https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dear-condoleezza-rice-good-luck-fixing-the-cesspool-that-is-the-ncaa/2018/02/01/b0c4ca44-06db-11e8-b48c-b07fea957bd5_story.html?utm_term=.bd1fbe5a1449
I've read the letter. No surprises in terms of what he says. What's significant is that it's coming from the president of a major college. Now let's see how many other presidents figuratively speaking have the balls to publicly agree with Mitch. I'm betting that it's not many, if any at all. Mitch is not a career academic, hence not subject to the kind of mindset that collectively will leave him on an island. That's OK. I'm glad he spoke up. What really surprises me, Stu, is that you read the Washington Post. That's OK. I know you had to in order to see what Mitch said.
That's a great read Stu, I am however not surprised that you read the Post!! 8) I wish that the parties would agree to the baseball model where you go pro or go to college. NBA G League and Europe could be options for these kids, esp the NBA G League.
A couple of thoughts. 1. NBA is not going back to HS kids being eligible for the draft. If for no other reason than the last time they did that more than a few kids who were lottery picks and got big contracts were total busts, they just weren't ready. Sending them to college for a year sorted out to some degree. Always a risk with young players, but a year at a higher level of competition was helpful in sorting out who to take the risk on for the draft. 2. What if there was a G-League draft for HS players where they got WNBA type of money and signed short term contracts with NBA teams. Then play in the G for a year or two and be eligible for free agency with the original team having the right of first refusal. If you were a stud, then the money would be there like if you were a lottery pick coming out of college. 3. I think everybody likes the baseball model. 4. I like his shot at the NCAA's impotence in dealing with the massive academic cheating scandal at UNC. They got away with murder.
Since I read Armond Ketayian's "The System" about the incredible abuses at many of the most storied college football powers in the nation, I have never been able to watch the game with quite the same enthusiasm as before. Now I watch Coach K joining the ranks of hustlers like Calipari and Pitino. Coach K has a pedigree; Army, Duke coached with Knight, etc. Yet now he chases the "one and dones" like a dog chases a rabbit. In college basketball at least there is no pretense of dual motivations like winning games and graduating with a degree. They don't even mention education any more. They introduce the lineups now that sound the UN General Council. And the talent drought has trickeled up and reduced the NBA to an unwatchable parade to the foul line interrupted only by clear outs anddunk exhibitions. If you want to see how bad the NBA really is, watch some You Tube videos of the old Boston Celtics or LA Lakers. The disconnect between the teams in college sports and the schools they represent is complete.
At first I couldn't read the article with the link because I don't, and refuse to, subscribe to the Washington Post. But I did find a link online where I could read the article. I am in full agreement, the one and done philosophy disgusts me and I to am appalled to see Coach K join the ranks. I don't know what the solution is, but I find the proposal to make the scholarships four years and not be able to fill them again until the time has passed quite interesting. Probably 2-3 years would help also. I hope Condi gets some sort of a fix for this.