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.
comparing Miller's infraction with Pitino's does incredible injustice to the process of holding people accountable - Miller was exonerated. Pitino's violations caused him to vacate a National Championship. His additional choices...luring recruits with prostitutes, having sex with his Asst coach's wife on a table in the back room of a restaurant (during a coaches get-together), is possibly the most egregious bahavior ever found in a college coach.
Outside of sports, in the headlines on a regular basis, kids see it. Everybody knows the FDIC only insures up to $250k deposits but put money in a bank with *just* $200B which is under threshold for greater FDIC scrutiny and all the sudden, no matter how many millions you put in that bank, they are the new "Too Big To Fail!". And everybody screams the bank failure isn't the depositors fault despite them knowing the $250k FDIC rule and they need to be made whole today! What's that tell people who follow the rules? It tells them that if you are really rich, no matter how many advisors you pay to find loopholes in every investment/tax/scrutiny you're involved with, the country will have their backs. The rules be damned.
Nice message. INFJ here in the house. Bernays is the starting point where one should focus in unraveling the pernicious creep of propaganda in service of T Rex oligarchy right here in the good ol' U$ of A
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.
The SI link of this story clarifying and augmenting the original has been a '4o4 not found' result since Sunday afternoon and only just recently been allowed for release, despite obviously keeping the 'owed an apology' headline having been visible
According to official code of conduct, I haven't found anything yet where UA acted out of policy. They're committed to seemingly not conducting their own formal investigation but do encourage full participation from themselves and their students in assisting the police in theirs
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.
yes, an independent NCAA committee exonerated Pitino on certain charges, but his team was still REQUIRED to vacate a National Championship (how one characterizes Pitino for using prostitutes to lure recruits, or Pitino 'bedding' one of his Asst coach's wife atop a table in the back room of a restaurant - during a coaches get-together, aside from possibly being the most egregious behavior ever by a college coach, I'll never know).
You do have to admit, Rick is a lot sleazier than Sean. There was that crazy woman he hung around after hours at a local Ville watering hole. That was a fun scandal to follow, wasn't it? She sues Rick, ends up convicting herself. Rick is an entertainer. He loves hogging the spotlight. He likes the fancy suits and cufflinks, the flashy lifestyle, and acting like a New York City slickster tough guy. That earns him more scrutiny and a lot of image issues. In other words, he makes himself an easier target.
I do strongly agree with you that Doc tends to interpret accusations and charges as proof and convictions. They are not. I find his thinking flawed in that regard, and it seems to be a habitual thing with him. I guess sportswriting and cynicism are extra strong bedfellows sometimes.
Maybe you should re-read the post. Or have someone read it for you. The whole point was we're on shaky ground deciding whether or not these people are guilty. I specifically said that but, hey, generalizing is easy.
You do seem bent on continuing to still promote this likely false narrative assumed from facts not in evidence that Miller 'gave' Miles this gun and was acting directly on some retrieval orders from some jargonesque text that may have been received in timeline while Miller was already coming to Miles, as earlier anticipated and/or he may have not even taken notice until parked at the scene, if then. He also lacks context as to what it's referring to that he has no expectation of which to be aware. If the police received full cooperation and in the course of their interview and investigative processes of multiple involved parties had recommended to UA Miller's lack of culpability was valid, why would school or coach be inclined to independently act in punitive fashion towards Miller?
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.
Tshiebwe has been routinely double and triple teamed and physically accosted all season, plus multiple players grabbing, hooking, goading and flopping in attempt to get him to retaliate ... or at least make it appear that incidental/play through contact was far more egregious (i.e. flopping) than it was. This has been the standard 'book' toward playing him
Somebody should collect and nuggetize all those wonderful Cawood v Rick pregame interview shows back when he was all minty & fresh where City Cousin Rick describes in copious detail his bb coaching approaches and philosophies
By “Minutemen”, I was referring to either Rick’s admission or his accuser’s accusation that he “finished” in 15 seconds. I forget which occurred but I seem to recall he admitted to a quickie which means he probably had little in the tank to offer the Minutemen. He may have been better equipped to coach the SD State Jackrabbits?
I lived in the downtown high-rise here and would run into Mashburn often enough in the basement laundromat and he always had 2 white girl program 'ambassadors' keeping him occupied and up off of the street scene
I've also observed Saul Smith in his Paul Miller Ford Bronco similarly picking up teammates one Sunday from the LEX ... Erik Daniels, local Princeton product and Tayshaun Prince, who grew up from Compton and wondered of their respective characters and interactions. Coach's son Saul was born in Athens GA and you might assume a Lord Fauntleroy vibe of sorts, whereas the true flavor is undoubtedly closer to being Michael Corleone. You probably wouldn't believe some of the stuff you'd hear about Billy Clyde
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.
I'd suggest reducing the number of timeouts allowed per half. The new trend is for teams to take a use it or lose it TO on the last possession of a half. Cut back timeouts to 3 a half.
I had a friend who once suggested it would be fun if college hoops had the coaches and assistants leave their bench with two minutes left. Let the players both play the game AND manage it. Then we really would see who the superior coaches are.
The NBA solved that one too. Dead ball foul = 1 free throw and retain possession. Free throw is shot by anyone. I am a GSW fan, Steph is a 91% free throw shooter (highest all time on high volume). Thus, no dead ball fouls.
Good suggestions all. Add to these the suffering of clock and out-of-bounds reviews. We seemed to have gotten along forever without these interminable interruptions. Teams and bets are won and lost by these nagging tenths of a second or fingernail slo-mo analysis. Just play the game!
The NBA has largely solved this. First, the refs are WAY better, and do not guess at calls. They default to letting the game play, often using a soccer-like "play-on" try judgment. Secondly, the 24 second shot clock means more possessions, so teams don't start fouling as early (Pitt started at 3:00 left on Sunday -- excruciating). Thirdly, you can only sub between free throws, not after the second - this really helps!). Fourth, only two time-outs carry to the final two minutes. And perhaps most controversially, advancing the ball. I don't like this, but it does help. Rather see an exciting ending or a foul festival?
Both suggestions would help, but that would cut down the number of opportunities for commercials - so there is little incentive for either the NCAA or CBS to enact either.
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.
comparing Miller's infraction with Pitino's does incredible injustice to the process of holding people accountable - Miller was exonerated. Pitino's violations caused him to vacate a National Championship. His additional choices...luring recruits with prostitutes, having sex with his Asst coach's wife on a table in the back room of a restaurant (during a coaches get-together), is possibly the most egregious bahavior ever found in a college coach.
Outside of sports, in the headlines on a regular basis, kids see it. Everybody knows the FDIC only insures up to $250k deposits but put money in a bank with *just* $200B which is under threshold for greater FDIC scrutiny and all the sudden, no matter how many millions you put in that bank, they are the new "Too Big To Fail!". And everybody screams the bank failure isn't the depositors fault despite them knowing the $250k FDIC rule and they need to be made whole today! What's that tell people who follow the rules? It tells them that if you are really rich, no matter how many advisors you pay to find loopholes in every investment/tax/scrutiny you're involved with, the country will have their backs. The rules be damned.
Nice message. INFJ here in the house. Bernays is the starting point where one should focus in unraveling the pernicious creep of propaganda in service of T Rex oligarchy right here in the good ol' U$ of A
Interesting that the German Jewish Bernays was double nephew of Sigmund Freud
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.
The SI link of this story clarifying and augmenting the original has been a '4o4 not found' result since Sunday afternoon and only just recently been allowed for release, despite obviously keeping the 'owed an apology' headline having been visible
https://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/amp/after_new_details_media_owes_brandon_miller_alabama_basketball_an_apology/s1_16595_38596208
According to official code of conduct, I haven't found anything yet where UA acted out of policy. They're committed to seemingly not conducting their own formal investigation but do encourage full participation from themselves and their students in assisting the police in theirs
https://secure2.compliancebridge.com/uat/public/getdocUA.php?file=19
The AL .com website does some truly credible reporting. Best source I found following that whole bizarre Vicky loves psychopath Casey White saga
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.
yes, an independent NCAA committee exonerated Pitino on certain charges, but his team was still REQUIRED to vacate a National Championship (how one characterizes Pitino for using prostitutes to lure recruits, or Pitino 'bedding' one of his Asst coach's wife atop a table in the back room of a restaurant - during a coaches get-together, aside from possibly being the most egregious behavior ever by a college coach, I'll never know).
I never knew Pavlov's's dog salivated.
That's not what my birthday doppelganger Mick says
https://youtu.be/HoQqAI2Zgdk
"yeah, when he hear's his name
he salivates like a Pavlov dog"
You do have to admit, Rick is a lot sleazier than Sean. There was that crazy woman he hung around after hours at a local Ville watering hole. That was a fun scandal to follow, wasn't it? She sues Rick, ends up convicting herself. Rick is an entertainer. He loves hogging the spotlight. He likes the fancy suits and cufflinks, the flashy lifestyle, and acting like a New York City slickster tough guy. That earns him more scrutiny and a lot of image issues. In other words, he makes himself an easier target.
I do strongly agree with you that Doc tends to interpret accusations and charges as proof and convictions. They are not. I find his thinking flawed in that regard, and it seems to be a habitual thing with him. I guess sportswriting and cynicism are extra strong bedfellows sometimes.
Maybe you should re-read the post. Or have someone read it for you. The whole point was we're on shaky ground deciding whether or not these people are guilty. I specifically said that but, hey, generalizing is easy.
You do seem bent on continuing to still promote this likely false narrative assumed from facts not in evidence that Miller 'gave' Miles this gun and was acting directly on some retrieval orders from some jargonesque text that may have been received in timeline while Miller was already coming to Miles, as earlier anticipated and/or he may have not even taken notice until parked at the scene, if then. He also lacks context as to what it's referring to that he has no expectation of which to be aware. If the police received full cooperation and in the course of their interview and investigative processes of multiple involved parties had recommended to UA Miller's lack of culpability was valid, why would school or coach be inclined to independently act in punitive fashion towards Miller?
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.
Tshiebwe has been routinely double and triple teamed and physically accosted all season, plus multiple players grabbing, hooking, goading and flopping in attempt to get him to retaliate ... or at least make it appear that incidental/play through contact was far more egregious (i.e. flopping) than it was. This has been the standard 'book' toward playing him
For obvious reasons, I had hoped Pitino would coach the UM Amherst Minutemen.
Somebody should collect and nuggetize all those wonderful Cawood v Rick pregame interview shows back when he was all minty & fresh where City Cousin Rick describes in copious detail his bb coaching approaches and philosophies
By “Minutemen”, I was referring to either Rick’s admission or his accuser’s accusation that he “finished” in 15 seconds. I forget which occurred but I seem to recall he admitted to a quickie which means he probably had little in the tank to offer the Minutemen. He may have been better equipped to coach the SD State Jackrabbits?
:)
I lived in the downtown high-rise here and would run into Mashburn often enough in the basement laundromat and he always had 2 white girl program 'ambassadors' keeping him occupied and up off of the street scene
I've also observed Saul Smith in his Paul Miller Ford Bronco similarly picking up teammates one Sunday from the LEX ... Erik Daniels, local Princeton product and Tayshaun Prince, who grew up from Compton and wondered of their respective characters and interactions. Coach's son Saul was born in Athens GA and you might assume a Lord Fauntleroy vibe of sorts, whereas the true flavor is undoubtedly closer to being Michael Corleone. You probably wouldn't believe some of the stuff you'd hear about Billy Clyde
+1
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.
I like it. And, how about no time outs for the last 3 minutes of a game. The ads were so aplenty that I almost forgot who was playing.
I'd suggest reducing the number of timeouts allowed per half. The new trend is for teams to take a use it or lose it TO on the last possession of a half. Cut back timeouts to 3 a half.
I had a friend who once suggested it would be fun if college hoops had the coaches and assistants leave their bench with two minutes left. Let the players both play the game AND manage it. Then we really would see who the superior coaches are.
I've noticed an uptick in fouls before the ball is put in play in late game situations. Should be two foul shots and a 10 second runoff.
The NBA solved that one too. Dead ball foul = 1 free throw and retain possession. Free throw is shot by anyone. I am a GSW fan, Steph is a 91% free throw shooter (highest all time on high volume). Thus, no dead ball fouls.
Great post.
Love the aptly acronymized deadshot GSW bb clinic on display. My timeline is Pitino ball > Rudy T Rockets > GSW w/ Maestro Curry
Yeah, something needs to be done about that. 2 shots sounds good, maybe just a 5 second runoff or none at all.
5 seconds would work, but I also like the NBA solution offered by Scott above.
Good suggestions all. Add to these the suffering of clock and out-of-bounds reviews. We seemed to have gotten along forever without these interminable interruptions. Teams and bets are won and lost by these nagging tenths of a second or fingernail slo-mo analysis. Just play the game!
The NBA has largely solved this. First, the refs are WAY better, and do not guess at calls. They default to letting the game play, often using a soccer-like "play-on" try judgment. Secondly, the 24 second shot clock means more possessions, so teams don't start fouling as early (Pitt started at 3:00 left on Sunday -- excruciating). Thirdly, you can only sub between free throws, not after the second - this really helps!). Fourth, only two time-outs carry to the final two minutes. And perhaps most controversially, advancing the ball. I don't like this, but it does help. Rather see an exciting ending or a foul festival?
Both suggestions would help, but that would cut down the number of opportunities for commercials - so there is little incentive for either the NCAA or CBS to enact either.
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???
I wouldn't clean his cart.
We all have warts of some degree but enough talking about politicians and talk about sports … oh wait you were !
More peanuts fro ... I mean, for the gallery, please
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.
It is extremely hard to believe how control-freak head coaches do not know nearly everything their assistants are doing, relative to the program
"plausible deniability" ... depends on how skilled is any particular martinet
Amateur sociologists indeed, as opposed to the learned jeans and white Reeboks crowd.
My whites are Brooks.
I like a sale as much as the next guy. Retail is for chumps.