I'm sorry to stir up the clan, but this is over the top. These are COLLEGE KIDS!!! To treat them like rock stars is just wrong. What's their GPA? What's their major? It used to be when college athletes were introduced you heard their home town and major. Obviously not anymore. Where's the humility? Geez, even the NBA finals aren't that extravagant. Sorry. I'll watch 'em and cheer 'em on. I hope they win the NCAA. But that was WAY too much. Just one man's opinion.
Rick...that's the point of Big Blue Madness. To be over the top and to hype up the fans. It's also a huge recruiting tool, so it gets the recruits excited. It's always been a show, and it's more for the fans than for the players.
Besides, these kids better get used to being rock stars. It happens to them on a daily basis at UK. And it's always been that way.
I get your point, but Kentucky basketball is just a little different.
Now, on the video...I LOVED Walls' dancing. Hilarious. We DVR'ed the whole thing and watched it last night. Awesome. This team has SO much talent. It's a breath of fresh air.
I don't know if you've seen this (they played it at Madness): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdTLj1KlyTM&feature=video_response but it should be the intro video every home game (they may plan on using it for that, not sure).
This http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm1PNINCdbU&feature=video_response is a video they showed at Madness that is also great.
Justin's right. This is a huge pep rally used to attract recruits and create excitement for the upcoming season. But, this really is big business and I believe the players should receive a monthly stipend because of the millions they bring in to the athletic association's budget.
Sorry guys, I just can't buy into the hype. These KIDS are being seriously messed up by all this. It's supposed to be a college. They're SUPPOSED to be getting a degree. They're SUPPOSED to be scholar athletes. None of that's true anymore. Now it's a business. They do this to attract recruits so they too can be a superstar - maybe? Adults are using them to achieve something they (the adults) want. And woe be unto them (the kids) if they don't achieve it. I know you guys have lived and breathed Kentucky basketball virtually all your lives, so I don't mean to denigrate it. It just doesn't seem right to me. Seeing the expressions on those players faces made me know THEY think they're superstars and that's not good. Go Cats!! . . . with humility.
That was hilarious. We don't even break out the laser lights and pyrotechnics for Tebow or percy. We just make them golden statues and offer them fattened calfs at our Tebow worship services. :) We keep our idol worship more traditional.
Well, it has been going on for quite some time in all major college athletics...not just at Kentucky. We just do it bigger and better when it comes to basketball. It's this way throughout college basketball and football.
And if a kid has the talent to go to college for one year, then go pro and completely change the future for his family, I'm all for it. Yes, keep the grades up while you're in school (or as a backup plan), but if you can go pro, do it. Who would turn down that kind of money? Besides, the reason most people get an education is to get a better job. I'd say playing in the NFL or NBA is a pretty dang good job.
I know ideally, these kids would go to college to get an education, and sports would be on the side. If, by chance, they were good enough, they could go pro. That's just not the reality though. As long as a kid stays out of trouble and keeps his grades up while at school, I've got no beef with him going pro early. In fact, it'd be almost criminal to discourage a kid from going pro just so the college program can benefit. What happens if the kid has a career-ending injury in college, when he could have gone pro earlier? Now all those dreams are gone.
Professional-level talent is special, and in this society, it's valued highly. This is capitalism. There are some ugly sides to it, but on the whole, I'll take it, warts and all.
The average annual salary in the N.B.A. is $5.85 million, and players are generally secure in the near term. Their retirement years can be completely different. AN ESTIMATED 60 PERCENT OF N.B.A. PLAYERS ARE BROKE WITHIN 5 YEARS OF RETIRING, and 78 percent of N.F.L. players are bankrupt or under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce within two years, according to a report by Sports Illustrated in March.
So what could be the reason for the above situation? Would a lack of a college degree and complete idolization of the players have something to do with it? Maybe . . .
Rick - I saw something along those lines on Dave Ramsey's site. It's sad, indeed. But the alternative is not letting these kids get the chance at all. Honestly, some kids are just not cut out for college, and pretending that they have to go to college, just as a means to end, is a little silly.
I like the way baseball handles it: if you want to go pro out of high school, fine. However, if you choose to go to college, you have to stay for at least 3 years. I think that's a good compromise.
So, let me see if I get this right. The purpose of the college offering a scholarship to these poor, downtrodden, African American boys who know how to play basketball, but can't read, is to give them a chance to get ahead? Uh, I don't think so. Ironically, it's for the prestige of the school - giving scholarships to kids who can't read because they never had to in order to graduate from high school. And then treat them like rock stars. It's good for the school. It'll make 'em money. But it doesn't help the kid in the majority of cases. You're right. It's silly. There should be a minor league for basketball players. If a kid is 18 and good at basketball, then they hire him. Otherwise, he does like the rest of us. Go to school, get some training, get a job.
FOURTEEN COMMENTS! I thought Mike had hit the blogosphere jackpot so I had to check it out!
I have to straddle the fence on this debate between the West faithful. "Scholar" atheletes go to Stanford, Notre Dame, Yale, Duke, etc., where grade point averages have to be maintained and graduation rates are high. A full ride at these schools is worth over 100 grand - nice compensation if you are talented AND scholarly.
The other DivIA coaches battle over recruiting players with probably far more talent but know they will lose them by Jr year to the NBA - so have to keep recruiting talent. Big time talent brings in big time money. I liked that Blue Madness - fire up the base, fire up the players and instill a sense of pride and tradition.
I think this relates to Mike's blog above this on Billy Donovan: Won 2 Nat'l Championships and can't recruit players to reach the Big Show. Lack of Pride and Tradtion
15 comments:
I'm sorry to stir up the clan, but this is over the top. These are COLLEGE KIDS!!! To treat them like rock stars is just wrong. What's their GPA? What's their major? It used to be when college athletes were introduced you heard their home town and major. Obviously not anymore. Where's the humility? Geez, even the NBA finals aren't that extravagant. Sorry. I'll watch 'em and cheer 'em on. I hope they win the NCAA. But that was WAY too much. Just one man's opinion.
Rick...that's the point of Big Blue Madness. To be over the top and to hype up the fans. It's also a huge recruiting tool, so it gets the recruits excited. It's always been a show, and it's more for the fans than for the players.
Besides, these kids better get used to being rock stars. It happens to them on a daily basis at UK. And it's always been that way.
I get your point, but Kentucky basketball is just a little different.
They won't do it this way for the games, by the way. This is a once-a-year pep rally, just FYI.
Now, on the video...I LOVED Walls' dancing. Hilarious. We DVR'ed the whole thing and watched it last night. Awesome. This team has SO much talent. It's a breath of fresh air.
I don't know if you've seen this (they played it at Madness): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdTLj1KlyTM&feature=video_response but it should be the intro video every home game (they may plan on using it for that, not sure).
This http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm1PNINCdbU&feature=video_response is a video they showed at Madness that is also great.
Sorry that you have to copy and paste the addresses...I don't know how to link them here.
Justin's right. This is a huge pep rally used to attract recruits and create excitement for the upcoming season. But, this really is big business and I believe the players should receive a monthly stipend because of the millions they bring in to the athletic association's budget.
Sorry guys, I just can't buy into the hype. These KIDS are being seriously messed up by all this. It's supposed to be a college. They're SUPPOSED to be getting a degree. They're SUPPOSED to be scholar athletes. None of that's true anymore. Now it's a business. They do this to attract recruits so they too can be a superstar - maybe? Adults are using them to achieve something they (the adults) want. And woe be unto them (the kids) if they don't achieve it. I know you guys have lived and breathed Kentucky basketball virtually all your lives, so I don't mean to denigrate it. It just doesn't seem right to me. Seeing the expressions on those players faces made me know THEY think they're superstars and that's not good. Go Cats!! . . . with humility.
That was hilarious. We don't even break out the laser lights and pyrotechnics for Tebow or percy. We just make them golden statues and offer them fattened calfs at our Tebow worship services. :) We keep our idol worship more traditional.
That's funny April!
Well, it has been going on for quite some time in all major college athletics...not just at Kentucky. We just do it bigger and better when it comes to basketball. It's this way throughout college basketball and football.
And if a kid has the talent to go to college for one year, then go pro and completely change the future for his family, I'm all for it. Yes, keep the grades up while you're in school (or as a backup plan), but if you can go pro, do it. Who would turn down that kind of money? Besides, the reason most people get an education is to get a better job. I'd say playing in the NFL or NBA is a pretty dang good job.
I know ideally, these kids would go to college to get an education, and sports would be on the side. If, by chance, they were good enough, they could go pro. That's just not the reality though. As long as a kid stays out of trouble and keeps his grades up while at school, I've got no beef with him going pro early. In fact, it'd be almost criminal to discourage a kid from going pro just so the college program can benefit. What happens if the kid has a career-ending injury in college, when he could have gone pro earlier? Now all those dreams are gone.
Professional-level talent is special, and in this society, it's valued highly. This is capitalism. There are some ugly sides to it, but on the whole, I'll take it, warts and all.
And April, that was hilarious.
THIS is what I'm talking about:
The average annual salary in the N.B.A. is $5.85 million, and players are generally secure in the near term. Their retirement years can be completely different. AN ESTIMATED 60 PERCENT OF N.B.A. PLAYERS ARE BROKE WITHIN 5 YEARS OF RETIRING, and 78 percent of N.F.L. players are bankrupt or under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce within two years, according to a report by Sports Illustrated in March.
So what could be the reason for the above situation? Would a lack of a college degree and complete idolization of the players have something to do with it? Maybe . . .
Rick - I saw something along those lines on Dave Ramsey's site. It's sad, indeed. But the alternative is not letting these kids get the chance at all. Honestly, some kids are just not cut out for college, and pretending that they have to go to college, just as a means to end, is a little silly.
I like the way baseball handles it: if you want to go pro out of high school, fine. However, if you choose to go to college, you have to stay for at least 3 years. I think that's a good compromise.
So, let me see if I get this right. The purpose of the college offering a scholarship to these poor, downtrodden, African American boys who know how to play basketball, but can't read, is to give them a chance to get ahead? Uh, I don't think so. Ironically, it's for the prestige of the school - giving scholarships to kids who can't read because they never had to in order to graduate from high school. And then treat them like rock stars. It's good for the school. It'll make 'em money. But it doesn't help the kid in the majority of cases. You're right. It's silly. There should be a minor league for basketball players. If a kid is 18 and good at basketball, then they hire him. Otherwise, he does like the rest of us. Go to school, get some training, get a job.
FOURTEEN COMMENTS! I thought Mike had hit the blogosphere jackpot so I had to check it out!
I have to straddle the fence on this debate between the West faithful. "Scholar" atheletes go to Stanford, Notre Dame, Yale, Duke, etc., where grade point averages have to be maintained and graduation rates are high. A full ride at these schools is worth over 100 grand - nice compensation if you are talented AND scholarly.
The other DivIA coaches battle over recruiting players with probably far more talent but know they will lose them by Jr year to the NBA - so have to keep recruiting talent. Big time talent brings in big time money. I liked that Blue Madness - fire up the base, fire up the players and instill a sense of pride and tradition.
I think this relates to Mike's blog above this on Billy Donovan: Won 2 Nat'l Championships and can't recruit players to reach the Big Show. Lack of Pride and Tradtion
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