F the NCAA

[Sparko]

Chamberlain clearly gambled that basketball might pay off. It was that or genetics. He and Genghis Khan might be related to half the planet in any event.

[DCHawk1]

At Kansas, the Dipper's focus was not on the classroom. Discus thrower Al Oerter, winner of gold medals for four consecutive Olympics from 1956 to 1968, shared a business class with Chamberlain at KU. He always noticed when Chamberlain was there, which by Oerter's estimate was "one out of ten [classes]." Oerter looked up from his final examination and saw a small white student signing his name on the exam as "Wilt Chamberlain." Oerter whispered to the student, "Somehow you don't look like Wilt."..

It seems fairly clear that, at no time anyone now alive was, well, alive...has college basketball been anything remotely close to financially or academically pure.

And that people obsessed over retconning to the contrary...should really, really, really think about what interests, of third parties, are served by that obsession. More plainly: people who are NOT, themselves, motivated by very bad shit...are being used by people who are.

John Wooden was a good coach.

[hoopla]

At Kansas, the Dipper's focus was not on the classroom. Discus thrower Al Oerter, winner of gold medals for four consecutive Olympics from 1956 to 1968, shared a business class with Chamberlain at KU. He always noticed when Chamberlain was there, which by Oerter's estimate was "one out of ten [classes]." Oerter looked up from his final examination and saw a small white student signing his name on the exam as "Wilt Chamberlain." Oerter whispered to the student, "Somehow you don't look like Wilt."..

It seems fairly clear that, at no time anyone now alive was, well, alive...has college basketball been anything remotely close to financially or academically pure.

And that people obsessed over retconning to the contrary...should really, really, really think about what interests, of third parties, are served by that obsession. More plainly: people who are NOT, themselves, motivated by very bad shit...are being used by people who are.

it seems to me that what i'm saying and what you're saying aren't all that different. my main question/issue/whatever is why continue the charade - i.e. to your point, whose interests are being served by it? it started with NIL, so let's peel back the facade, make everything transparent, disentangle athletics from academics (which you just said has been a well-known farce for decades anyways), and revealed preferences will be made clear.

but clearly that wouldn't go well and ignorance is bliss so lets all keep our mouths shut and eyes closed...

[jfish26]

At Kansas, the Dipper's focus was not on the classroom. Discus thrower Al Oerter, winner of gold medals for four consecutive Olympics from 1956 to 1968, shared a business class with Chamberlain at KU. He always noticed when Chamberlain was there, which by Oerter's estimate was "one out of ten [classes]." Oerter looked up from his final examination and saw a small white student signing his name on the exam as "Wilt Chamberlain." Oerter whispered to the student, "Somehow you don't look like Wilt."..

It seems fairly clear that, at no time anyone now alive was, well, alive...has college basketball been anything remotely close to financially or academically pure.

And that people obsessed over retconning to the contrary...should really, really, really think about what interests, of third parties, are served by that obsession. More plainly: people who are NOT, themselves, motivated by very bad shit...are being used by people who are.

it seems to me that what i'm saying and what you're saying aren't all that different. my main question/issue/whatever is why continue the charade - i.e. to your point, whose interests are being served by it? it started with NIL, so let's peel back the facade, make everything transparent, disentangle athletics from academics (which you just said has been a well-known farce for decades anyways), and revealed preferences will be made clear.

but clearly that wouldn't go well and ignorance is bliss so lets all keep our mouths shut and eyes closed...

I don’t have a problem at all with academics being part of the deal about playing college basketball. But it should make some goddamn sense; if academics are a check-the-box thing that don’t at all relate to why the kids are in school…then of course the programs and kids are going to find ways around it.

You could EASILY fill a four-year major with gen ed prereqs and an Athletics & Administration major, something like that, that makes a hell of a lot more sense than funneling athletes through nonsense academic paths.

[ousdahl]

It kinda seems like the moneyed brass, as much as anyone else, has some interest in NOT making the academic side of things too difficult for student ath-o-letes.

More time studying means less time practicing sports, which means a lesser product on the court, which means reduced fan interest, which means less lucrative media deals, and so on

[AlOerter]

Things that generate big money always create these issues. If it was art or music that generated big money for the school similar things would be going on with those programs.

[Sparko]

Things that generate big money always create these issues. If it was art or music that generated big money for the school similar things would be going on with those programs.

Music, in particular, is worse than athletics. Generally everything else is shunted aside by the best. And the best often come from families that can indulge high end instruments or lessons like golfers.

[jfish26]

Things that generate big money always create these issues. If it was art or music that generated big money for the school similar things would be going on with those programs.

Music, in particular, is worse than athletics. Generally everything else is shunted aside by the best. And the best often come from families that can indulge high end instruments or lessons like golfers.

One of the bigger structural impediments to college athletics being more fair to the athletes who generate revenue…is that one of the first things on the chopping block would, logically, be need-blind scholarships for non-revenue sports.

[AlOerter]

Things that generate big money always create these issues. If it was art or music that generated big money for the school similar things would be going on with those programs.

Music, in particular, is worse than athletics. Generally everything else is shunted aside by the best. And the best often come from families that can indulge high end instruments or lessons like golfers.

One of the bigger structural impediments to college athletics being more fair to the athletes who generate revenue…is that one of the first things on the chopping block would, logically, be need-blind scholarships for non-revenue sports.

Yes. KU B-ball has been supporting nearly the entirety of KU Athletics for years. NIL has allowed other entities to be legally involved in funding, so hopefully non-revenue sports won't have to be cut.

[jfish26]

Music, in particular, is worse than athletics. Generally everything else is shunted aside by the best. And the best often come from families that can indulge high end instruments or lessons like golfers.

One of the bigger structural impediments to college athletics being more fair to the athletes who generate revenue…is that one of the first things on the chopping block would, logically, be need-blind scholarships for non-revenue sports.

Yes. KU B-ball has been supporting nearly the entirety of KU Athletics for years. NIL has allowed other entities to be legally involved in funding, so hopefully non-revenue sports won't have to be cut.

I think there are ways to chart a middle course on a lot of this stuff, but the latent issue with this is there are a lot of people in the donor class who…have become accustomed to little Jaxtylnn and Brinterly being able to get scholarships for non-revenue sports. One of the reasons change is so hard here.

[AlOerter]

One of the bigger structural impediments to college athletics being more fair to the athletes who generate revenue…is that one of the first things on the chopping block would, logically, be need-blind scholarships for non-revenue sports.

Yes. KU B-ball has been supporting nearly the entirety of KU Athletics for years. NIL has allowed other entities to be legally involved in funding, so hopefully non-revenue sports won't have to be cut.

I think there are ways to chart a middle course on a lot of this stuff, but the latent issue with this is there are a lot of people in the donor class who…have become accustomed to little Jaxtylnn and Brinterly being able to get scholarships for non-revenue sports. One of the reasons change is so hard here.

Jaxtylnn and Brinterly?

[jfish26]

For example:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 48319.html

[AlOerter]

For example:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 48319.html

There's some strange one's on that list for sure but Jaxtlynn and Brinterly would be pretty close to the top of that one as well.

[jfish26]

It's where we're headed. If you have kids in youth sports right now...there are some WEIRD names out there.

A few real ones on my own kids' teams:

Garrick
Caden
Palmer
Draden
Teague
Bodhe
Gentry
Jaxton

[KUTradition]

i can understand wanting to be unique, but if it’s pronounced the same way why make it difficult with crazy spellings?

[Sparko]

Call me Isthis'ell.

[ousdahl]

this go here?

[jfish26]

this go here?

Pretty much. I like to think of it, in Spanish-speaking-soccer-announcer-voice, like, "Jaden passes to Braden, who passes to Kaden! And now KADEN finds JAYDEN, who sends it ahead to...DRADEN!!! And on to BRAYDEN, for the GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[Sparko]

Jepson, Keyfob and Breitling walk into a juice bar. . . .

[ousdahl]

this go here?

Pretty much. I like to think of it, in Spanish-speaking-soccer-announcer-voice, like, "Jaden passes to Braden, who passes to Kaden! And now KADEN finds JAYDEN, who sends it ahead to...DRADEN!!! And on to BRAYDEN, for the GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Yea but that’s still way too exciting to be soccer.

It’s more like, “Brayden passes to Draden! Back to Brayden! Brayden holds it! Holds it!!! HOLDS ITTTTTT!!!!!!!”