Saturday, January 8, 2011

Random thoughts Jan. 8, 2011

I got up this morning early to travel into Lexington for an all day staff training for our upcoming Wood Badge Course (BSA), to be held this spring. We've had an unusual amount of cold and snow already this winter. This was what my drive in looked like.


Northbound I-75



I love driving in the snow, I hate driving with all the other people out there who turn into freaks! It's not that difficult to drive in the snow. A vehicle actually gets fairly good traction in the snow, just don't make any sudden movements. It's not necessary to slow down to the speed of snail! I drove by this one lady who looked like she was going to rip her steering wheel off! My guess is that most these folks could call someone and say, "Hey, I'm not coming" or "Hey, I'm going to be late, I'm like a 2 year old trying to learn how to ride a tricycle when it snows".

One thing I especially like about driving in the snow, is when it is coming straight at you and it looks like your making the jump to hyper space!


Not Northbound I-75



If only that were the case, it would have made my trip a lot shorter.

I watched the Cotton Bowl last night and the second half dismantling of Texas A&M. Let me be one of the first to say, if LSU is able to retain all of its players, they will be very very good! In fact, they will be contenders for the National Title. I really like Les Miles, he seems to really love the game of football and his players. I don't think that all coaches have that kind of relationship with their team. He does have a tendency to make really stupid decisions late in close games.

Lastly, the NCAA could be the most crooked and corrupt organization on the face of this planet. Yesterday they ruled that Enes Kanter will be permanently ineligible to play college basketball at the University of Kentucky. This decision is absolutely criminal. Young Enes grew up playing basketball in Turkey. For those of you not familiar with youth basketball overseas, it's not like in the U.S. where we have an extensive program that provides opportunities to young men like Enes.


Enes Kanter



Through the process of providing a program and opportunity for Enes to grow in a very limited basketball environment,he played on a professional team for very limited compensation. The NCAA ruled that he received approximately $33,000 more than what was needed from the team. The minimum salary for an NBA rookie is $473,604 (Kanter is a projected 1st round NBA pick). So, playing professional ball in Turkey under amateur status, Kanter received 7% of the 'minimum rookie salary'. Being a first round pick, he would make no less than $2.5 million a season.

From NCAA.org, the sites states,
THE NCAA's CORE PURPOSE IS TO govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount.

Huh! Are you kidding me! I can't believe that there is no mention of money and lining their pockets anywhere in that statement. "Educational experience" being included in that makes it an even bigger joke. If that was true, Kanter, who is enrolled at Kentucky, is a good student, is trying to better himself and who had absolutely no control over the circumstances in his past is being denied by the NCAA an opportunity to reach his full potential.

On the other hand, if it will make money for the NCAA, the rules and regulations somehow don't really apply. I've stated in a prior post that I'm an SEC guy through and through, but Cam Newton probably has no business playing in the National Championship game on Monday night. Neither did five from Ohio State, including Terrelle Pryor, that played in the Sugar Bowl, who broke NCAA rules and got caught. But, what do you know, the Sugar Bowl, a BCS game and potentially large money maker for the NCAA, was played with all five players.

Maybe, Coach Calipari should have lined the NCAAs pockets!! Where's the justice!

1 comment:

  1. Hmm interesting. I haven't kept up with this story. However, for the record - I'm glad he isn't playing for them because I don't want KU to have to go up against him when playing UK ;)

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