The Tampa Tribune writes another one of those "cynical" articles about the alleged sleazy business of big-time basketball. There's a lot of finger pointing, as usual, and rationalizing.
In my many years examining the issues facing or plaguing basketball (depending on how your moral compass is calibrated), I've met all the good and bad actors in this business. As I try to point out, things are not always what they seem. Unfortunately, it's increasingly difficult to tell the wolves in sheep's clothing from the sheeps who come dressed as they are. Since we're using analogies to explain this world, there is no better truth-teller in all of college sports than Saint Joseph's basketball coach Phil Martelli:
"I had an opening on my staff last year and three different guys called me about it. They all said the same thing: 'If you hire me, I can deliver this guy high school player to your program.' Frankly, it made my skin crawl. Not to make an analogy that's a huge over-exaggeration, but hasn't slavery ended?"
Actually, slavery has been outlawed, but the enterprise of "owning" people still, unfortunately, occurs.
Another good guy, Virginia Tech basketball coach Seth Greenberg, understands recruiting:
"The player is the center of the universe. You've got to draw a circle around that player and then touch everyone in that circle. If you don't touch the right person, you're going to be eliminated."
College sports is big business. That's not necessarily bad, especially if everyone could just be honest about this commercial enterprise, rather dressing it up as a sheep. Baaaahhh.
Related Money Players/Animal Planet post: It's the horse, not the jockey
--Marc Isenberg
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