A few weeks ago reports surfaced about the NCAA looking to expand the men’s basketball tournament from 65 teams to 96 teams. Many of the coaches and administrators believe that this wouldn’t be a bad idea. The expansion would probably add only one more weekend to the tournament, which wouldn’t be taxing on the students. The fans, bar and restaurant owners would love it because it’s another weekend of March Madness to enjoy and make money from. But if you look closely, the making money part is the only part that the NCAA is concerned with as well. Don’t get me wrong, the NCAA is a business and they have every right to explore different avenue streams to bring more money into their business. Right now the NCAA has an 11-year, $6 billion contract with CBS to carry the tournament games, but they can opt out after this season. This is a huge contract, but if they find a network, say ESPN, who is willing to shell out more money and could accommodate showing an expanded 96-team tournament, then the NCAA will take that deal in a heartbeat. The problem I have though, is what about the STUDENT athletes? The NCAA has taken the student out of student athletes. If the NCAA wants to do that, then fine with me. But you need to pay them.
One of the major issues that the coaches and the university presidents are concerned with, is the fact that they have so many one and done athletes. Look at Kentucky standout John Wall. Everyone knows that he is leaving after this year and headed to the NBA. I don’t know his situation, but many of the student athletes leave early because they come from a poor background and need to leave to support their families. Many of those players leave and make millions of dollars. For some, it turns out to be the wrong decision and now they have no degree to fall back on (i.e. Marcus Taylor PG from Michigan State). I believe that with the $6 billion that the NCAA is receiving from CBS, they can afford to give these student athletes just a little bit of that money. Expanding the tournament will put even more money into the pot and ask the students to sacrifice more, but yet they get nothing from the NCAA.
Last May there was a lawsuit filed by former Arizona State QB Sam Keller against the NCAA and EA Sports regarding the NCAA’s use of student athletes’ likenesses in EA Sports video games. (Here’s the link to that story). In this lawsuit the NCAA is being accused of violating their own rules of amateurism, selling the rights to the players that they're supposed to protect. The NCAA makes millions every year from these games. They make money from showing player highlights and using those highlights to promote March Madness, the BCS, the College World Series, and all other major championship tournaments. The NCAA is making big time dollars from these students but the students are not seeing a dime of that money.
When a player stays, then everyone is surprised because of all the money their giving up by staying in college. Just last year, we were all surprised when highly touted QB Sam Bradford decided to stay in college, giving up $40 million in guaranteed money. It was great for college football but bad for him, he got hurt this season. On the otherhand, once a highly touted highly recruited freshman leaves to go pro, then the debate starts up again about the one and done rule. Just last year Pete Carroll got upset because QB Mark Sanchez chose to make money and leave for the NFL. Then Carroll turned around the next year and leaves his students behind because he wanted to make more money. There’s a double standard. A player might not have to leave 2 years early if the NCAA wasn’t so greedy. Give these students just a little bit of that $6 billion and I guarantee you that the number of student atheletes leaving early would drop and the number of university violations would go down as well. I dare the NCAA to try it and see.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Ndamukong Suh vs. Gerald McCoy
For the first time in a while, we do not have a consensus number in this year’s NFL Draft. It could be anyone from QB Sam Bradford to DT Ndamukong Suh. No one for certain can nail down who might go number one. The reason for that could be that the team holding the number one overall selection needs so much that everyone is in the running to be selected. The St. Louis Rams hold that selection. So what does this mean for the Detroit Lions?
The Detroit Lions hold the second overall pick. Both teams are expected to select the best defensive player in the draft. But who might that be? The experts have narrowed it down to Nebraska star DT Ndamukong Suh and Oklahoma star DT Gerald McCoy. From there however, the debate rages on. Who is the better player?
First let us look at both Suh and McCoy’s stats from the last two seasons. On the surface, you might be able to say that Ndamukong Suh is better than Gerald McCoy. Looking at the last two seasons, Suh has had more tackles and sacks than McCoy. McCoy however, played against stiffer competition in the Big 12 South versus Suh playing in the Big 12 North. Also remember, Suh did have that dominating performance in the Big 12 Championship game against a great team, the Texas Longhorns. Evaluating which player to choose goes deeper than looking at one performance or who played against stiffer competition. You have to look at the non stat attributes of each player. Does he have leadership skills or what type of person is he? With these two defensive tackles being so close in talent and possibly going 1-2 in the draft, the choice won’t solely be on the stats but it will also be on who fits the team system better. If the team wants a run stuffer then they should grab draft Ndamukong Suh. But if they want a DT that can go after the quarterback better, then they should take Gerald McCoy. As Lion fans, we always believe that we get the leftover scraps while the team ahead of us gets the gold. We have to believe that this year will be different because Suh and McCoy are just so close in talent.
Here’s a link to a website that lists many of McCoy and Suh’s attributes.
The Detroit Lions hold the second overall pick. Both teams are expected to select the best defensive player in the draft. But who might that be? The experts have narrowed it down to Nebraska star DT Ndamukong Suh and Oklahoma star DT Gerald McCoy. From there however, the debate rages on. Who is the better player?
First let us look at both Suh and McCoy’s stats from the last two seasons. On the surface, you might be able to say that Ndamukong Suh is better than Gerald McCoy. Looking at the last two seasons, Suh has had more tackles and sacks than McCoy. McCoy however, played against stiffer competition in the Big 12 South versus Suh playing in the Big 12 North. Also remember, Suh did have that dominating performance in the Big 12 Championship game against a great team, the Texas Longhorns. Evaluating which player to choose goes deeper than looking at one performance or who played against stiffer competition. You have to look at the non stat attributes of each player. Does he have leadership skills or what type of person is he? With these two defensive tackles being so close in talent and possibly going 1-2 in the draft, the choice won’t solely be on the stats but it will also be on who fits the team system better. If the team wants a run stuffer then they should grab draft Ndamukong Suh. But if they want a DT that can go after the quarterback better, then they should take Gerald McCoy. As Lion fans, we always believe that we get the leftover scraps while the team ahead of us gets the gold. We have to believe that this year will be different because Suh and McCoy are just so close in talent.
Here’s a link to a website that lists many of McCoy and Suh’s attributes.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
If Only For A Moment
Jubilation, exuberance, elation, hysteria; are just a few words to describe how Saints fans felt the moment Garrett Hartley’s kick sent the New Orleans Saints franchise to their first ever Super Bowl appearance. The moment the kick went in; people jumped for joy, high fived strangers, and had to pinch themselves because they couldn’t believe it. The French Quarter streets filled quickly with fans celebrating what they always believed to be impossible. I heard one play-by-play announcer state that pigs were flying and that hell had just frozen over. It was an unbelievable moment in that franchises history. The city was happy again. But take a think back a few years when New Orleans sounded and looked a lot different.
We all remember the summer of 2005. Hurricane Katrina clobbered New Orleans, causing the levees to fail and flood most of the city, including the entire Lower Ninth Ward. The Superdome at the time looked entirely different from a few Sunday’s ago. Instead of joy and excitement, heartache, anguish, and anger filled the stadium. The stadium was being used as a “shelter of last resort” since everything in the city was destroyed. And, if it couldn’t get any worse, the “shelter of last resort” was no more shelter, as a portion of the stadiums roof ripped off and rain began to pour on the people inside. It was horrific to view on TV. Over 1500 people lost there lives during this disaster.
The team however reopened the Superdome in 2006, and since, this franchise has put this city on their backs in hopes of reviving the spirit. Well… Mission Accomplished, if only for a moment. But when I think about New Orleans, I can’t help but think about the City of Detroit. Now in no way am I comparing what Detroit has been through to what New Orleans went through with Katrina, but let’s take a look at what we’ve been through.
The nationwide recession has been harder on us than any other city in the nation. From 2007-2009 the automotive industry recorded record setting losses. The ‘Big Three’ let go of hundreds of thousands of employees due to the ‘SUV Craze’ ending because of rising oil prices. Chrysler and GM both filed for bankruptcy. The city’s political system was dirty, the Mayor went to jail, we had a city council member indicted, and not to mention the many FBI investigations. In 2009, the city’s unemployment rate rose to a record high 28.9% and was marked by a plethora of foreclosures. In many neighborhoods there may have been only one occupied house on a block. Let us not forget what the school system went through as well. In February of ’09 the US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan stated that “he loses sleep over the ‘poor quality of education’ Detroit students are receiving”. In 2003 – 2004, a study showed that the districts graduation rate was a staggering 24.9%. And, in the midst of all this, the Lions went 0-16. This city is in desperate need of a boost.
Imagine if the Detroit Lions made it to their very first Super Bowl…no really imagine it! Do you think the citizens would be thinking about the unemployment rates, or corrupt politicians? I think not! It would be the breath of fresh air we need; something of great value to hold onto, if only for a moment. Sure, New Orleans issues were not solved by one kick, but they were forgotten. Detroit needs that one kick … if only for a moment.
We all remember the summer of 2005. Hurricane Katrina clobbered New Orleans, causing the levees to fail and flood most of the city, including the entire Lower Ninth Ward. The Superdome at the time looked entirely different from a few Sunday’s ago. Instead of joy and excitement, heartache, anguish, and anger filled the stadium. The stadium was being used as a “shelter of last resort” since everything in the city was destroyed. And, if it couldn’t get any worse, the “shelter of last resort” was no more shelter, as a portion of the stadiums roof ripped off and rain began to pour on the people inside. It was horrific to view on TV. Over 1500 people lost there lives during this disaster.
The team however reopened the Superdome in 2006, and since, this franchise has put this city on their backs in hopes of reviving the spirit. Well… Mission Accomplished, if only for a moment. But when I think about New Orleans, I can’t help but think about the City of Detroit. Now in no way am I comparing what Detroit has been through to what New Orleans went through with Katrina, but let’s take a look at what we’ve been through.
The nationwide recession has been harder on us than any other city in the nation. From 2007-2009 the automotive industry recorded record setting losses. The ‘Big Three’ let go of hundreds of thousands of employees due to the ‘SUV Craze’ ending because of rising oil prices. Chrysler and GM both filed for bankruptcy. The city’s political system was dirty, the Mayor went to jail, we had a city council member indicted, and not to mention the many FBI investigations. In 2009, the city’s unemployment rate rose to a record high 28.9% and was marked by a plethora of foreclosures. In many neighborhoods there may have been only one occupied house on a block. Let us not forget what the school system went through as well. In February of ’09 the US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan stated that “he loses sleep over the ‘poor quality of education’ Detroit students are receiving”. In 2003 – 2004, a study showed that the districts graduation rate was a staggering 24.9%. And, in the midst of all this, the Lions went 0-16. This city is in desperate need of a boost.
Imagine if the Detroit Lions made it to their very first Super Bowl…no really imagine it! Do you think the citizens would be thinking about the unemployment rates, or corrupt politicians? I think not! It would be the breath of fresh air we need; something of great value to hold onto, if only for a moment. Sure, New Orleans issues were not solved by one kick, but they were forgotten. Detroit needs that one kick … if only for a moment.
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