College Sports Corruption?

Jason Whitlock, of the Kansas City Star newspaper is one of the few sports journalists for whom I hold respect. Most so-called sports reporters are on the level of ESPN's appalling Stephen A. Smith- loud, obnoxious and with little actual understanding of that which they are bound to report on. Whitlock, however, is both independent and doesn't play the race card without reason. He is therefore always worth reading, whether one agrees with him or not. As an aside, he was one of the few sports journalists not to get caught up on the wrong side of the infamous Duke Rape Hoax.

He has a column today on the NCAA and college basketball and football student-athletes. The column was occasioned by a University of Arizona basketball recruit, one Brandon Jennings, choosing to play overseas as opposed to attempt to meet the UNiversity of Arizona's admission requirements. Whitlock argues that this should be an opportunity for the NCAA to overhaul it's rules and admit that many of these athletes are not students and never will be. He writes,

1. Acknowledge that college basketball and football players are entertainer-athletes, not student-athletes. Bring them on campus, pay them, free them of academic responsibility and let them entertain students, alums, boosters and fans while auditioning for a pro career.

2. Form an alliance with the NFL and NBA and invest in education/athletic academies for talented young basketball and football players (of all colors) beginning in eighth and ninth grade.

The NCAA pays its basketball and football players with a currency (education) many of them aren't prepared to spend or value. That has to change, and it's incumbent on the NCAA to be a big part of the change.

I had a discussion about this very point with a colleague who like me is a huge college sports fan. As I see it, there are two separate issues here- first is that not everyone is entitled or even needs a college education. If an athlete cannot meet the entrance standards for an educational institute, then he or she should definitely have the option of playing professionally, whether it be in Europe or in some minor league in the United States. Baseball players do precisely that all the time.

The second issue is the fact that many of these athletes are not prepared for the rigors of a college education. This is a failing of the schools that supposedly prepared them- the primary and secondary school systems, and that needs to be corrected as well. However, I have to disagree with Mr. Whitlock as far as having the NBA and the NFL create academies. They are in the business of presenting a professional product, not educating kids. However, if the universities went back to their core mission, then both the NFL and the NBA should in fact focus on minor leagues, as baseball has. The NBA does have the NBDL, and the NFL should create something similar for those who aren't ready for the prime-time.

As I see it, the universities should go back to the basics- being educators, not minor leagues for the professionals. If an athlete cannot meet the academic standards, then he or she should not gain admission. Period. Student-athletes should be precisely that- students first and athletes second. Athletes who cannot gain admission should be prepared to go overseas or play in the minor leagues to hone their skills. But the money involved in college basketball and football is so immense that schools seem to have forgotten their own basic mission while wallowing in the cash generated by these sports.

It is time to re-focus. Schools should be schools, not minor leagues for the NBA or NFL. While football contains a large number of athletes for whom it is not an end-all, basketball is much more problematic, especially as it has been taken over by the hip-hop generation that does not appeal as much to mainstream fans, and by definition, many of these guys are not scholars.

However, Mr. Whitlock is absolutely correct on at least one point- the current system is a disgrace and needs overhaul. The coaches, the administrators and above all the athletes are being forced to live a lie in most cases and it is time to clean up the system once and for all.

Tar Heel Thoughts

I rarely post on sports- I prefer to watch and appreciate the athletes as opposed to pontificating about the finer points of the game- points that I am not qualified to analyze. However, I was surprised and disgusted to read the other day that University of North Carolina point guard Tywon Lawson is receiving hate mail on his Facebook page because he and teammates Wayne Ellington and Danny Green have chosen to test the NBA waters at the Orlando pre-draft camp. And an article today on the trio by Jeff Goodman over at Fox Sports determined me to post a few thoughts both on the Tar Heel players and on the fans who supposedly love them.

Fan love is a short-sighted and fickle thing. As a fan of the North Carolina basketball team myself, I have enjoyed watching Lawson, Green and Ellingon since they arrived in Chapel Hill. Should they return to school for the 2008-2009 season, I will be delighted, as that will probably give UNC the edge in winning a national championship. However, whether they choose to return or not, I respect their choices, and I would ask that other UNC fans do the same. Goodman quoted Danny Green as saying,

"It's different for Tyler," Green said. "He's not going anywhere. He loves college and is going to break every record. His family is financially stable, where me, Wayne and Ty aren't quite as stable financially. We aren't broke, but we're not in the same position as Tyler."

This is something to consider. Tyler (as in Hansbrough, the team's leading scorer and rebounder) decided that he didn't need to test the process, and is committed to returning for his senior season. However, as Green pointed out, Hansbrough's situation is not the same. He wanted to finish his college career, and it appears that he is genuinely enjoying the college experience. Lawson, Ellington and Green, on the other hand, are not as interested in college as Hansbrough and are there to try to advance their basketball careers- not improve their scholastic standing. And that is their decision- they certainly know their prospects and their families' needs better than we.

Fans should remember that playing for a particular school or team is not written in stone. Not everyone stays for the entire four years of eligibility and when one is as talented as members of the Tar Heels basketball team usually are, this leads them to explore their sport as a profession. Change happens, and when a player decides that he (or she) is ready to try to make a living at their chosen sport, then the fans of their schools should wish them all the best. These athletes have provided many thrills, and done a great deal for the school. But they are adults, and should be able to make decisions on their personal growth without their erstwh8ile fans turning on them.

Does this mean I believe that they are all ready? No- I think that while Lawson is probably as NBA-ready as he is going to get, Ellington and Green would be best-served by returning and honing their skills. For Ellington, I believe that with his height, he could work on his ball-handling, thus increasing his chances and draft position next year. For Green, he needs to demonstrate a better all-round game- especially on the offensive end. However, as I stated at the beginning of this post, I am not qualified to make these decision. These three young men, and all the other underclassmen who have declared for their chosen sport are- it is their lives.

So fans- thank Lawson, Green and Ellington for their contributions over the past two (or in Green's case, three) years, and support them in their future, whether they return to Chapel Hill or not. Carolina has had a tremendous run and Ellington, Lawson and Green have been a huge part of it. But do not denigrate them or send them hate mail. They are in the process of making a very difficult decision, and they certainly don't need any more pressure than they already face.

For myself, I would like to thank them and wish them all the best in their future, whether or not they stay in the draft or not. Good luck to them and to all the young people trying to make a career in a field that requires talent above and beyond what most of us possess.

Lakers In First

I am a long-time fan of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team. Since I have been rooting for them since before Magic Johnson ever arrived, I can truthfully say that I do not qualify as a bandwagon supporter.

The Lakers' struggles the past couple of years have been well-documented, especially their collapse last year and their consecutive first-round playoff exits at the hands of the Phoenix Suns. And star guard Kobe Bryant's comments about the makeup of the team prior to this season have also been well-documented.

With all of the drama that has surrounded the team, I thought it is notable that after their overtime win in Seattle last night, the Los Angeles Lakers now sit in the top spot of the Western Conference with a 26-11 mark. By virtue of their two wins over Phoenix, LA currently holds the number one seed in the West.

It is still early, and the Lakers' loss of precocious young center Andrew Bynum for eight weeks is a huge blow- it remains to be seen if LA can beat the other upper-echelon teams in the West without their center. However, their achievement of the top spot should be marked, as it is one they have not held since the 2003-2004 season- not coincidentally the last one in which Shaquille O-Neal wore the purple and gold. We can only hope that the wins continue, even without Bynum. Congratulations to LA, and best wishes for the remainder of the season.