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| Wednesday, June 13, 2007 |
Dallas Cowboy defensive back Anthony Henry is staying at cornerback after all, despite talk that he would become a free safety. He’s relieved at the news, Nick Eatman reports.
 Not since the days when Deion Sanders and Kevin Smith were manning the cornerback position about a decade ago have the Cowboys seemed to be in such solid shape on the corners. With Terence Newman on one side, Anthony Henry on the other and ageless wonder Aaron Glenn working the nickel defense, the Cowboys might have their best trio of cornerbacks at one time.
And it wasn’t easy. The Cowboys went to great lengths to find that security, drafting 10 corners from 2000 to 2004 and signing a handful of veterans along the way.
So now that the position is in its best shape in years, it just didn’t make sense to mess it up in the off-season.
Henry, who was rumored to possibly switch from cornerback to free safety, is staying put at corner. And that’s just fine with him. “Yeah, I really didn’t want to move at all,” Henry said of switching positions. “I know it was talked about. And I said I would do it if they wanted me to, but they sat me down and discussed it. We agreed I would stay at cornerback. And I was happy about that.”
Henry played some free safety in college and even had a few snaps at the position early in his career with the Browns, but the notion of him moving from cornerback picked up steam in the off-season when Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the team was entertaining the possibility.
And once Wade Phillips was named the new head coach back on Feb. 8, Henry said not long afterwards he went to Phillips’ office and asked him directly about the potential safety switch. “I went in there and talked to him about it,” Henry said. “He said he didn’t think it was going to be the case. They just wanted to know if the possibility came up, would I be ready for it. And I told him I would accept it if that’s what they needed from me. But I love cornerback and I’m glad to stay at cornerback.”
The Cowboys have been searching for more stability at free safety ever since Darren Woodson retired in 2004. And they can only hope four-year veteran Ken Hamlin, who signed a one-year deal in March, can fill the void. But the presence alone of Hamlin, along with the team’s high hopes for second-year veteran Pat Watkins, allowed the Cowboys to keep Henry at cornerback.
That’s probably the right move, since Hamlin and/or an improved Watkins should allow Roy Williams some breathing room. Ironically, even though he isn’t moving to safety, he’ll be doing some things that the safeties usually do.
Henry admits that because of a few technical changes in the defense, his cornerback position will have some safety-like aspects this season, much more than the corners have been used to in the past. And it starts with their overall stance. Instead of taking an inside position, where the corners try to flush the receivers to the outside to take away the crossing and slant routes, the Cowboys are turning their cornerbacks to the other side of the receivers. Now, instead of cutting off the middle, the corners will do more shading on the outside, trying to funnel the receivers towards the inside of the field.
The biggest difference, other than eliminating the receivers from an easy path for a deep route, is that the cornerbacks will not have their backs turned from the quarterback, allowing them to keep their eyes more on the ball.
“What we’re trying to do is keep vision on the football,” new Cowboys defensive coordinator Brian Stewart said. “If you have vision on the football, you have a chance to make an interception, you have a chance to make a big tackle. When you don’t have vision on the football, what you’re doing is eliminating some of the quick throws, so they won’t nickel and dime you, but you have the opportunity to get beat deep.
“Now, we’re saying we’re going to keep everything in front of you. If we want to stop the quick throws we can get into those types of defenses. But our base is to have vision, plant downhill, make clean tackles and make plays on the ball.”
The Cowboys have more weapons at defense than at any time since the mid-1990s. We’ll see if Wade Phillips can get them to actually play to their potential this season. If so, they’ll be playing well into January.
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| Wednesday, June 13, 2007 |
Bill Simmons has an interesting piece in ESPN The Magazine this week asking, “Does greatness have a shelf life?”
He grew up a Celtics fan watching John Havlicek but realized during a recent television replay that he’d forgotten just how good Hondo was. He thinks this is a common phenomenon.
One of my favorite books is Wait Till Next Year, in which a sports columnist (Mike Lupica) and a Hollywood screenwriter (William Goldman) trade chapters about a particularly crazy year in New York sports. Writing as a fan, Goldman submits an impassioned defense of Wilt Chamberlain’s legacy, called “To the Death,” which is one of my favorite pieces. He argues that great athletes fade from memory not because they’re surpassed by better ones but because either we forget about them or our memories are tainted by things that have nothing to do with their career (like Bill Russell’s being a lousy announcer, or OJ’s being an, um, lousy ex-husband). Goldman writes, “the greatest struggle an athlete undergoes is the battle for our memories. It’s gradual. It begins before you’re aware that it’s begun, and it ends with a terrible fall from grace. It really is a battle to the death.”
This piece was published in 1988, when Bird and Magic were at the height of their powers and Jordan was nearing the same tipping point LeBron reached in Detroit. Already saddened that we’d be poking holes in them some day, Goldman predicted, “Bird and Magic’s time is coming. It’s easy being fans of theirs now. Just wait. Give it a decade.” Then he wrote an entire mock paragraph of fans picking apart their games in the year 2000, complaining that Magic couldn’t guard anyone and Bird was too slow. He ended with this mock quote: “Sure (Bird) was good, and so was Magic — but they couldn’t play today.” I remember reading that piece in college and thinking, Come on, that’s ludicrous. Nobody will ever forget Bird and Magic! Those guys saved the NBA!
Well, you know what? It’s 2007, and no one gives a crap about Bird and Magic anymore. Goldman was right. The phenomenon was in full swing after 48 Special — again, a magnificent event, but one that paled in comparison with a 20-year-old Magic jumping center in Philly, slapping up a 42/15/7, playing five positions and leading the Lakers to the 1980 title. Imagine if something like that happened today? There would be pieces of Skip Bayless’ head scattered across the entire city of Bristol.
So why do we pump up the present at the expense of the past? Goldman believed that every era is “so arrogant (and) so dismissive,” and again he was right, although that arrogance/dismissiveness isn’t entirely intentional. We’d like to believe that our current stars are better than the guys we once watched.
Why? Because the single best thing about sports is the unknown. It’s much more fun to think about what could happen than about what already has. We don’t want LeBron to be as good as MJ; we need him to be better than MJ. We already did the MJ thing. Who wants to rent the same movie twice? We want LeBron to take us to a place we’ve never been. It’s the same reason we convince ourselves that Shaq is better than Wilt and Steve Nash is better than Bob Cousy. We don’t know these things for sure. We just want them to be true.
There’s a much simpler reason that we’re incapable of fully appreciating the past. As the Havlicek broadcast proved to me, it’s easy to forget anything if you stop thinking about it long enough, even something as ingrained as “My favorite basketball team employed one of the best 20 players ever when I was a little kid.” Once upon a time, the Boston Garden fans cheered Hondo for 510 seconds. And I was there, in the building.
But that’s the funny thing about noise: Eventually, it stops.
I think that’s right. Aside from Jim Brown, who has a legendary status because he retired at his peak, it’s hard to think of a great athlete from the distant past who we consider the best of the best.
Most of us now think of Babe Ruth as a fat guy who couldn’t play with today’s athletes.
The list of great quarterbacks seldom includes anyone who played before Joe Montana. Terry Bradshaw? Roger Staubach? Who were they? And goodness knows we seldom hear mention of anyone who excelled before there were Super Bowls.
Who’s the greatest basketball player ever? Michael Jordan seems to be the consensus pick. Still, there’s hardly anyone from the distant past even in the discussion other than maybe Wilt Chamberlain.
Sports glory is fleeting.
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| Thursday, May 31, 2007 |
After weeks of speculation as to his future, Billy Donovan will stay in Florida — with the NBA’s Orlando Magic.
Rich history wasn’t enough to lure Billy Donovan away from Florida. In the end, it was just riches. Donovan will have plenty of them after he was hired to coach the Orlando Magic on Thursday. The team confirmed the hiring Thursday night and scheduled a news conference for Friday morning.
Donovan agreed to a five-year deal paying $5.5 million annually, an official in the NBA told The Associated Press.
“Billy Donovan is a winner,” general manager Otis Smith said. “We feel he is the right person to develop and maximize the talents of our players. We look forward to Billy leading us to the next level.”
Donovan has been the subject of speculation since the Gators’ second straight NCAA championship in April. He turned down an offer to coach Kentucky, whose storied program launched his career as an assistant in 1990, and was more recently linked to the
Memphis Grizzlies’ vacant coaching job.
He seemed to squash those rumors after turning down the Kentucky position, proclaiming, “I love the University of Florida.” But Orlando, about 115 miles south of Gainesville, proved too strong to resist. The Magic job pays more than twice Donovan’s $1.7 million annual deal with the Gators. “There’s going to be a lot of hamburgers, a lot of filet,” departing Florida star Joakim Noah joked.
Both Donovan and the school had said all along they were negotiating a contract extension. Florida president Bernie Machen said Thursday the deal was basically done, just not signed. “There’s always a next,” Machen said at the Southeastern Conference’s annual spring meeting in Destin, Fla. “Billy Donovan has been here for 11 years, won two national championships. He’s been a great ambassador for the University of Florida. We’ll always love Billy Donovan, whether he’s here 11 years or 21 years.”
Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley also emphasized there were no hard feelings. “We certainly wish this run could have gone on forever. It’s been an incredible privilege to be a part of. We’re indebted to Billy Donovan,” Foley said in a written statement. “We hired him 11 years ago to build Florida basketball and he did that beyond anyone’s expectations. We’ll miss him as a coach, but we’ll always be friends and remain close to Billy and his family.”
That’s the right attitude. Despite the AP lede, Donovan was being paid plenty to coach the Gators and could have probably gotten something close to the money the Magic is paying to stay there or go to Kentucky. But with all his stars gone and two national championships under his belt, he has nowhere to go but down. A new challenge just makes sense. And the fact that he won’t even have to move his family to take the job is a huge bonus.
From the Orlando Sentinel-
The Orlando Magic have made a whopping offer Thursday morning to Florida Gators basketball coach Billy Donovan, sources close to the situation told the Orlando Sentinel.
The Magic expect Donovan to accept the offer to replace Brian Hill as the head coach by the end of the week.
Donovan, 42, led the Gators to back-to-back NCAA titles.
I don’t know. There is a mighty large difference between coaching college and the pros. Donovan could be successful in the NBA, but the egos a coach has to endure may not be worth it, or the fact that Orlando has been a pretty hapless franchise for most of its history. On the other hand how much more can Donovan due at UF after winning back to back national titles?
My prediction- Donovan stays put.
More has learned about why the Bulldog women’s golf coach resigned last week.
ATHENS, Ga. – Todd McCorkle’s sudden decision to resign as the women’s golf coach at Georgia last week followed complaints from players about his inappropriate sexual comments and jokes, according to documents obtained Monday by The Associated Press.
McCorkle’s resignation was announced May 7 and came three days after a memo in which he was told he would have to go through extensive anti-harassment training and would be suspended without pay for July. McCorkle instead quit, but athletic director Damon Evans said he would remain employed in another undisclosed job with the athletic department.
In the memo, University of Georgia executive director for legal affairs Steve Shewmaker told McCorkle several players had complained about the coach’s behavior.
*****
The memo was one of several documents obtained in response to an open records request by the AP. The documents included 48 pages of handwritten notes by school investigators from interviews with current and former players.
McCorkle was said to have shared a sexually explicit Paris Hilton video from the Internet with the team. Players reported McCorkle shared remarks about bras and underwear color. Other comments were more explicit, referring to male anatomy. There was a mention by one player of inappropriate physical contact.
“He is randomly rubbing your back or flipping hair, or pat on butt — and otherwise not think anything about it — but with all the other stuff feels wrong,” the unidentified player wrote.
The university’s investigation began in April. Art Leon, the father of Georgia’s No. 1 player, Taylor Leon, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution his complaints to Evans led to the investigation.
“I’m the person that initiated it,” Leon told the paper. “He doesn’t need to be a coach of women’s golf anywhere. He got what he deserved.”
McCorkle said he resigned to remove the cloud over the golf program. My own opinion is he showed poor judgment. Did he deserve to get fired? No and the University of Georgia didn’t take that action. It may have for the best that McCorkle left so any controversy would die away. Hopefully the Georgia golf program can move on from this experience and beat the Florida Gators! LOL, I live in Florida but am not a UF fan.
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| Sunday, May 13, 2007 |
Sam Brownback got into a bit of hot water with a Wisconsin crowd Friday by implying Payton Manning wasn’t as good as Brett Favre.
The GOP presidential hopeful drew boos and groans Friday at the Wisconsin Republican Party convention when he used a football analogy to talk about the need to focus on families. “This is fundamental blocking and tackling,” he said. “This is your line in football. If you don’t have a line, how many passes can Peyton Manning complete? Greatest quarterback, maybe, in NFL history.”
Oops, wrong team to mention in Wisconsin, once described by Gov. Tommy Thompson as the place “where eagles soar, Harleys roar and Packers score.” Realizing what he had said, the Kansas Republican slumped at the podium and put his head in his hands. “That’s really bad,” he said. “That will go down in history. I apologize.”
His apology brought a smattering of applause and laughter. He tried to recover, saying former Packer Bart Starr may be the greatest of all time, but the crowd was still restless. “Let’s take Favre then,” Brownback said. “The Packers are great. I’m sorry. How many passes does he complete without a line?” “All of them!” more than one person yelled from the back. “I’m not sure how I recover from this,” Brownback said. “My point is we’ve got to rebuild the family. I’ll get off this.”
Pretty amusing.
From a political angle, this is probably a wash for Brownback, since his recovery was handled well enough. Not to mention the fact Starr and Favre both have far more chance of getting elected president in 2008 than he does; Manning would, too, were he old enough to be eligible.
In a football context, comparing quarterbacks from three eras is tough. Starr is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Starr and Manning will surely join him the first year they’re eligible. Starr led the Packers to five NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls. That’s an unmatched achievement. That was in a much smaller league in an era long before free agency, though, so a great team could stay on top much more easily than today.
Favre is a three-time NFL MVP, the only man with that distinction. He led the Packers to two Super Bowls, winning the first. He has been famous in recent years not so much for his excellence, though, but his endurance and tenacity. He’s started more consecutive games, by far, than any quarterback in history, a streak that looks like it’ll only be broken in retirement. That streak is all the more impressive because of the personal tragedies he’s endured in recent years.
Manning is fresh off his first Super Bowl win and is statistically the best passer of the three. He may, indeed, be the best pure quarterback ever to play the game from a technical standpoint. He’s got a ways to go, however, to move ahead of the likes of Starr, Favre, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, Joe Montana, and Troy Aikman on the accomplishments scale.
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| Sunday, April 29, 2007 |
  University of Alabama cornerback Ramzee Robinson has the dubious distinction of being the last player taken in the 2007 NFL Draft, making him the honorary “Mr. Irrelevant.” He was taken with the 45th pick in the 7th round, 255 overall, as a compensatory pick by the Detroit Lions.
That coinage dates from the days when the NFL draft lasted fourteen or more rounds. Ramzee Robinson actually has a decent chance of making an NFL roster if he can contribute at least on special teams. He was a three year starter with the Crimson Tide in the toughest division in college football.
Here’s his Scout’s, Inc. profile:
Ramzee Robinson | CB | (5’9″, 182, 4.52) | ALABAMA
Scouts Grade: 30
Flags: (B: BULK/SIZE) Lacks size/bulk for position
Strengths: Shows the ability to change directions quickly, explodes out of cuts and possesses strong short-area man-to-man cover skills. He’s quicker than fast and displays very good quick-twitch athleticism. Gets good knee bend, shows good closing burst and flashes the ability to jump short-to-intermediate routes. Is well-built and flashes the ability to slow receivers down at the line of scrimmage. Possesses good instincts, shows adequate range and rarely gets caught out of position. Plays with a mean streak, times hits well and flashes the ability to knock the ball loose. Plays with a good motor, is willing in run support and always seems to be around the ball at the end of the play. Generally squares up to ball carrier and is a sound open field tackler. Has limited experience returning kicks and can contribute on special teams. Also showed some upside working as a punt return specialist in the Hula Bowl.
Weaknesses: Lacks ideal top-end speed, doesn’t show a second gear when tracking the ball and isn’t tall enough to consistently compete for jump balls downfield. While he is physical, he doesn’t have a big frame and taller receivers will have some success shielding him from the ball in the red zone. Doesn’t have great ball skills and isn’t a playmaker when the ball is in the air. Footwork is inconsistent and gets turned around at times. Missed most of the 2005 preseason because of a back injury but durability has not been an issue otherwise.
Overall: Robinson was redshirted in 2002. He played in all 13 games (one start; season finale vs. Hawaii) in 2003 and made 23 total tackles, four pass breakups, and forced one fumble. In 2004, Robinson started all 12 games finishing the season with 42 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and four pass breakups. He played in all 12 games (10 starts) in 2005 and recorded 32 total tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, and seven pass breakups. In 2006, Robinson started all 13 games, registering 46 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, one forced fumble, and two interceptions returning one for a touchdown.
Robinson’s potential is limited by his lack of height and below average ball skills. However, he displays the instincts, short-area burst and athletic ability to develop into an effective sub-package corner in the NFL if his technique and tackling skills continue to improve. Robinson projects as a late round pick or priority free agent from the 2007 class.
His Roll Tide player profile:
Graduate: Robinson earned his undergraduate degree in Management last May. The only returning starter in the Tide secondary, Robinson will again hold down the left cornerback slot. He heads into his senior season with 23 career starts. Following an outstanding spring practice, Robinson earned the “Mal Moore Leadership†Award.
2006 (Senior): Started all 12 games on the season. Robinson tallied 40 tackles with 1.5 tackles for a loss, two interceptions, one caused fumble and five pass breakups. He had at least one tackle in all 12 games with five or more tackles four times. He intercepted a pass and returned it 34 yards for his first career touchdown against Florida International. He recorded his first interception of the season against Duke. He had one of his best games at Tennessee with a career-high nine tackles, a caused fumble and two pass breakups. He tallied six tackles with one pass breakup at Florida. He also made six tackles at LSU and five tackles against Auburn. He had two tackles against Vanderbilt, Arkansas and FIU. He had one tackle and a pass breakup against Louisiana Monroe. He was third on the defense with a total of 698 snaps, playing 50 or more snaps in 10 of the 12 games. He had a season-high 74 snaps at Tennessee. He captained the defense against Hawai’i and LSU.
2005 (Junior): The youngest starter in the Alabama secondary, Robinson tied for the team lead in interceptions (2) and ranked second on the team in pass break-ups with seven. Robinson recorded his first career interception against Florida, returning it 21 yards. He combined that with six tackles in helping Bama upset the fifth-ranked Gators. Robinson collected his second interception in the next game against the Ole Miss Rebels. He returned the ball a career high 39 yards to help set up a Bama field goal. Robinson helped anchor a defense that ranked second in the nation in scoring defense, second in total defense, fifth in pass defense sixth in pass efficiency defense and seventh in rushing defense.
2004 (Sophomore): Winner of the Jerry Duncan “I Like to Practice†Award following spring practice, Ramzee played well enough to take over the starting left cornerback slot prior to the season opener. He was the starter in every game and finished with 615 snaps. He had 42 tackles on the season, including one behind the line for three yards. He did not have an interception, but had four passs break-ups. He had a career-high eight tackles in the Arkansas game and had six against Southern Miss. His play at left corner enabled Charlie Peprah to move to the strong safety slot.
2003 (Freshman): Playing in every game, Ramzee earned a start in the season finale against Hawaii. He had a total of 401 snaps and closed with 23 tackles and four pass breakups. He forced one fumble in the South Florida game. He had a career-high four tackles in the Auburn game.
2002 Redshirted
Prep: As a quarterback at Butler High School, Ramzee completed 72 of 114 passes for 1,338 yards and seven touchdowns his senior season. He also rushed for 466 yards on 85 carries and had six rushing TDs. On defense, he turned in 33 tackles and two interceptions while playing cornerback. As a junior, he passed for 1,112 yards and 12 TDs and added 502 yards and five rushing touchdowns. He was an all-city and all-district pick as a sophomore, junior and senior. He was an honorable mention all-state pick as a senior.
Personal: The son of Fedetrice and Edward Robinson, Ramzee has two brothers (Sabir and Edward) and two sisters (Fedetrice and Ravonne). Born 2-20-84. He is a Management major.
ROBINSON’S STATS
Year G T TFL Sacks Int. FC/FR PBU QBP
2003 13 23 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 4 0
2004 12 42 1-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 4 0
2005 12 32 1-4 0-0 2-60 0-0 7 0
2006 12 40 1.5-4 0-0 2-36 1-0 5 0
Totals 49 140 3.5-11 0-0 4-98 2-0 20 0
CAREER BESTS
Tackles: 9 at Tennessee, 2006
Tackles for Loss: 1 (Three times) Last at LSU, 2006
Yards: 4 at Ole Miss, 2005
Interceptions: 1 (Four times) Last vs. Florida International, 2006
Return Yards: 39 at Ole Miss, 2005
Touchdowns: 1 vs. Florida International, 2006
Pass Break-ups: 2 (Five times) last at Tennessee, 2006
Forced Fumble: 1 (Two times) last at Tennessee, 2006
Kickoff Return: 4 vs. Georgia, 2003
Yards: 83 vs. Georgia, 2003
Long Play: 30 vs. Georgia, 2003
Scott Wright’s Draft Countdown:
Strengths: A smooth athlete…Has fluid hips…More quick than fast…Nice recovery speed…A solid tackler who will support the run…Has a lot of experience…Hard worker with excellent intangibles…He could also contribute as both a kick and punt returner.
Weaknesses: A tad undersized and lacks ideal bulk…Is not very instinctive…Timed speed is only average…Questionable hands and isn’t a playmaker…Has some technique issues that’ll need to be resolved…He’s not very physical in coverage…Limited ball skills.
Notes: Was a three-year starter in the SEC…The type who’ll never be a star at the next level but could make a roster as a nickel or dime guy…Real value might come on special teams…Could be a pleasant late round surprise…Underrated coverman
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| Saturday, April 28, 2007 |
The Baltimore Ravens needed very little time to grab Auburn offensive guard Ben Grubbs with the 29th pick.
What the Experts Say:
Scout.com Profile:
Player Evaluation: A natural blocker on the inside who has shown consistent improvement the past three seasons, Grubbs is a perfect fit in a zone blocking scheme. Will only get better as he physically matures, which could help him eventually develop into a starter at the next level.
STRENGTHS: Flexibility, Quickness Off Ball
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Drive Blocking Skills, Power And Strength
Biography: Three-year starter awarded All-Conference honors as a senior. Began his college career playing on the defensive line and at tight end.
Pos: Athletic blocker who displays a lot of skill in motion. Quick off the snap, fluid pulling across the line of scrimmage and immediately gets out to the second level, removing linebackers from the action. Jolts opponents with good hand punch, plays with a large degree of explosion and works hard throughout the action. Can adjust to pick up blitzes or when blocking on the move.
Neg: Not a dominant blocker who gets much movement at the point. Lacks top fundamentals, which hampers his ability to finish blocks.
UPDATE Scouts.inc:
The Ravens may have taken Staley is he stayed on the board but don’t feel too bad for them. Grubbs is the best available guard and he is a great fit for the offense. Though Grubbs needs to work on his hand placement and footwork, it should come as little surprise considering his history. He lined up at defensive tackle during his true freshman season and moved to tight end the next year before moving to guard. His progress thus far should make the Ravens optimistic about progression and he’s already capable of moving into the starting line up. Grubbs is a powerful drive blocker who can open up holes in short-yardage situations and is always looking to put defenders on their backs. Baltimore should also be confident about his ability to hold up in pass protection because he has excellent quickness.
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| Wednesday, April 4, 2007 |
Editorial Boards of college newspapers, even ones with good J-schools, are not often the place to begin a discussion of the merits and failings of the current revenue centric world of college sports. The University of North Carolina’s Daily Tar Heel took a stab at that topic in today’s edition. And they took issues with a son of Carolina without cause.
Former UNC baseball player Adam Greenberg was beaned in the head by an errant pitch in his first major league at-bat.
Suffering from vertigo and diminished hitting skills, he was sent to the minors in 2005. Greenberg chose UNC for baseball, switched to an easier major to accommodate practices, then turned pro before graduating.
That same year, Georgetown basketball head coach John Thompson III recruited Marc Egerson despite his 1.33 grade point average and an SAT score in the 600s.
Both of these indicate a problem in college athletics: allowing players to drop the “student” from student-athlete.
One problem is that when athletes coast through college, they risk losing it all if they become injured, as Greenberg was.
Adam Greenberg will become a very popular topic of discussion, thanks to the wonderful profile of him in the New York Times Magazine from March 25th. Alas, that profile has been walled off from the world of commentary but not before a few folks commented on it. Most marveled at Greenberg’s determination. Not a single comment on the piece that I found mentioned anything about him “losing it all” as the editorial board of the DTH implies.
In the interest of full disclosure, graduated from UNC-CH in 1997. I found the DTH unbearable then and it seems that even a decade removed, the ability to editorialize has not yet been discovered in the paper’s offices. I posted the point on their website, this morning, that Greenberg is more than just an athlete who sped through his time at Chapel Hill in pursuit of his career of choice – baseball.
There is much that is wrong with college athletics. The fundamentals of games are not taught in the major revenue sports, especially in basketball. And the graduation rates at many major programs have become more humorous than the editorials that attempt to decry them.
If the Editorial Board of the Daily Tar Heel wanted a real example of a player at UNC who gamed the college athletics system, they would have done a little digging to find Joe Forte.
Enters his sophomore season looking to improve on an outstanding freshman campaign • Is a preseason candidate for the Wooden Award and the Naismith Award, which are given to the National Player of the Year • Preseason first-team All-America, as named by Dick Vitale/ESPN • Joins Troy Murphy (Notre Dame), Terrence Morris (Maryland), Jamaal Tinsley (Iowa State) and Shane Battier (Duke) on the first team • Set a number of UNC freshman scoring records and was selected the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA South Regional • Scored 28 points in the regional championship against Tulsa to lead the Tar Heels to the Final Four • Showed remarkable poise and savvy as a young player, leading his team in scoring the entire season • The 2000 Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year
This Joe Forte
After a 2-year college career at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (highlights which included winning the 2000 ACC Rookie of the Year as well as 2001 ACC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year) that was marked by flashes of both brilliance and temper, he was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 21st pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. His most memorable moment with the Celtics came when he wore a Scooby-Doo shirt on the sidelines during the playoffs. In two seasons with the Celtics and the Seattle SuperSonics, Forte averaged 1.2 points and 0.7 assists per game, struggling to convert from his natural shooting guard position, to point guard. He was eventually waived by the Sonics due mostly to attitude and legal problems. While with the Sonics, he was arrested on gun and drug charges in Maryland, as well as an assault charge in which he allegedly punched a man in the face during a pickup game. After being released by the Sonics, Forte could not find a roster spot in the NBA.
Forte played two seasons in Chapel Hill. His failure in the NBA is hardly a surprise. Flashes of brilliance and temper are not the way to garner success in major professional leagues – even the notably dysfunctional NBA. When fusing vast sums of money with raw, immature young men, who have trouble with self-control, chaos is a natural fellow traveler.
A so-called success story is found in the more recent short term Tar Heel, Marvin Williams. His one season in the Southern part of Heaven ended with an NCAA title and a ticket to Atlanta when he declared for the NBA Draft after just one year in college. Marvin Williams, averaging 12.6 points per game in his second professional season. He turns 21 after this season ends in June.
Though his career is more of a success, Marvin Williams exudes the get out of school quick attitude that the Daily Tar Heel decries. Notice they overlook Williams in their list.
It’s problematic when athletes clearly aren’t enrolling in college to get an education. Increasingly the Kevin Durants and Carmello Anthonys of the world are looking to college basketball as a place to show off for NBA scouts instead of a place of learning. Athletes like these are sure to only increase in number with the new NBA rule requiring players to be at least 19 and a year out of high school before entering the draft.
But the problem doesn’t lie only with the athletes. The culture existing in college athletics denotes athletes as sources of entertainment, not as students at a university.
We aren’t suggesting that athletes be required to graduate from college. Clearly that isn’t an option for everyone. The allure of the NBA, NFL and MLB and their million dollar signing bonuses is hard for a poor college kid to turn down. The problem arises when college teams become farm teams.
The reality is that NCAA basketball is an enormous revenue generator. If the Daily Tar Heel wants NCAA basketball to cease to be a developmental farm league, it will require colleges to forego the cash from the heavily marketed and wildly successful tournament. Good luck getting that changed.
Athletics are a means to an end for many college attendees. The players use the universities for exposure. The universities use the players for their talent. Both use each other for the money that their union generates. Fans get the benefit of entertaining rivalries and another entertainment option on a winter’s night or a Saturday afternoon. As such, the fundamental purpose of college basketball and football has become a cog in the world of sports marketing, instead of a part of a university community. The athletes, due to their fame, are isolated from their fellow students, accorded special privileges, and held to a lower standard. Once athletes were students. Many still are.
But for all the failure, there are many successes. In spite of the disparaging comments about Adam Greenberg’s academic achievement, Greenberg has been very smart with his investments and business options outside of baseball. Even if he never gets back to the show, he has much to look forward to going forward with his life, post-baseball. Similarly, Brian Barton, a graduate of the University of Miami and minor leaguer in the Indians farm system, stayed for his entire college career with the University of Miami, earned a degree in Aerospace Engineering and interned at Boeing for good measure. His contract, as an undrafted free agent called for $100,000 in salary and $100,000 for his education.
The success or failure of a team often comes down to abilities of the players and the skill of the coach. So is it with the sports we watch. If teams and leagues and Athletic Associations are eager for short term payout without serious development of their sports, they will suffer in the long run. The NBA has been diminished by an emphasis on talent over character in the game, leading to the dysfunction I alluded to before. One hopes college athletics chooses not to follow that path, but it is their game, their moneymaking venture and their choice. We the fans as always will vote with our wallets and our time.
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| Sunday, April 1, 2007 |
The Florida Gators beat the Ohio State Buckeyes for this year’s (mythical) college football championship. Now, those two teams meet in the real NCAA basketball finals.
Now we’ll see who’s really No. 1.
Florida, the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament, and Ohio State, which finished the regular season as the top-ranked team, rolled into Monday night’s championship game.
After a tournament filled with nail-biters, Saturday night’s games were downright pedestrian. Ohio State (35-3) beat Georgetown 67-60 despite more foul trouble from Greg Oden. Florida (34-5) romped to a 76-66 victory over UCLA in a rematch of last year’s title game that wasn’t any closer than the original.
It will be a title game rematch of sorts. The Buckeyes and Gators met for a title in January — only it was on grass, not hardwood. The gridiron Gators won that one in an upset, beating Ohio State 41-14 and making Florida the first school to hold titles in football and men’s basketball at the same time. Now Florida is looking to add to its title collection. But the Buckeyes might want a little revenge for their football brethren. Yes, that was Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel sitting in the front row Saturday night with his Florida counterpart Urban Meyer across the way.
Florida is trying to become the first team since Duke in 1992 to repeat, and the first ever to do it with the same starting lineup.
Winning the big two college titles in the same year would be unprecedented and quite amazing, indeed.
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