Big Blue Linkapalooza: Draft Lottery Edition

Situationally, I imagine.

When he is drafted, what will Stern say? “With the _ pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the _ select Enes Kanter from (Turkey/the University of Kentucky).”

I grant his facts that the athletic department is self-sustaining, and probably generates a healthy profit for the university. However, the source of funds for Barnes’s raise is irrelevant. I think of it in business terms: The UT system (and by extension, Texas taxpayers) is the “owner” of the of the athletics program. So every dollar that is not used in operations should accrue to the owners, in the form of additional contributions to the university (which in turn should reduce the amount taxpayers need to contribute to fund the system). Just as if you are a shareholder in a company, it would be asinine to argue that the pay of employees in that company is irrelevant because it doesn’t require an additional direct shareholder contribution. Using funds from operations is using money that should be for the shareholders. Managers should pay their employees exactly what it takes to get optimal performance, and not a dollar more. Otherwise, they are just wasting your money.

Now, there is the rub – what is that level of pay? It’s obviously hard to tell. And if the author wanted to argue (as he attempts to in the last paragraph) that the $200k raise was necessary to get optimal performance (as defined by a greater return on investment), that’s a defensible position. But to say that the discussion is irrelevant just because of the source of funds – that is just incorrect, in my view. Money is fungible.

(And yes, before being accused of hypocrisy, I think the same argument applies to Calipari and UK.)

Karl Malone did play for the Jazz — but he probably had to wear the right underwear.

whoops, this post is going to get me in trouble (like that hasn’t happened before).

John Wall, Derrick Rose or others have been asked to attend summer school (if lockout) and be like student coaches, I believe?

Check out that bottom comment. I say we start flaming “walnut”. Stupid Dukie. :)