Kentucky Basketball: Shameful Media Feeding Stereotypes of Cornell and Kentucky
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 9:25 AM EDT
in Commentary
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PrintI have been silent about this for awhile, but no longer.
The national sports media, especially sports columnists in newspapers, have behaved shamefully in the run-up to the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Cornell Big Red. The portrayal has been very unflattering for Kentucky, and excessively flattering for Cornell. This is all justified under the rubric of "America loves an underdog," and "Colleges are places of learning, not farm teams for the NBA."
Nobody should begrudge America their love for an underdog, and far be it from me to do so. In fact, most Kentucky fans will tell you that they absolutely relish the role of Goliath in this drama after four long years of trying to play David -- an experiment which every Kentucky partisan would tell you was an abject failure.
Kentucky basketball is one of the most prestigious college sports programs in America of any stripe or color. That's a fact that none of the specious, ill-informed opinions about coach John Calipari's past can change. Cornell is a fine academic institution in the Ivy League, and does not offer sports scholarships to prospective student athletes. If they come to Cornell, they are either on some kind of academic or other financial aid, or they pay the high price of admission from student loans, trust funds, or their parent's pockets. But this year, Cornell has fielded a basketball team of remarkable skill in spite of the built-in institutional obstacles.
For some reason, many in the media have decided that Cornell represents everything that is good and pure about college athletics, and Kentucky represents everything that is wrong and detrimental. They have decided that this contest is about good versus evil, not about two sports teams competing against each other in a college tournament.
I understand the impulse of members of the media to go down this road -- it makes for inspiring copy and it rolls right out of the keyboard as though it had been waiting all its short existence for just this moment. This is that "One Shining Moment" for sportswriters covering the tournament where they can relax, because this story literally writes itself.
And it is as wrong, ethically and factually, as it is compelling.
Kentucky has recruited a very good team of young basketball talent, a good bit of which is destined for the NBA. How is this wrong? That question is never asked, nor answered -- it's just assumed, and worse, reflects a stereotype that America should not be fomenting in its media.
These young players for Kentucky have worked very hard to get to this point. Granted, their focus has been on athletic achievement and not on academic achievement. What I want to know is this -- since when did athletic achievement become inferior to academic achievement? When did this happen? Did I somehow miss the day, month, or year when America declared that academic excellence is a more praiseworthy or noble endeavor than athletic excellence? Did solving a Rubik's Cube become an Olympic sport without me noticing?
Americans unquestionably reward athletic achievement more. Make no mistake, no matter how many advanced degrees the fine young men of Cornell earn, the earning potential of those degrees aren't in the same universe as that of any of Kentucky's best players. In this country, we define success, all to often, by how much money people can earn in their jobs. That's why we send our kids to school and on to college -- so they can earn a good living. Did the NBA somehow suddenly become a dishonorable or distasteful place to work? Since when?
"But they are using a college as a farm team for the NBA," critics will tell you. My response is this -- If a college prepares a young man for his future in one year or ten, has not the objective been achieved? Yes, college for most people is an academic endeavor for several years, but we don't criticize the prodigy who earns his advanced degree in one or two years. Yet somehow, earning an advanced "degree" in a sporting endeavor is somehow not only unworthy of our praise, but worthy of our derision? That is shamefully, irresponsibly elitist, worthy only of the worldly-ignorant geeks in high school who yearn for the girlfriends the athletes always seem to get.
None of this is intended to belittle the hard work of the players for the Cornell Big Red, nor minimize their academic OR athletic achievements as somehow less praiseworthy than the primarily athletic achievements of the Kentucky players. We should be celebrating both equally -- or at the very least with respect instead of the abnegation of one in favor of the other. Achievement on the playing field is noble and admirable. Achievement in the classroom is no less, and no more so.
So let's stop being dishonest with each other, and stop undervaluing one group of young men at the expense of the other. If you want to root for the underdog, go ahead, that's every fan's right, but cease espousing the false doctrine of academics as a morally superior endeavor. Kentucky's team is doing well in the classroom, so we're told, but the fact that this isn't what they are famous for, nor a pursuit that some intend to continue for more than this year, does not render them inferior in any way to the young men of Cornell.
Kentucky's players are not "thugs" or any of the other sort of invective used to pillory Goliath when David comes to town. Cornell's players are at the Carrier Dome to play basketball, not solve quadratic equations. Let's give both teams credit for what they represent -- some of the best and brightest in America. working toward different, but equally laudable life goals. But tonight, they have only one common goal -- to win a college basketball game.
Let's celebrate not only their differences, but what they have in common, and stop pigeonholing our young men for the purposes of generating page views.
UPDATE: Jeff Goodman has something similar here. Good read.
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Amen Tru
I am so glad every time I see one of these.
I was even glad to see that the Loathsome Troll had written a similar piece.
How a basketball game can get turned into a referendum on ANYTHING, is ridiculous. It is a shame that grown men have to base so much of their esteem and beliefs on some 18-22 year olds putting a ball in a hoop.
Well put, Tru! The assumption of the media in this matter also includes the perception that
if you work really hard on athletic skills, you do so at the neglect of your academic skills. John Wall’s GPA blows that arguement out of the water. The simple fact is that highly athletic individuals are usually gifted in academics as well. They may not choose to attend Ivy League schools, but they are still very gifted. Athletic giftedness and academic giftedness are simply not mutually exclusive.
The piece in the Boston Globe yesterday was one of the most racist and elitest columns I've ever read
Matt Jones at KSR blew up the author, you can read that here.
The gist of the article was White and Rich = Good, Poor and Black = Evil. I don’t know how his editors let him publish it.
Here I thought we were in the 21st century and we had moved past the northeastern bigotry, but I was wrong.
Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dips**ts.
The very notion ...
… of a Boston Globe columnist defending rich white people is incredibly droll, to say the very least. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions
It gets worse
Here is that dude’s column from today: link
His way of defending himself? Making fun of spelling mistakes from people who sent him e-mails.
Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dips**ts.
Whew.
This brings to mind, “It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”
I think this applies both to the author, and to the fan emails he republishes.
I wonder if he asked each fan for permission to publish their emails? I’m betting not, and if not, doing so was a case study in unethical behavior.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
The guy's own readers are turning on him......is he a complete ass or what??
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
I'm thinking ...
… you didn’t read that many, nor note the approvals of remarks condemning Kentucky and, in particular, Calipari.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions
yeah, but those I expected......I just didnt expect to see any of his readers turning on him
after reading some more of his stuff though, it doesnt surprise me…..the man insults everyone in the world at some point…..makes Pat Forde look like Matt Jones……no offense Matt…..lol….the amount of bile spewing from the keyboards of the supposedly “enlightened” individuals in the world amazes me at this point…….and Embracing The Hate doesnt even come close to covering this Tru…..makes me want to hurl on the guy’s shoes….
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
Heh.
Hold your gorge. Acid reflux is bad for ya. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Example:
redsoxfandave wrote:
Way to branch out Dan! Now people outside of New England can hate you too.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti
And don't forget Pat Forde
Who, with no knowledge of the situation whatsoever, stated that the UK freshmen aren’t going to classes this semester.
Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dips**ts.
Forde......another shining example of what a degree in journalism can accomplish.......
everything except being a human being……with a conscience and a sense of right and wrong……what do we call that???……oh yeah……ethics
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
Here is the article in Question
Kentucky has up to four freshmen who might go pro as soon as their season is over — and some of them might have kissed off classes a long time ago because second-semester grades don’t impact in-season eligibility. Cornell has eight seniors with big-boy majors.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/tournament/2010/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=5023685
Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dips**ts.
I was talking to
my sister last night (a UK fan) and she must have read the Forde article. She said something to the effect that Wall and maybe some others weren’t even going to class anymore. I’m sure Cal (and Sandy Bell) wouldn’t condone that behavior but I was wondering if there was any substance to that rumor.
they are not in class...
because they are busy playing in the post season and aren’t in town :)
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2010 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Sure
but are they registered for and going to class, for example, when they return with the big trophy? Not trying to start something, just want some facts to dispel the rumors.
They have to be registered to be eligble I beleive
and last I heard Wall was going to classes during the end of the season, not sure about between the SECT and going to New Orleans though.
"Come test me every day if you want," says Pujols, "Everything I ever made in this game I would give back to the Cardinals if I got caught."
I guess we were all on the same thought pattern this morning.....lol....
good writeup Tru……you were much more politically correct than I was in mine……
I am sick and tired of it, and have this itching to put the stereo spreakers on the TV tonight….and crank it up!!
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
Mixed emotions about your post
I can’t seem to decide if agree with you or not. Here is are some of my thoughts, as random as they may be, I have divided them into two camps:
Agree with Tru
I think athletics/competition is a worthwhile endeavor in itself. So much so, that IMO a person devoid of some sort of athletic experience is as incomplete as a person that lacks the ability to read or do arithmetic. The competition, self worth, determination, and interpersonal skills that one learns in competitive athletics are every bit as valuable as the knowledge obtained in school.
The media makes it seem like you can only be a smart athlete if you are doing so at Cornell, Moreover, they make it seem that being smart actually makes it unlikely that you would be athletic.
The real shame of the journalism is that the stories are written with stereo types, instead of the actual players that will play the game. I know that the average SAT score at Cornell is higher than at U.K., but I promise you that there are some idiots at Cornell, and brilliant folks at U.K. Regardless, the only stories that should matter are the folks on the court.
Disagree
While I think it is important for every one to be exposed to athletics and academics, I do feel that athletic achievement should be subservient to academic achievement. Both can be celebrated. I respect the achievement of great athletes; I know that they are the result of immense talent, hard work, and dedication. But at the end of their life even the greatest athlete’s eulogy will read “was really good at a game”.
IMO, a man of immense intellect (which is also a god given talent), that is dedicated and hardworking is more likely to do something more significant than being really good at a game. Clearly, these are generalities, great athletes can have significant impact, and smart people can fail to make an impact. But my point is athletic achievement = wins, titles, professional contract < academic achievement = curing cancer, etc.
Sorry to be so long winded, but this piece got me thinking.
Glad it got you thinking.
I think you make some good points, but I believe that the human condition is what is being ignored. No matter how much academic effort they put in, most athletes simply aren’t built to become great thinkers. It isn’t so much from a lack of talent as a lack of interest. Perhaps later in life, when professional athletics are no longer an option, they can find a love for academics — and athletics would have provided them the means to pursue it at whatever level.
In the final analysis, I do not agree that academics should be more celebrated than any other worthwhile human endeavor. Academic achievement is often more subjective than real, and often produces little more than artificial credibility. A man’s ability to think is not bounded by his academic prowess, as so many seem to think.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions
A man’s ability to think is not bounded by his academic prowess, as so many seem to think.
I should have added “…or woman’s…”. I didn’t intend to be sexist there. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions
And something else to consider here...
is that on most occasions, the sports media won’t make such a stink with regards to academics unless someone has cheated on his SATs or paid someone to take an exam for him. But, here is a golden opportunity for the media to play on the vast differences between these two universities and their respective basketball programs.
At Cornell, academics is the higher priority whereas at Kentucky basketball is a major focus. Now this is in no way to insinuate that UK is not a fine academic institution as well. It is NOT, as the media would call it, a farm system for the NBA. But, the perception is that basketball is the ONLY focus at UK and that it’s basketball players cannot therefore achieve success in a classroom as well. I have been happy to hear a commentator here and there throughout the regular season acknowledge Pattersons academic achievements, but will the national media do the same? Very doubtful.
The good thing here is that after this game, the talk will probably turn back to basketball only.
The eulogy of a great athlete
may begin with “was really good at a game” but will end with “and earned a boatload of money while doing it.”
i wrote this on here a while back
But I still believe its true. If college is a prep course for your career, then why should John Wall be expected to perform in the history classroom? I graduated with a degree in European history from UK and was never once ask to put a basketball through a hoop. I did not come under any media scrutiny when I wasn’t able to dribble with both hands. Conversely, Patterson gets no love. Its a testament to PatPat that he has not only dominated the court, but the classroom…but the media won’t talk about that….it ruins the UK is big and athletic (black) and Cornell is smart and are good shooters (white). Tru, I agree 100% that UKs achievements this season are every bit as good as Cornell’s. I’d argue that they’re better, but no one would buy that article. Show me one Cornell player who will be in the top 10 picks in the NBA and graduated college in three years. It took me 4 1/2 and I wasn’t preoccupied with much else but women and beer.
I left TN and now I am back in the Bluegrass... just in time for Football and Keeneland! Life is great!
by sleepytimetea on Mar 25, 2010 10:49 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
My similar thought is what would finance majors do if they could study one year and get a 7 figure job?
They would take it. That’s what they would do. And the school that produced these ungraduated, highly paid 1 year finance students would be rewarded with more such capable students hoping for the same reward.
Don’t blame the NBA for seeking players with only 1 year of college signaling.
Blame the banks and other financial institutions for not recruiting underclassman and always requiring degrees. They obviously aren’t getting it done with the “4 and done” crowd.
Excellent work Tru
I got over these steroetypes a long time ago. There is nothing anyone can do about it. No amount of counterpointing will ever change peoples minds that big time athletic programs recruit questionable characters/students for the sole purpose of using them to win games and make money.
I truly hope that this kind of talk has registered with the young men on the UK squad and they use it as extra motivation to give a big middle finger to everyone that has put them down and steroetyped them.
Slower Traffic Keep Right!
Oh and by the way.....
i think Matt Jones was wrong by posting Dan Shaughnessy’s email on his site. He was purposefully inciting UK fans to email him and speak their mind. Absolutely no good could have come from this.
Slower Traffic Keep Right!
There is a link to the guy's e-mail in the story
If Napoleon Dynamite puts his e-mail in his stories, it is up for grabs.
Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dips**ts.
the email was at the bottom of his post on the article
while matt had some good points, he was clearly looking for a fight and found it the first place he could….
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2010 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions
I know Matt put it at the bottom of his story on KSR
What I’m saying is, Shaughnessy’s e-mail is linked in the Boston Globe story.
Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dips**ts.
Great post and thought it fairly presented all sides while
pointing out the misconceptions than many seem to have.
I’m personally surprised that no one’s brought up the 1966 role reversal. A mostly black group of kids playing a mostly white. Apparently now that the shoes on the other foot so to speak…..this isn’t an issue but I’m fairly sure there are some black kids out there who’d have no trouble with a Rubik’s either.
You can't fix "stupid"!
Heh.
You didn’t read my earlier article? I’m incensed! :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Ha....Tru you're so prolific you can't blame your fans for not reading EVERY comment!!;-)
You can't fix "stupid"!
Not agruing, just thinking "aloud"
I have some experience with every side of this, maybe that is why I’m so interested. I played baseball collegiately, earned a PhD, and taught at the AF academy (where we don’t get scholarship athletes). I whole heatedly agree that most great athletes lack an interest in scholarly achievement. For them school is a means to an end, and I am 100% o.k. with that. Every one has their talents\interests, and cultivating an athlete’s talents requires just as much work and sacrifice as a surgeon in their residency.
I also think intellect and academic achievement are not synonymous, in the same way that being a great athlete doesn’t always lead to great athletic achievement. I even agree, mostly, with your comment that academics should not be more celebrated than any other worthwhile human endeavor.
However, I really think that when all is said and done, measuring a man or women by their academic or athletic achievements is a faulty metric. Instead, the true measure should be on their character and the impact they had on those “around” them. While athletics and academic develop the former, the later is more often achieved through scholastic achievement.
Fair point ...
… but I think athletics can, as well. Athletics certainly provides the opportunity, in the form of monetary compensation, to have a huge impact on those around them.
How many medical researchers endow large charitable foundations, and apply their name and fame to them to help the needy? Calipari’s efforts on behalf of the Haiti victims is only a very recent example, and I think it can be fairly said that the impact that effort had on those “around” him was quite significant.
In the end, I don’t think having an impact requires an education. It merely requires determination and a willingness to put others ahead of oneself. That’s not something that you can learn at Harvard. And that’s why I think that both are equally praiseworthy.
Of course, that’s just my opinion, and certainly I can see the merits in your comments as well.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
After a little reflection on the basketball court at lunch (ironic),
I have come to a different conclusion. First, nice point with Haiti, but that isn’t an athletic accomplishment of Coach Cal’s. Second, we really are coming to the same conclusion, albeit from different sides. We agree that one’s impact is not determined by your leaping ability or your SAT score.
But my revelation is that I completely disagree with your assertion that academic achievement is celebrated more than athletic. It is in this one instance of U.K. vs Cornell, but we are all sensitive to subject, and I agree the coverage has been less than fair to our cats.
However, in society the athlete is disproportionally celebrated. For example, everyone on this basketball site can name the best five basketball players at U.K. Who are the best five professors there? I took a quick look and found U.K. professors that had invented a new sugar substitute that will help diabetics, pioneered a infrared spectroscopy technique for “x-raying” blood vessels to predict heart attacks. The point, we spend our (I am including myself) free time blogging about what we love, basketball. We don’t do the same
for the research at U.K. Ergo, we celebrate athletics more than academics.
but in all fairness, not one of those professors can hit their FT's......
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
Totally agree
It just makes my point that athletes are more celebrated, and I o.k. with the media pointing out some of the academic achievement of student athletes. They just have to do it fairly. I mean PPat is awesome on the court and in the classroom, and J Wall has/had the highest GPA on the team. That is worth a little pub too.
“Americans unquestionably reward athletic achievement more. Make no mistake, no matter how many advanced degrees the fine young men of Cornell earn, the earning potential of those degrees aren’t in the same universe as that of any of Kentucky’s best players. In this country, we define success, all to often, by how much money people can earn in their jobs. That’s why we send our kids to school and on to college — so they can earn a good living.”
You could not be more wrong. There are far, far more multi-millionaires in business, earned as a result of a good education, than there ever will be in the NBA. that’s one of the problems with our culture – too many people think their ticket out is sports rather than education. Remember the NCAA commercial – “We’re almost all going pro in something other than sports”?
I think you misunderstood my point.
My point was, both are perfectly acceptable as ways to earn a living.
For those athletes with NBA talent, their prospects are much better for millions than those with MBA talent. That’s just reality, and that was also my point.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Well said Tru
These so called writers are just trying to produce pixels and page hits. They don’t think about it. It is really sad when they feel the need to attack a group of kids without looking at things like Hoops for Haiti, visiting sick kids and all the other things that are not “have-to’s”.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Yes, but...
Yes, the top-tier basketball schools are indeed a form of a ‘farm team" for the NBA — no use denying that reality. In fact, I would propose that we ought to embrace it and extend it by keeping the NBA at bay for at least three years (similar to baseball and football). It benefits both parties — the NBA gets a ’free’ development league, and college basketball gets to keep its stars a bit longer. A genuine win-win situation.
But, I digress. My point is that while playing basketball at UK is essentially career-prep, how is that different from getting an engineering degree, a medical degree, or an MBA? Aren’t those also “career prep” endeavors? To top it off, those who get the engineering degree can focus ONLY on the engineering degree (and beer, and women…). But those preparing for the NBA must do that while pursuing a degree as well (and pursuing beer, and women…).
It really doesn’t seem fair to portray our kids as academic dunces. The facts refute that completely. But what we are seeing IMO is the ‘politically acceptable’ form of racism — diminished expectations for minorities — suddenly being contrasted with the ‘politically acceptable’ form of elitism — attendance at Ivy League schools and the subsequent prerequisites. Nothing new, really. Just a clear chance to write that which is still allowed…
Indeed.
But, I digress. My point is that while playing basketball at UK is essentially career-prep, how is that different from getting an engineering degree, a medical degree, or an MBA? Aren’t those also "career prep" endeavors?
That was exactly the point I was trying to make further down.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions
I think a bigger point is going
unspoken here. Sports, whether professional or amateur, is entertainment. Students attend colleges for the performing arts, preparing themselves for jobs in the field of entertainment. How does that differ from legitimate professional athlete prospects honing their skills at the schools with the best sports programs and coaches?
Here we go....
Cornell is good….now everybody knows, including John wall, that there’s just no way UK can win so they can all thank the media for the smackdown that’s coming tonight! I love how the media has made it out like Cornell has all this experience w/out considering that wall, cousins, ppat and others have played against the best of the best In aau, summer leagues etc etc
Yea,Cornell on schedule looks like a good team and they are! However, they haven’t seen anything like the race car they will see tonight. It’s all fun and games till somebody loses an eye..
Cornell players were laughing and joking this morning and UK shoulda wore suits cause they look like they mean business!
Ooh ooh they played Kansas and Syracuse tough…..neither of which are Kentucky
by collegebballfan on Mar 25, 2010 11:38 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
I just wonder how those Cornell kids are going to like working for our kids in a couple years???
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
There is a difference
between being intelligent/intellectual and being smart. I have a relative, whom I love dearly, who is the former. If you play Trivial Pursuit, you want him on your team, but the man can’t change a light bulb.
I may be paranoid, but that doesn't mean they're not out to get me.
Had to answer - "maybe" to this... :)
Did the NBA somehow suddenly become a dishonorable or distasteful place to work? Since when?
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2010 11:43 AM EDT reply actions
Average UK starter's first year salary after leaving UK?
Wall (>4million), Cuz (>3million) and PPat (>1.5M as lottery pick) and Bledsoe (same) means $10Million first year salary (ignoring product endorsements), or aveage first year salary for UK starting 5, assuming Miller ends up unemployed (just for fun-he is obviously going to have a successful future too, maybe in basketball), is over $2million.
I’m willing to bet you that the Cornell starting 5 makes less. The pro-Rubix cube league #1 pick only made $542 last year.
Rarely do I laugh that hard
Thanks allblu….I Now have soda on my fav white shirt! Lol
by collegebballfan on Mar 25, 2010 11:54 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
When you have kids that
are really talented, be it athletically or academically, (especially if you are a parent) you see what they are great at something and you hope they can make a good living doing what they love. Is a profession in which someone makes gazillions worth a lot to the individual if they hate their job and they feel like they are wasting their natural talents?
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
You know, I bet every one of those Cornell kids grew up dreaming of becoming a CEO......lol....
They probably didnt want to be pro ball players as a kid…..
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
I doubt that. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Some people are born with great athletic ability and some with great academic ability.
A few have both and many have neither. Great athletes get the big bucks early, though for not as long, for one very simple reason: Supply and demand. It seems like all the Ivy League economists could figure that one out.
I may be paranoid, but that doesn't mean they're not out to get me.
Let the media keep talking about how great Cornell is
That will keep UK from taking them lightly. And taking them lightly is the only way they can lose. Cats by 15+ and it will be that close only because Krebs keeps missing his shots for the last 3 minutes.
I may be paranoid, but that doesn't mean they're not out to get me.
Lose—Lose
Consider all the commentary on this game before it’s played and then pause to contemplate what the volume and content of the elucidation that will follow a UK loss. As often happens in such perceived mismatches UK finds itself in a lose-lose situation: win and it will be because you were esteemed superior; lose and it’s deemed a triumph of good over evil, intellect over athleticism, teamwork over individuality, ethical over corrupt, etc.
I’ve posted, somewhat facetiously, regarding what will follow a Cornell victory but there is a ring of truth to it — thus I’d rather lose any other game.
"Perhaps the fact that we have seen millions voting themselves into complete dependence on a tyrant has made our generation understand that to choose one's government is not necessarily to secure freedom" - Hayek
Yeah.
Sadly, that’s likely so.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2010 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions
One simple solution
The best way to put all this to rest is to beat Cornell and move on. A year ago we were too pathetic to hate. I’ll take our present situation any time.
All so true, Tru
I agree with the comments by finkgolf, too. At least this time tomorrow these stories will disappear like a fart in a windstorm and will center on The Game.
and how we do not have a chance against west va....
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2010 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions
or washington....
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2010 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Well seems the Dan Shaughnessy called and spoke with Matt Jones
KSR follow up to the follow up
I found this profound –
We talked a bit about the points and he specifically contended with the racism charge. I asked him if the same column would have been written if the (predominantly white) Duke team had been playing Cornell. He said it was a fair point and we then moved on.
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The racism in the City of Boston is well documented.
I’m not going to do it, but Shaughnessy seemed to suggest that the charge was silly.
One easy example: Boston was the last city to integrate its major league baseball team.
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/oct/redsox/
I disagree.
Matt Jones made a statement of substance, and was then talked over and jokes were made to avoid addressing the substance.
He did well.
I hope this improves everyone’s opinion of lawyers on this site. :)
Lord knows I could use the reputation boost.
haha....
Matt almost painted himself into a corner bringing up Rondo…I suspect there will be a little fall out from that in the Boston media
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not sure....i am sure that if there is KSR will post it
it was pretty wild
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I listened.
Every time Jones gave a fact that proved them wrong, they didn’t counter with facts, they insulted Cal or made a joke and then talked for 2 minutes so Jones couldn’t talk. What a great example of intelligence beating blow hards.
Jones-Boston last city to intergrate baseball. That is your “fact” on Boston racism.
Got in late
and only heard their summary – “that guy is full of crap”. Must have got the better of them and made them think. lol
Heard him
go againt the Knoxville group a couple weeks ago discussing Calipari. He keeps bringing up points that people won’t respond. He shows up for debate and the other folks just try to talk louder.
DING DING DING!!
WE HAVE A WINNA FOLKS!!!! STEP RIGHT UP AND TELL US YOUR NAME!
I have kleptomania,
but when it gets bad,
I take something for it.
Among many other atrocities occured
many years after integration was the norm in the south – Soiling of Old Glory, ROAR, , more recent events and more.
They actually admitted they wouldn't have written
about dUKe vs Cornell.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
They hid behind the Duke is a good school argument
But then they couldn’t deal with the fact that their basketball players are as dumb/smart as all the other elite basketball programs.
some one has to publish a link to this to listen to later.....it will be all I need to get ready for tonight
You know, I am really beginning to think that Calipari is a stone cold frigging genius. First he gets us to thinking this Cornell team is really good…..then he gets the players to watching and listening and thinking the same thing….and now wew are in a back and forth with some morons from Boston who we care nothing about and I am 10X as stirred up about this game tonight as I was before this week started.
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
In the Why We Hate Duke manifesto/essay written by a UNC fan who is also a personal friend of mine
(he is a lawyer with a UNC diploma and Duke law degree), he notes that Duke fans yelled “SAT” during a UNC game, implying that UNC’s black players were dumb. Dean mentioned in a post game press conference that his front line had a higher SAT score combined that Duke’s white front line. This apparently created a controversy, but it shows the stereotypes and facts don’t fit, and Duke gets a free ride on that “good school” reputation.
Here is the essay for those interested. It is a great read:
http://www.coachksucks.com/
Damn
I missed the whole thing.
Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dips**ts.
What did Jones say about Rondo?
Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dips**ts.
They were talking about Boston being a racist sports town
and Matt brought up some things he heard that Rondo has had to deal with up there (suggesting racial stuff). The radio people were hammering him for specifics and Matt said he wasn’t there to (and will not) repeat what he had been told.
I think this was a mistake and I am sure Matt probably regrets bringing it up. Rondo probably will not appreciate it either should this become a story.
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Yeah, he shouldn't have said that
Basically burned that bridge with Rondo, even if he didn’t say specifics.
Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dips**ts.
Got this email taunt from a northeastern relative:
A Cornell player looks up at the scoreboard and sees UK 40 Cornell 34 at halftime. He claps his hands and says “We’re only down by 6, guys! Let’s get it done!”
A UK player looks up at the scoreboard and begins counting; 35..36..37..38..39..40. Using his fingers he counts 1..2..3..4..5..6. “We’re up by 6, guys! Let’s get it done!”
I sent back a response where the UK player runs out of fingers to count.
I don’t care if he’s a bigot. His problem. But UK up by 6 at halftime? I hope my response comes true.
Go Big Blue.
I have noticed
some (new faces) to me anyway. Welcome to ASoB. Sit down and stay awhile. I would say take your shoes off but, you may have all ready. Good to have you. You have made many good points.
Happy Days are here again The sky is all ways BLUE again Happy days are here again !
Welcome ...
… to A Sea of Blue. Well, to commenting on it, anyway. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
We have to win.
Otherwise they will make a movie, probably called Glory Road II.
The good news for Hollywood is that they can use the same actors. They can just put UK jerseys on the Texas Western team actors, and Cornell jerseys on the UK team actors. Voight can even play Calipari with a little make up and a black wig.
Never saw the movie
I refuse to watch such garbage and lies. I was there and it didn’t happen like they say. Some one from Mr. Rupps family should have complained for them even using “Glory Road” He said that was what his job at UK had been. A ride on a “Glory Road” At the time of the game there was little said about black vs white. This all came up later. If we had of won the game it would not be mentioned.
Happy Days are here again The sky is all ways BLUE again Happy days are here again !
I haven't seen the movie, though I have seen trailers and stuff.
I recognized Voight as Rupp in the trailers. I’m also willing to bet that the actors playing UK were white, and the actors playing Texas Western were (mostly) black. I may be making some assumptions, but they make the joke work.
I was 13 years old when that game happened. I didn’t hear anything about ‘black vs white’ before or after the game and didn’t know TW was black, white, mixed or what. All I knew was the ’Cats seemed flat after that exhausting win over Duke. To us, that was the real championship game, the one we wanted far more than Texas Western.
Glory Road
We rented it a while back and my husband laughed at me because even though I knew the story of how it all turned out, I couldnt help getting into the “game” and feeling down wken kentucky lost.
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Mar 25, 2010 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I saw the movie (reluctantly)
and was quite impressed with it. IMO it has little to do with racism and more to do with the actual story of Texas Western and how they became the team they were.
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