does decide to sanction them, look for their program to follow a similar path as the Georgia Basketball program after the Jim Harrick fiasco. They were so hamstrung by sanctions and bad publicity that the next coach never had a chance. That would be terribly unfair to Pastner because he will be there to deal with the fallout, while Rose (if it is actually him that they are investigating) continues to collect NBA millions while becoming one of the faces of the NBA, and Calipari enjoys his thrown on top of the College Basketball World at the University of Kentucky. Since all of the alleged parties of interest have moved on, someone please tell me, what’s the point of this investigation again?
AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK
BALLER: Stan Van Gundy (Head Coach Orlando Magic) – You may look like the third Super Mario Brother or an “actor” that I won’t name here because this is a family blog, but you figured out a way to defeat LeBron James and the Pips in order to move on to the NBA Finals. Congratulations! Be sure that after you win the championship this year, that you go up to Pat Riley and tell him to “Kiss the Ring” for the way he played you during the 2005 – 2006 season. Now go out and beat the Lakers, because I HATE KOBE BRYANT!!!!
SCRUB: LeBron James’ Background Singers (AKA the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers) – What happened? You had the best regular season record in the NBA this season. Then you choked when it really counted. You gave LeBron James virtually no help in this playoff series. Outside of James and Delonte West, no one on that team showed any toughness on the court. In crunch time LeBron had to bring the ball up court, survey the defense, and make the play (shot or assist, and sometimes both) to keep you in the game. He also had to play virtually every minute of every game, which obviously wore him out. Just think, if he had just a little bit of help, you would be playing on the Big Stage in the NBA Finals. But instead you will continue to be his background singers in small nightclubs.
It has been reported by a variety of media outlets that the NCAA is investigating allegations of a player fitting the description of Derrick Rose using a stand-in for the SAT Test and having high-school grades changed so that he would be able to qualify for a scholarship at Memphis (where he only played the mandatory one season). Although these allegations would qualify as big violations of NCAA rules, I find the timing of this particular investigation rather peculiar. Since he has left high school Derrick Rose has led Memphis to a Final Four, become the #1 draft pick in the NBA, led the Chicago Bulls to the playoffs (where they participated in one of the best playoff series of all time), and won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year. So, I ask of you, do you really think that he cares about an NCAA investigation into his high school transcript? Also, if Barney Fife and the rest of the NCAA investigators find that these allegations are true, what can they do to him?
There are those who would argue that the investigation still needs to take place and that the coaches and/or administration must be held accountable if any wrong-doing has taken place. However, that will also be difficult to do because the “Teflon Don” himself John Calapari is no longer pacing the sidelines at Memphis. He has taken his great recruiting ability and excellent coaching skills to COLLEGE BASKETBALL WINNINGEST PROGRAM, The University of Kentucky (he has also been told that he is not at risk in the investigation). So again I ask, what is the point?
There are only a couple of possible outcomes for this investigation. One possibility is that nothing could happen. If the NCAA finds that no rules were broken during the recruiting of the player that fits Rose’s description, then life would go on as normal for all of the concerned parties. However, if it is decided that violations did take place, then Memphis will almost certainly face some sort of NCAA sanctions. This could mean that they could possibly have to forfeit their recent Final Four appearance and all of the income earned from it. Trust me, no one is going to forget that they made it to the Final Four even if the NCAA strips them of that distinction. Much like everyone still remembers the Fab Five of the University of Michigan from the early 90’s. The NCAA also found them guilty of rules violations and removed all of their records from the books, IN 2003 (man I’m glad the guilty parties had to deal with the consequences of their actions, the NCAA is never late, but always right on time)! They could also lose scholarships and/or be put on probation. What a way for new coach Josh Pastner to start his head coaching career?
As far as elite college basketball jobs go, the University of Memphis does not qualify as one of them. They are in a terribly weak conference and were only regularly on TV because they had a high-profile coach, in Calipari, that was able to recruit the kids that networks wanted to put on television and schedule games with big name programs. Now that he is gone, look for Memphis, if they avoid NCAA sanctions to remain near the top of Conference USA, but not garner very much national attention. On the other hand, if the NCAA does decide to sanction them, look for their program to follow a similar path as the Georgia Basketball program after the Jim Harrick fiasco. They were so hamstrung by sanctions and bad publicity that the next coach never had a chance. That would be terribly unfair to Pastner because he will be there to deal with the fallout, while Rose (if it is actually him that they are investigating) continues to collect NBA millions while becoming one of the faces of the NBA, and Calipari enjoys his thrown on top of the College Basketball World at the University of Kentucky. Since all of the alleged parties of interest have moved on, someone please tell me, what’s the point of this investigation again?
AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK
BALLER: Stan Van Gundy (Head Coach Orlando Magic) – You may look like the third Super Mario Brother or an “actor” that I won’t name here because this is a family blog, but you figured out a way to defeat LeBron James and the Pips in order to move on to the NBA Finals. Congratulations! Be sure that after you win the championship this year, that you go up to Pat Riley and tell him to “Kiss the Ring” for the way he played you during the 2005 – 2006 season. Now go out and beat the Lakers, because I HATE KOBE BRYANT!!!!
SCRUB: LeBron James’ Background Singers (AKA the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers) – What happened? You had the best regular season record in the NBA this season. Then you choked when it really counted. You gave LeBron James virtually no help in this playoff series. Outside of James and Delonte West, no one on that team showed any toughness on the court. In crunch time LeBron had to bring the ball up court, survey the defense, and make the play (shot or assist, and sometimes both) to keep you in the game. He also had to play virtually every minute of every game, which obviously wore him out. Just think, if he had just a little bit of help, you would be playing on the Big Stage in the NBA Finals. But instead you will continue to be his background singers in small nightclubs.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
THEY BETTER GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME
For the most part, the people who choose the college basketball player of the year are a pretty incompetent bunch. I’m not sure what their criteria is, but it seems to change from year to year. Some years, they obviously give it to the best player on the best team. Other years, they seem to give it to the best player at the biggest program. There have also been those years that they chose to reward the best non-freshman in the nation. Then there are the years that they give it to the person who actually deserves it. This year, they better do just that and give it to Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin. Not only should he win the award, but the voting should be unanimous. Although the choice seems obvious to those who believe what their eyes see, you can never count on the voters for college sports awards to make the obvious choice. Some years, they get it right and some years they miss worse than Shaq when shooting free throws.
Last season, they simply gave it to the best player on what was allegedly the best team. Don’t get me wrong, I think that Tyler Hansbrough is a fine college basketball player and has had a great career at North Carolina. But can anyone look me in my eyes with a straight-face and tell me that he was better than Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose last season….. I didn’t think so. Michael Beasley averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds a game in his only college basketball regular season. Yes, these numbers are great, but what makes them even better is the fact that he played for KANSAS STATE! That’s right, I said Kansas State. That’s not exactly what I call a powerhouse program. This is a school that basically didn’t exist in the world of college basketball before his arrival, and it has fallen off of the map after his departure. He was basically Beyonce while the rest of his teammates were Destiny’s Child, or he was Nelly and he played with the St. Lunatics. Perhaps the best way to put it is to say that he was Michael Jackson, and he was on the court with four Tito’s. He and he alone led that team to a 21 – 12 record and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Hansbrough on the other hand, averaged 23 points and 10 rebounds per game on a team that was absolutely loaded. Beasley faced double and triple teams all season because no one feared any of his teammates, but defenses had to honor the rest of the Tar Heels and be careful not to focus too much on Hansbrough. Simply put, Beasley did much more with much less than Hansbrough, and he should have been player of the year. Due to the fact that I have written several blog entries about Derrick Rose in the past and my readers know how I feel about his game, there is really no reason to discuss him any further.
The 2003 player of the year award also baffled me. T.J. Ford was the winner. Much like Hansbrough he was also a very good college basketball player, but 2003 was also Carmelo Anthony’s freshman year at Syracuse. Need I say more? So if you thought that T.J. Ford was a better college basketball player than Carmelo Anthony, please let me know. The argument that I heard most that year was that a freshman couldn’t win the award. That was simply a cop-out because Kevin Durant won it 2007 and he was basically the second coming of Carmelo Anthony, without the National Championship.
Although Griffin and Oklahoma fell one game short of the Final Four, the fact remains that he was hands down the best player in college basketball this year. He averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds this season, and has simply been dominant this season. Not only has he been great this year, but he should be the first pick of the NBA draft (which means that he stands to make a lot of STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!!), and trust me he will not be a bust. He is definitely not the second coming of Kwame Brown.
BLAKE GRIFFIN IS THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR, AND THE VOTER’S BETTER GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME!!!!
AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK!
BALLER: John Calipari (The next Head Coach of my Kentucky Wildcats) - This may be wishful thinking and a bit pre-mature, but I really hope that he is the next Head Coach of MY WILDCATS! Note to Calipari: This honor will be null and void if you do not become the Wildcats next coach.
SCRUB: Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) - As you all know, I HATE KOBE BRYANT! (read the blog entry "I HATE KOBE BRYANT" to find out why). But he is my Scrub of the Week because he is allegedly the best player in the league, yet he could hardly shake Mario West in Sunday's loss to Atlanta. The Hawks held him to just 17 points in Sunday's game, and the undrafted Mario West defended him about as good as anyone ever has (I only saw Bryant shake him once). I take special joy in honoring him as the SCRUB OF THE WEEK!!!!
Last season, they simply gave it to the best player on what was allegedly the best team. Don’t get me wrong, I think that Tyler Hansbrough is a fine college basketball player and has had a great career at North Carolina. But can anyone look me in my eyes with a straight-face and tell me that he was better than Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose last season….. I didn’t think so. Michael Beasley averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds a game in his only college basketball regular season. Yes, these numbers are great, but what makes them even better is the fact that he played for KANSAS STATE! That’s right, I said Kansas State. That’s not exactly what I call a powerhouse program. This is a school that basically didn’t exist in the world of college basketball before his arrival, and it has fallen off of the map after his departure. He was basically Beyonce while the rest of his teammates were Destiny’s Child, or he was Nelly and he played with the St. Lunatics. Perhaps the best way to put it is to say that he was Michael Jackson, and he was on the court with four Tito’s. He and he alone led that team to a 21 – 12 record and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Hansbrough on the other hand, averaged 23 points and 10 rebounds per game on a team that was absolutely loaded. Beasley faced double and triple teams all season because no one feared any of his teammates, but defenses had to honor the rest of the Tar Heels and be careful not to focus too much on Hansbrough. Simply put, Beasley did much more with much less than Hansbrough, and he should have been player of the year. Due to the fact that I have written several blog entries about Derrick Rose in the past and my readers know how I feel about his game, there is really no reason to discuss him any further.
The 2003 player of the year award also baffled me. T.J. Ford was the winner. Much like Hansbrough he was also a very good college basketball player, but 2003 was also Carmelo Anthony’s freshman year at Syracuse. Need I say more? So if you thought that T.J. Ford was a better college basketball player than Carmelo Anthony, please let me know. The argument that I heard most that year was that a freshman couldn’t win the award. That was simply a cop-out because Kevin Durant won it 2007 and he was basically the second coming of Carmelo Anthony, without the National Championship.
Although Griffin and Oklahoma fell one game short of the Final Four, the fact remains that he was hands down the best player in college basketball this year. He averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds this season, and has simply been dominant this season. Not only has he been great this year, but he should be the first pick of the NBA draft (which means that he stands to make a lot of STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!!), and trust me he will not be a bust. He is definitely not the second coming of Kwame Brown.
BLAKE GRIFFIN IS THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR, AND THE VOTER’S BETTER GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME!!!!
AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK!
BALLER: John Calipari (The next Head Coach of my Kentucky Wildcats) - This may be wishful thinking and a bit pre-mature, but I really hope that he is the next Head Coach of MY WILDCATS! Note to Calipari: This honor will be null and void if you do not become the Wildcats next coach.
SCRUB: Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) - As you all know, I HATE KOBE BRYANT! (read the blog entry "I HATE KOBE BRYANT" to find out why). But he is my Scrub of the Week because he is allegedly the best player in the league, yet he could hardly shake Mario West in Sunday's loss to Atlanta. The Hawks held him to just 17 points in Sunday's game, and the undrafted Mario West defended him about as good as anyone ever has (I only saw Bryant shake him once). I take special joy in honoring him as the SCRUB OF THE WEEK!!!!
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