College athletes should (not) get paid?

For years I have been on the side of those who believe college athletes need to be paid. I have gone as far as comparing college sports to indentured servitude; the schools, coaches, administrations etc are all getting paid but the ones doing the work for which others benefit are allowed nothing.

Several recent issues have brought this to the forefront of national sports; Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo being fingered as receiving extra benefits and consorting with shady characters led to USC being dropkicked by the NCAA. Probation. Loss of scholarships. Returning of money received and talks of Bush losing his Heisman trophy.

Maurkice Pouncey formerly of Florida allegedly accepted $100,000 from an agent/agents representative prior to a bowl game.

The other notable incident is still unfolding. Several college players from UNC, South Carolina and Alabama allegedly attended a party held by a sports agent in Miami. This on its face is clearly a violation of the NCAA rules, but since one player has already said he “has never even been to Miami” the story is far from over. Besides, how many of us can say we never went to a party with no idea who’s party it was or why it was being held? I went to my fair share, and that has to be factored in to the analysis.

College sports are a morass of fractious agendas, old boy cronyism, exploitation and nepotism wrapped around multi-billion dollar enterprises loosely collected in one pot called the NCAA. Football and basketball rule this kingdom in that order, and the money and exposure pouring in from TV networks has made many schools near deities across the land (Notre Dame, Texas, U of Miami and USC.) The only ones not allowed to benefit from this machine called amateur collegiate sport are the ones doing the heavy lifting, the cogs of this machine, the student-athlete.

Follow this logic: Reggie Bush decides to join the biggest LA story of the past decade, the USC Trojans football team coming out of high school. He won one trophy as the best player in the country and probably, arguably, should have won two. He made the Trojan brand bigger and more relevant than any other player in recent memory. He became a first round NFL draft pick.

While in school Bush drove a nice car. An investigation said no problem. His family lived in a really nice house. No problem. So after he is off making millions in salary and advertising revenue (deservedly) the NCAA starts to ask questions again. Rumors start about payoffs to family members, houses obtained for others and payments to Bush. His former coach senses the gig is up and decides before the hammer comes down to go coach in the NFL. So Bush is long gone from college sports, the coach has moved on and the new coach-no paragon of virtue himself, but that’s another story-and the new players suffer the consequences of Bush’s alleged misdeeds.

The University of Southern California made millions from Bush’s exploits on the field in his time there. They sold jerseys, sold out games, earned TV revenue, attracted student-athletes and students they normally may not have gotten because of their new buzz. The coach got paid bonuses and renewed contracts based on wins, losses and glitz. Millions of dollars in the pockets of everyone involved, but when the NCAA comes asking questions they treat Bush, his name and achievements like a common thief. Would they have done the same to an alumni convicted of high crimes? Very, very doubtful.

Are you kidding me? A scholarship versus millions of dollars is not an even exchange. Not even with my fuzzy math. Add into that mix, the numerous sordid tales of athletes ill prepared for college or life after college. Dexter Manley. Lloyd Daniels (R.) Countless others who are students in name only, there solely to make the money for the school, temporary fodder for the machine called major college sports.

Here is what I propose. Pay student-athletes a stipend akin to their sport, rating on their team (a standard determined by outsiders; NFL/NBA scouts maybe?) and revenue generated for the school. Any athlete who violates the rules of the NCAA loses a scholarship and has to repay the stipend. Any coach who is in charge of a school that has demonstrated a lack of institutional control cannot coach on the collegiate level for ten years. Any agent who compromises a student-athlete loses his license for five years. Any agent who employs, directs or otherwise associates with runners and street agents loses his license for five years.

Its about time that the real villains, the ones who profit from the machine, pay the price.

World Cup withdrawal, best XI of the WC, baseball and some underage French hooker

World Cup withdrawal is setting in.

Congratulations to Spain for a well earned victory. The Dutch played a physical game, both teams set a record for most yellow cards in a World Cup final, but in the end, the most talented team in the tournament won. It was not pretty, they certainly did not play with an open attacking style but they were clinical in their passing game and did enough to win.

Euro 2012 should be incredibly entertaining with an up and coming Germany, an in form Dutch team (Elia was a revelation and should see a lot more playing time then)and a Spanish team that should still have this core group in their prime.

My top 11 from the World Cup

Goalkeeper: Richard Kinston

Defenders:

Carles Puyol (Spain) Maicon (Brazil) Vidic (Serbia) John Mensah (Ghana)

Midfielders

Shweinsteiger (Germany) Xavi (Spain) Robben (Netherlands) Ozil (Germany) Sneijder (Netherlands) Honda (Japan)

Forwards

Forlan (Uruguay) Mueller (Germany) Villa (Spain) Gyan (Ghana)

Coach: Joachim Loew, Germany

More bad news from the world of French footballers: French international Franck Ribery facing charges of sex with an underage prostitute, charges that could send him to jail for three years.
This is the woman in question (R,) as identified by several media outlets:

Tottenham, Birmingham City and Arsenal have banned vuvuzelas at their home stadiums. Not sure how I feel about this one yet. I will miss that incessant white noise though.

The US women’s relay team got to keep their medals that were stripped after Marion Jones confessed to doping during the 2000 Olympics. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled against them on a technicality. One thing overlooked however is that 2 of the teammates that received medals back also subsequently tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. That’s 3 members of a 4 person relay team and the second US relay team that had three members banned for doping.

This was a poor decision, but the rules in place at the time allowed it and so it will have to stand.


MLB rookie of the year-so far:
American League;

Brennan Boesch of the Tigers is the leader in a not-so distinguished field.

In the NL it looks like a four way race among Jamie Garcia, Ike Davis, Stephen Strasburg and Jason Heyward. Only Heyward started the season in the majors, but the others have contributed significantly to their respective clubs and figure to be major contributors the rest of the way if they challenge for a playoff spot.

My choice would be Heyward, but Strasburg is a monster of a pitcher.

And now some weird stuff that makes you wonder what excatly is in that can of Fosters beer.....

A drunken Aussie who tried to ride on the back of an 18ft crocodile while drunk was recovering in hospital  as of July 14th 2010.

Michael Williams, 36, climbed on the back of an 18ft crocodile called Fatso while drunk in an enclosure at the Broome Crocodile Park in Western Australia. To explain what that means; Williams climbed in the enclosure and onto the crocodiles back. Williams was drunk, the crocodile was not. The crocodile was however hungry, and Williams is now recovering in a Australian hospital. He has a chunk of his leg missing. Williams, that is.

Michael had been kicked out of a pub and told police he broke into the zoo because he wanted to give Fatso a pat.

Broome Police Sergeant Roger Hayne said: "He's extremely lucky to be alive. He has attempted to sit on its back and the croc has taken offence at that and has spun around and bit him on the right leg. Once saltwater crocodiles get hold of you, they are not renowned for letting you go."

"He's lucky to have escaped with his life."

You really think so Sarge?!?!

Listening to Distant Relatives the album from Nas & Damian Marley. Pretty good album, some good production and guests.....really like "Land of Promise" with the voice of the late great Dennis Brown. Good stuff.

New York Senate Uses MMA To Cut Deficit And Help State Budget

Check out a guest post by Brent Jacobs regarding MMA coming to New York State:

New York Senate Uses MMA To Cut Deficit And Help State Budget
By Brent Jacobs

The New York state budget has had a hard time fighting off a deficit throughout all of the overall economic problems that have plagued the country. This has caused the state to consider any and all ways to save money and help balance the budget, including closing down state parks and creating food and drink taxes on everyday products like soda. Some of these choices have been met with disdain from people of the state so the Senate continues to look for additional ways to raise money. The hopeful news is that they may have just found the perfect option that gives something back to New Yorkers rather than taking it away.

On June 16th, the New York State Senate passed a bill to legalize mix martial arts in the state of the New York. It still needs to be approved by the State Assembly in order to be a law, but passing the State Senate is a big deal for both the Empire State and Mixed Martial Arts. MMA, while being legal in many other states around the country, has been banned in New York since the mid-nineties which meant that prime venues like Madison Square Garden in New York City and the 50,000 seat Carrier Dome in Syracuse were off limits for holding MMA events. This would no longer be the case if the assembly passes the bill. Dozens of great venues in the state would be open to new events that would help grow the already popular sport of MMA even further while helping the state make money.

It's hard to imagine that New York state education and other programs would be a direct beneficiary of MMA, but that would be the exact case if the bill passes. Mixed Martial Arts is one of the most popular sports in the country and its popularity grows with every passing day. This would mean that the dozens of sold out shows that MMA has every year would finally bring revenue to New York.

To put the financial benefits of legalizing MMA into perspective, just look at the numbers of the sport according to Fannation.com:

• $340. That was the average ticket price of UFC 81 at the MGM Grand. While this may seem like a lot, people are paying it to see their favorite matches. One could imagine the amount of tax money that would go to directly financing state programs and projects. Also a factor to consider is the amount of revenue brought in by people coming from all across the country for the events that would be spending money on food and accommodations.

• 170 countries broadcast UFC and other MMA events, which brings in huge promotion for some not as well known New York state cities that may hold an event.

• MMA industries like UFC have gone from million dollar companies to billion dollar companies in less than a decade showing just how popular this sport really can be.

These numbers don't even account for New York based MMA gyms that will see new revenue to help train local fighters in a sport that was once outlawed in their home state. This will directly correlate with an increase in local sales of MMA gear, like MMA gloves. Hundreds of retailers will benefit from this boost. The increase in local fan-base will have a direct impact on the sale of MMA t-shirts that display their favorite fighter or industry brand. They have become a hot commodity as the sport has increased in popularity. There is no doubt that the reach of the bill, if passed, is not just huge for New York but is greatly important to its many citizens that are struggling because of the bad economy.

The state and Governor David Paterson have estimated that allowing the sport to be legalized would bring in an extra $2 million after two years for the state's $8 billion deficit and studies have shown that holding an event in Madison Square Garden would generate $11.3 million in economic activity. This may not seem like a lot but it's a step in the right direction for the state. This bill is something that New York has been trying to do for over the last two years but has failed in doing so. Even if the bill doesn't pass the assembly, Governor Paterson has stated he will include it in his emergency extender bill giving it another way to be legalized. Yet, right now is the time for the passing of this bill because now MMA is closer than it's ever been to being a popular and helpful force in the Empire State.

Farewell to the King

So the decision is made, and it's South Beach over Broadway, Ohio, La La land, Chitown, Jersey shore and Dallas.

I have to admit, when reports came out of Pat Riley making moves to clear cap space to go after 3 max contract players, I thought, wow, that's a major move. It left them with no roster to speak of, but gave them the ingredients to make a great meal...Think of the trio as the filet mignon and the other players filling out the roster as accoutrement's; the mashed potatoes and/or rice.

While I do think this is a team that will compete for a title immediately, i'm not ready to say they can beat the Celtics or Magic in the East or the Lakers in a possible finals match up. One thing is for sure, the Eastern Conference will be very competitive this upcoming season.

Two things to consider however:
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has made a tremendous amount of money over the last seven years on the back of Lebron James. Sold out arenas, jersey sales and other ancillary benefits have padded his pockets considerably. His criticism of Lebron after the announcement that he's going to Miami was petty, spiteful and provided tremendous insight into this owner. Regardless of what his intentions were, this well thought out statement by him will cost him and his team for years to come, because it will be viewed negatively by other players, coaches and agents. I feel bad for Byron Scott. Let's also see what David Stern has to say about Gilbert's comments also.

Second, regardless of how successful this trio is in Miami, the legacy of Lebron will be considerably diminished. They could win the next three NBA titles, it wont matter, because Wade will have four; one more than Lebron. He is in effect becoming Robin to Wade's batman, A-Rod to the Yankee's Jeter. I think history will judge him differently regardless of how many championships that trio ultimately end up with.

Fireworks on the fourth of July!

First off, I think the best player of the tournament so far has to be the Ghanaian goalkeeper Richard Kingson. His performance every game for Ghana has been incredible and he has been the biggest reason for their success in the tournament.(Check out his save in the Ghana v Australia match!)

The Netherlands and Germany are a cut above all others right now. Actually, considering how the South American teams barnstormed through the early games, how surprising is it that only one team is in the semifinals-and the one team is Uruguay! No Argentina, no Brazil.

Paraguay played very solid but not attractive football; plain and simple it was about defense and counterattacks. Brazil entered their match with Holland playing the best ball of all the teams, but bad luck and a more determined Holland team dispatched them out of the tournament. I won’t say too much about Brazil, because I didn’t think they would win the tournament anyway. I did think they would make the semis, but unfortunately their lack of a real play maker (not Kaka, the most overrated Brazilian superstar and worst #10 I have ever seen) doomed them as the tournament got tougher and the quality of opposition better. Think Ronaldinho would have made a difference? We’ll never know.

Uruguay and Ghana played what was probably the best match of the tournament; and Ghana was incredibly unlucky to have not made it to the semi finals. Diego Forlan has been a one man wrecking crew, carrying Uruguay on his shoulders and supported capably by Luis Suarez and they are carrying the hopes of South America now.

In my May 17th blog post, I identified Forlan as one of the players to watch in this tournament, and he has not disappointed. Suarez went from goat to hero in an instant, but his red card will put Uruguay at a huge disadvantage against the Dutch.

Argentina went up against a more disciplined team in Germany and got embarrassed. Completely outplayed and seemingly without a defensive scheme, they were exposed by a young, hungry German side. I will freely admit, I did not think Germany was that good, even after they beat England. Right now they are playing full of confidence, poise and scoring goals in bunches they will be a stern test for my favorites, Spain in the semi-finals. I do see a 2-1 game here with Spain advancing but it will be a very tough match. 

The Netherlands, who along with Spain carries the distinction of the greatest nations to never win a World Cup, will have their hands full facing Uruguay. Wesley Sneijder (L) is having a phenomenal year for club and country, Van Persie is coming off an injury plagued season and showing great form, the team is clicking on all cylinders and I see it continuing.

I think the Dutch will win 2-1.

Three years ago Johan Santana (R) was the class of the free-agent crop; a dominating pitcher with one of the best winning percentages in the majors and on a trajectory that was saying Hall of Fame level greatness. 2 Cy Young awards, twice the AL ERA leader and three times the strikeout leader, he was as dominating as any pitcher could be in the early post-steroid days.

Then he signed to play for the Mets.

One good season in 2008, but overall a record of 34 wins & 55 no-decisions in the last two and a half seasons. The Mets have notoriously failed to provide run support for him in many of his starts, and while he has continued to soldier on, the question that has to be on his mind is this: did he blow his chance for the Hall of Fame, not to mention 200 wins, by chasing the biggest paycheck?

His ERA since joining the Mets is 3.02. His ERA in the three years prior to coming to NY was 2.99. His innings pitched, games started, strikeouts and hits allowed are all in line with his Minnesota numbers, factoring in of course his injury plagued 2009 season. The big differences however are these; no shutouts in 3 years. No complete games in 3 years. No season with more than 16 wins in NY, and on a pace this year to reach 12, his lowest season total since 2003. With 127 career wins, Santana may still reach 200, but it’s a long-shot. Did I mention those 55 no-decisions?

As great as he has been in the past, there have been some questions about his fitness. Add in the undeniable fact that the Mets have not been supporting him in his starts, this great pitcher may be doomed to mediocrity the rest of his career. At a minimum his experience should be a cautionary tale to other players; the money is great, but winning counts, and if the dollar amounts are more or less equal, why not go to a real contender? Santana (allegedly) capitulated to the players union-that bastion of integrity-and didn’t accept lesser offers from better teams.

Congrats to Jason Heyward being selected to the All-Star game in his first season. He won’t be playing as he is presently on the disabled list, but it’s nice to see the fans acknowledging his great rookie season.


Serena Williams is the best women's tennis player ever. Yeah, I said it!

Enjoy the hot dogs!