The Basketball Underground

A couple days ago, the Los Angeles Times did a lengthy investigative piece basketball prodigy Renardo Sidney. It was yet another story on the ills of big-time basketball. Yawn. I don't want to comment specifically on the allegations yet. I will say this: The Sidneys are a close, loving family. Are they perfect? Perhaps not, but it's not fair to judge them harshly without knowing all the facts. Let's also not forget, the Sidneys did not create the well-established underground marketplace for basketball players. Maybe this is solid, investigative reporting. On the other hand, how credible is a piece that incorrectly says that Renardo, Sr. is Renardo's stepson, when he is, in fact, Jr's biological father? The Times did correct the mistake after the fact.

As Shaq famously said, "Biological don't matter." However, it does feed into some unfortunate stereotypes about race and parenting. (Also, it is worth nothing that common sense could have answered the question: Ask yourself, how many stepsons are named after their stepfathers?)

Beyond insinuations that UCLA and USC backed off because they were uncomfortable with some things, people do have axes to grind in this business and butts to cover. I definitely would like to believe UCLA and everyone associated with this fine institution is above reproach, but I am also not delusional. (Disclaimer: My in laws graduated from UCLA and my wife graduated from UCLA law school.)

I don't blame the Times and Lance Pugmire for wanting to try to make sense of this upside-down, bizzaro world. But, he and a lot of others fail or do not want to recognize that the business of "amateur" basketball is by driven market demand, legitimate or otherwise.

Check out my latest Basketball Times article, which is on the basketball underground. In the article, I include one of my favorite all-time quotes on recruiting. Former UCLA assistant coach Jack Hirsch, whose family reportedly made a fortune in pornography. Comparing porn to college basketball, Hirsh told Sports Illustrated in 1984, “(The porno business) is infinitely cleaner than recruiting.”

The Basketball Underground [requires PDF]

Another must-read: Pat Forde's article about the "The Five People You Meet in Recruiting Hell." I greatly appreciate anytime a writer can work in the "biggest whore" Jerry Tarkanian ever met AND Bill Saum in the same article.

--Marc Isenberg