We all know what is right and what is wrong. Still, we are humans and tend to be far from perfect last i checked. I'll say this...we may never agree on the proper punishment for some of the accused being discussed here today. However, we could all maybe try to be a little less judgmental and a little more gracious of people that (in most cases) don't even know. I agree with the notion that I don't need every athlete that plays for my favorite teams to be morally perfect to enjoy watching them play. BUT...this entire discussion today makes me appreciate the good ones even more. There are guys that play their entire careers being good to teammates, doing charity work, and basically being ideal citizens. Maybe they deserve more recognition and rooting interest than some of the ones discussed here today who've made mistakes and poor choices along the way.
Pitino is Catholic. So is S. Miller, I believe. If they've confessed their sins to God, and promised to mend their ways, they've been forgiven. If God can forgive them, why can't you?
Today's article is about morality. Its focus is mainly college basketball, but I find it speaks to a larger issue that is endemic culturally; moral decay. When we begin to tolerate bad behavior in sports, we hammer another nail into our cultural backbone. Weaken its structure enough, and down it goes. What I find interesting is how many commenters today ended up shrugging their shoulders and saying: "Hey, i guess it's the way of the world now." Like, hey, no big deal.
Morality is something a free society has to demand from its members or that society will never last. If we want a better, healthier, safer culture, each of us has to step up, or we will lose it. College basketball is deeply in bed with some of the greediest organizations in our culture-corporate America, which has greed and profits as its highest values, and will do whatever it takes to achieve them. I'm afraid it's probably too late to fight them off, and reestablish some strong healthy boundaries that control umbridled greed, but it doesn't hurt to at least try. If you want to attack the real boogeymen, don't attack Pitino or Miller. They're just pawns in a larger game. Watch the commercials. That's who owns American sports. And that's who teaches our next generation it's all about how much you own and how much you indulge yourself.. That's who's teaching our kids the ugly anthem of greed and me-first. Commercials are the slickest, most insidious form of indoctrination ever invented, and corporations pay mucho deneros for them for the opportunity to push their souless goals.
Wayne - thanks so much for sharing this. I heard about on Paul Finebaum's show yesterday but wasn't sure where to find it. To the Bama haters, perhaps now they'll understand how complicated and chaotic this sad event was but the university, coach and player were not part of the problem. How they proceeded was the right thing to do. Full disclosure, I am an Alabama believer as had an athlete play there - it is truly a special and honorable institution.
Rick Pitino is to Paul Daugherty what a ringing bell was to Pavlov's salivating dog. Fresh meat.
Pitino is coaching now because he was cleared by the NCAA, just like Sean Miller was. Both had allegations against them. Both got removed from their respective positions. Both returned to the game. One gets put through the ringer 24/7 for his transgressions by the resident scribe here, the other is rarely mentioned for theirs.
If that's not the definition of hypocrisy someone please tell me what is.
As much as we would like our coaches to be Norman Dale, Herman Boone, Mickey Goldmill or Mr. Miyagi -- those who taught those in their charge not only how to win, but how to live life with integrity, compassion and morality -- that only happens consistently in film, and rarely in real life.
It's rare in real life because so many factors come into play now when it comes to sports. Everyone is scrambling for top dollar, or the spotlight, or the endorsement, or the "legacy" or "the brand." It is inevitable that such greed rots away at the idealistic thoughts of folks playing for the love of the game or coaching to build and shape young people, just as it has in politics (no longer about the constituents, but rather the lobbyists with mucho cash) and other realms.
Is it right? Nope. Is it fair? Not at all.
Is it how the world now works? Yessir. Unfortunate, but true.
If you can use your bull?$%t detector to differentiate, however, between the actual sport or game, and the drama, greed and insanity that surrounds it, you can still enjoy the actual act of a well-played or exciting game, without worshipping the many sleaze who, sadly, inhabit the sports universe now.
I certainly agree with your overall perspective of the ethics of college basketball, Doc, but I don’t have as harsh a view of Rick. Why? So many former players have spoken often on how their time with him directly influenced their own adult lives for the better. Like all of us, he has made mistakes and the last six years have certainly wrecked his later life and so I have taken him at his word that a lesson was learned.
Big subject so I have a few personal takes:
• When the first investigation started, the Ville hired a supposedly knowledgeable NCAA insider (Chuck Smrt) whose advice was to come clean and be upfront. AD Jurich did so to everyone’s regret. The hindsight mirror at the time showed how UNC and Syracuse and Kansas fought back in their investigations and largely skated away safely.
• From what I remember, the Xavier AD who hired Sean Miller was on the infractions crew that wrote the harsh punishment for the Ville. I’ve always hoped that a media type would put two and two together and ask him how he squared those actions in his own mind, but it never happened.
• I am hoping that the NIL money will help lessen the impact of the shoe companies and the AAU circuit but I’m probably dreaming. Fan message boards have been full of rumor and innuendo for years about the NIKE pipeline to UK and Duke and what not so maybe, just maybe, that scam has less impact.
• I will throw out one big name who may be clean and that is Tony Bennett. The Wahoos had serious issues thirty years ago and cleaned it up with Pete Gillen but winning went downhill with his indifference to defense. Now, they’re big winners with the dullest style of basketball since Phog Allen. Is Bennett as clean as I think? It’s a definite maybe…
“Kansas State players fouled Oscar Tshiebwe on Sunday simply by looking at him. “. What??? Not sure you were watching the same game. Oscar was getting mugged the entire game. I don’t think there have been lots of touch fouls. ... games have been very physical. Look what TN did to Duke... physically beat them up.
Adding NIL to the already-removed transfer penalty has created an environment of semi-pro ball. Amateurism and the idea of the student-athlete is simply dead at bigtime college basketball & football programs. It's becoming what MLB is in a way: players emerge all over the place, at big schools and small schools alike, but once they are noticed, they bolt for the money and aggregate themselves in just a few, powerhouse locations. Take my Ohio University Bobcats for example. They had a nice team last year, finishing in the top tier of the MAC. Last year's two best Bobcats, Vander Plas & Sears, bolted over the summer. Vander Plas was Virginia's 6th man this season, and Sears was #1 Alabama's best player in their tournament opener the other day. Coach Boals had another nice year with the Bobcats, but what if they had those two guys? The NIL giveth, the NIL taketh away.
So the more college athletics models the pros, collegiate hiring/firing processes will follow suit.
In the words of Al Davis "Just win baby", Ethics, morals be damned. Win, get into the 3rd round unleash the alumni bucks and move on. Whatever happened to doing the right thing and molding men to be moral citizens. How quaint an idea in the 2020's. It's all about the money. I still look with a jaded eye towards the Millers and Pitino's of the world.
WBC- I am not so caught up in the madness that I have missed the WBC. I've caught many games but the USA Venezuela was a classic. The pitching has been a little thin but the games have been exciting. Not sure you could move it to the Fall, Go USA....
Regarding the excruciating length of time it takes for the last few minutes of college basketball games, I have always maintained that a team should not be penalized for being fouled. To eliminate that situation would seem to have a simple solution: when a foul occurs in the final 3 minutes of a game, the foul counts but the team that is fouled has the choice of shooting the foul shots or taking the ball out of bounds with a fresh shot clock.
Coaches and universities do wrong (or do nothing, which often times in and of itself is wrong). They may or may not get a finger shook in their face. Time passes, scars heal and pretty soon (if you are an elite player or coach) you are back in saddle making (or ready to make) big money via that tourney run, etc. On a somewhat related matter how about that ex NFL Great who killed his ex-wife and gets acquitted via his dream team of lawyers and now plays golf every day. Probably not a welcome guest at Hickory Woods I’m guessing however???
Louisville doesn't care what the coach is doing or has done as long as they are winning. They had Petrino and Patino running their football and basketball teams at the same time. You already mentioned Patino. Petrino quit on Louisville for greener pastures, much like Miller at X, and was in a all kinds of trouble including allegedly having an affair with his coed secretary. They were caught when his motorcycle was stopped by police. Louisville gladly took him back after he was fired. As far as Miller is concerned, a former UC coach once told me anything an assistant coach does the head coach has given his OK on. For many universities the bottom line is winning and only winning.
We all know what is right and what is wrong. Still, we are humans and tend to be far from perfect last i checked. I'll say this...we may never agree on the proper punishment for some of the accused being discussed here today. However, we could all maybe try to be a little less judgmental and a little more gracious of people that (in most cases) don't even know. I agree with the notion that I don't need every athlete that plays for my favorite teams to be morally perfect to enjoy watching them play. BUT...this entire discussion today makes me appreciate the good ones even more. There are guys that play their entire careers being good to teammates, doing charity work, and basically being ideal citizens. Maybe they deserve more recognition and rooting interest than some of the ones discussed here today who've made mistakes and poor choices along the way.
Pitino is Catholic. So is S. Miller, I believe. If they've confessed their sins to God, and promised to mend their ways, they've been forgiven. If God can forgive them, why can't you?
Today's article is about morality. Its focus is mainly college basketball, but I find it speaks to a larger issue that is endemic culturally; moral decay. When we begin to tolerate bad behavior in sports, we hammer another nail into our cultural backbone. Weaken its structure enough, and down it goes. What I find interesting is how many commenters today ended up shrugging their shoulders and saying: "Hey, i guess it's the way of the world now." Like, hey, no big deal.
Morality is something a free society has to demand from its members or that society will never last. If we want a better, healthier, safer culture, each of us has to step up, or we will lose it. College basketball is deeply in bed with some of the greediest organizations in our culture-corporate America, which has greed and profits as its highest values, and will do whatever it takes to achieve them. I'm afraid it's probably too late to fight them off, and reestablish some strong healthy boundaries that control umbridled greed, but it doesn't hurt to at least try. If you want to attack the real boogeymen, don't attack Pitino or Miller. They're just pawns in a larger game. Watch the commercials. That's who owns American sports. And that's who teaches our next generation it's all about how much you own and how much you indulge yourself.. That's who's teaching our kids the ugly anthem of greed and me-first. Commercials are the slickest, most insidious form of indoctrination ever invented, and corporations pay mucho deneros for them for the opportunity to push their souless goals.
Wayne - thanks so much for sharing this. I heard about on Paul Finebaum's show yesterday but wasn't sure where to find it. To the Bama haters, perhaps now they'll understand how complicated and chaotic this sad event was but the university, coach and player were not part of the problem. How they proceeded was the right thing to do. Full disclosure, I am an Alabama believer as had an athlete play there - it is truly a special and honorable institution.
Rick Pitino is to Paul Daugherty what a ringing bell was to Pavlov's salivating dog. Fresh meat.
Pitino is coaching now because he was cleared by the NCAA, just like Sean Miller was. Both had allegations against them. Both got removed from their respective positions. Both returned to the game. One gets put through the ringer 24/7 for his transgressions by the resident scribe here, the other is rarely mentioned for theirs.
If that's not the definition of hypocrisy someone please tell me what is.
As much as we would like our coaches to be Norman Dale, Herman Boone, Mickey Goldmill or Mr. Miyagi -- those who taught those in their charge not only how to win, but how to live life with integrity, compassion and morality -- that only happens consistently in film, and rarely in real life.
It's rare in real life because so many factors come into play now when it comes to sports. Everyone is scrambling for top dollar, or the spotlight, or the endorsement, or the "legacy" or "the brand." It is inevitable that such greed rots away at the idealistic thoughts of folks playing for the love of the game or coaching to build and shape young people, just as it has in politics (no longer about the constituents, but rather the lobbyists with mucho cash) and other realms.
Is it right? Nope. Is it fair? Not at all.
Is it how the world now works? Yessir. Unfortunate, but true.
If you can use your bull?$%t detector to differentiate, however, between the actual sport or game, and the drama, greed and insanity that surrounds it, you can still enjoy the actual act of a well-played or exciting game, without worshipping the many sleaze who, sadly, inhabit the sports universe now.
I certainly agree with your overall perspective of the ethics of college basketball, Doc, but I don’t have as harsh a view of Rick. Why? So many former players have spoken often on how their time with him directly influenced their own adult lives for the better. Like all of us, he has made mistakes and the last six years have certainly wrecked his later life and so I have taken him at his word that a lesson was learned.
Big subject so I have a few personal takes:
• When the first investigation started, the Ville hired a supposedly knowledgeable NCAA insider (Chuck Smrt) whose advice was to come clean and be upfront. AD Jurich did so to everyone’s regret. The hindsight mirror at the time showed how UNC and Syracuse and Kansas fought back in their investigations and largely skated away safely.
• From what I remember, the Xavier AD who hired Sean Miller was on the infractions crew that wrote the harsh punishment for the Ville. I’ve always hoped that a media type would put two and two together and ask him how he squared those actions in his own mind, but it never happened.
• I am hoping that the NIL money will help lessen the impact of the shoe companies and the AAU circuit but I’m probably dreaming. Fan message boards have been full of rumor and innuendo for years about the NIKE pipeline to UK and Duke and what not so maybe, just maybe, that scam has less impact.
• I will throw out one big name who may be clean and that is Tony Bennett. The Wahoos had serious issues thirty years ago and cleaned it up with Pete Gillen but winning went downhill with his indifference to defense. Now, they’re big winners with the dullest style of basketball since Phog Allen. Is Bennett as clean as I think? It’s a definite maybe…
World baseball league is a total WASTE OF TIME
“Kansas State players fouled Oscar Tshiebwe on Sunday simply by looking at him. “. What??? Not sure you were watching the same game. Oscar was getting mugged the entire game. I don’t think there have been lots of touch fouls. ... games have been very physical. Look what TN did to Duke... physically beat them up.
For obvious reasons, I had hoped Pitino would coach the UM Amherst Minutemen.
Adding NIL to the already-removed transfer penalty has created an environment of semi-pro ball. Amateurism and the idea of the student-athlete is simply dead at bigtime college basketball & football programs. It's becoming what MLB is in a way: players emerge all over the place, at big schools and small schools alike, but once they are noticed, they bolt for the money and aggregate themselves in just a few, powerhouse locations. Take my Ohio University Bobcats for example. They had a nice team last year, finishing in the top tier of the MAC. Last year's two best Bobcats, Vander Plas & Sears, bolted over the summer. Vander Plas was Virginia's 6th man this season, and Sears was #1 Alabama's best player in their tournament opener the other day. Coach Boals had another nice year with the Bobcats, but what if they had those two guys? The NIL giveth, the NIL taketh away.
So the more college athletics models the pros, collegiate hiring/firing processes will follow suit.
In the words of Al Davis "Just win baby", Ethics, morals be damned. Win, get into the 3rd round unleash the alumni bucks and move on. Whatever happened to doing the right thing and molding men to be moral citizens. How quaint an idea in the 2020's. It's all about the money. I still look with a jaded eye towards the Millers and Pitino's of the world.
WBC- I am not so caught up in the madness that I have missed the WBC. I've caught many games but the USA Venezuela was a classic. The pitching has been a little thin but the games have been exciting. Not sure you could move it to the Fall, Go USA....
Regarding the excruciating length of time it takes for the last few minutes of college basketball games, I have always maintained that a team should not be penalized for being fouled. To eliminate that situation would seem to have a simple solution: when a foul occurs in the final 3 minutes of a game, the foul counts but the team that is fouled has the choice of shooting the foul shots or taking the ball out of bounds with a fresh shot clock.
Coaches and universities do wrong (or do nothing, which often times in and of itself is wrong). They may or may not get a finger shook in their face. Time passes, scars heal and pretty soon (if you are an elite player or coach) you are back in saddle making (or ready to make) big money via that tourney run, etc. On a somewhat related matter how about that ex NFL Great who killed his ex-wife and gets acquitted via his dream team of lawyers and now plays golf every day. Probably not a welcome guest at Hickory Woods I’m guessing however???
We all have warts of some degree but enough talking about politicians and talk about sports … oh wait you were !
Louisville doesn't care what the coach is doing or has done as long as they are winning. They had Petrino and Patino running their football and basketball teams at the same time. You already mentioned Patino. Petrino quit on Louisville for greener pastures, much like Miller at X, and was in a all kinds of trouble including allegedly having an affair with his coed secretary. They were caught when his motorcycle was stopped by police. Louisville gladly took him back after he was fired. As far as Miller is concerned, a former UC coach once told me anything an assistant coach does the head coach has given his OK on. For many universities the bottom line is winning and only winning.
Amateur sociologists indeed, as opposed to the learned jeans and white Reeboks crowd.