With names like those, they have to be spelling champs just to spell their own names.
There was a reason why many immigrants "Americanized" (simplified) their names.
Both of these students must create oodles of humility from all their teachers during role call.
"Bulls may target Hoiberg: The Ames Tribune reported Thursday that Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg in April “let it be known to five-star recruit Cheick Diallo that his immediate future at Iowa State was not a certainty.” Multiple Tribune sources told the paper that “while Hoiberg did not definitively say he planned to move on to the NBA, he also communicated that he couldn’t fully commit he would be returning to ISU to coach Diallo and what figures to be a preseason top-10 Cyclones team in 2015-16.” Hoiberg is believed to be a leading candidate for the Chicago Bulls coaching vacancy. Diallo, of course, wound up committing to KU."
~ KUSports.com
So the Mayor jumps to Chicago, Bruce is hired at ISU from the purple kittens to do what he does best (coach other coach's talent), and the mildcats forfeit a season or two because they are without a coach or a team.
Just a humorous thought to start my Friday off right!
"At least I still have hair…"
I count my blessings every day... very thankful I still have a pile of old barn hay on my bonnet.
Also fortunate to have a wife who loves KU basketball. She better, or I will revoke her diploma from Lawrence. And I appreciate her "calling it like it is" and nailing guys with the "P-word" when they deserve it!
"You mean, part of Kansas City is in Missouri? How weird is that?!"
I'm estimating that I've heard that said now about 100,000 times.
I know I should be more truthful, but my reply is always, "Strange, huh? But it's just an irrelevant tiny part in Missouri!"
I say let's make it a sport amongst itself.
In order to equalize the playing field.... since there are thousands of fans storming the court, then we should issue the visiting team their choice of weapons.
If it is my time coming into enemy territory, this is how I would arm my team:
20 of our people... coaches... players and staff.
4 hand grenades
6 M16s
8 Cat-of-Nine tails
2 Laws rockets
I think both of you guys have some valid points. But when you take your arguments and personalize them to challenge another poster, both arguments become weaker.
Can't we all agree on a few things?
We don't have perimeter players that can create their own shots.
Self can structure some offense that will help open up more spot up shots.
Unless we can coach up some players, or recruit players with the talent to create for themselves, we just have to remain limited on offense.
Almost all of us in here challenge some of Self's game. If we don't then we will quickly run out of topics in here. However... is there anyone in here that wants to replace Self, and with who?
I know I'm the first to admit that all my challenges on Self's game are just my opinion based really on nothing. I have no idea what it takes to coach a D1 team, especially a powerhouse like Kansas.
"With the players KU has the 3 point is truly fool’s gold. Have you seen the GS shooters? They can all create their own shots and make them while essentially all of KU 3-point shooters are spot up shooters and none can really create his own shot; put a defender with 3 feet of Greene and his shot is gone; Curry, Thompson, Barbosa, Barnes and even Green can create their own shot and make it a decent percentage of the time even with defenders on their grills. Huge difference between GS and KU 3-point options…not even close."
Spot on. I like BG, but I don't consider him a real shooter. Not until he can do it well-guarded or off the dribble, let alone add the intricacies necessary to create shooting space while defended aggressively.
When you are talking about guys like Curry and Thompson, our BG isn't even in the room with these two. Or let's talk about Ray Allen.
I hope BG has enough basketball wisdom to realize that his skill level is only at the beginning of where it needs to go. Essentially, he is a very good competitor in a game of "horse" and not anything close to being a player that can take his shooting to the pros... or even to start for a blue blood D1 program.
Maybe his surgery will help him gain more mobility by playing with less pain and we'll see a different BG. I hope that is the case.
As you said, none of our perimeter guys can create their own shot, especially a perimeter shot being well-guarded. The closest being Graham. I'm hopeful Vick might have some of that ability. We'll have to wait and see.
Considering all that... yes... our perimeter game is "fools gold." But this is just college ball. You can't compare even the best D1 defense with the worst NBA defense. It isn't too tough to beat college defense. And, as HEM stated, if we built some offense to open up perimeter shooting, we could get a certain amount of consistency from 3, even with just spot up shooters.
"And then the shoe fell..."
Literally.
I hope this is just the beginning for investigating shoecos.
"Give a Wildcat (or Tiger) fan a thumb, and it is just a matter of time before it ends up in their butt."
~ Hunter S Thompson
The Mayor is truly a much better fit at Chicago than he is at ISU. He sees the writing on the wall. He sees even though he has a masterful offense that he can't get over all the hurdles to win a NC at ISU. He can't overcome the recruiting battles.
The question, the only question, is his health. I don't think anyone has a grasp on this except Fred. But if he feels like he can handle it... he's gone!
Fred leaving would lighten the competition for Kansas... but the end result is negative for us. We need more B12 teams competitive on a national level and Fred was (is) a great representative for the B12.
Heck yeah!
The Warriors have sure grown on me. Great energy team. Team focused on x-axis, intelligent basketball.
LeBron is a stud, and he is on a mission... just don't know if it is fate for his Cavs to beat the very-gifted Warriors.
I'm Warriors all the way! Should be a great series. For all those not typically interested in pro ball, give it a look. We've got two fresh teams in the Finals!
I agree. It is going to be tough for Self to sit Graham for any length of time. He really started to shine late in the season, and Self needs to start emphasizing players that like the big lights in March. Graham is one of those guys. I feel like he is going to be a major piece in bringing home another NC for Kansas during his days as a Jayhawk.
My prediction is that Graham is going to be one of the biggest surprises this coming year. He now knows the Self system, and he is a true opportunistic player... meaning... when the defense gives him a gap, he'll drive and make them pay, either with a mid range shot or feeding an open player. Graham is not afraid of pushing the contact. I hope Wayne starts picking up more of Graham's attitude, but if he doesn't, we do have Devonte in the wings to make it all happen.
We've got too many 2s. I hope some of these guys can stretch into other roles (like at the 3) but we won't know if they can until we get into our season.
I look at guys like Svi and I dream about his development, but who knows how much he develops in college. I see a guy who could fill the slot at either the 2 or the 3 if he can muscle up and learn to finish strong at the rim, mostly by not overpowering defenders but by playing with high basketball IQ like Ginobili. He is a guy who can score on anyone when he gets enough space to score in motion. I imagine Svi as the next Ginobili. Will it happen in Lawrence? Big question there.
Greene has a lot of development he needs to make happen. We all love his spot up shot, but he has to bring a lot more game than a spot up shot to get minutes.
I totally agree with your post.
Dwight Howard does play dirty and he was given plenty of slack (even though it was catching up to him). How did you like that high elbow on the screen? Gheez... anyone else would have been tossed for that and it wasn't even considered a Flagrant 1.
The officiating has been very inconsistent. It is hard to look at all this and not see injustice and lack of parity because the refs are protecting the league's interest. Here is a case for the DOJ. :-)
My thoughts are for GS not to over-emphasize stopping LeBron. Just don't let him have his stats easily. If they focus more on stopping the rest of the team, like Irving and even Tristan and others. I think GS has the quickness to stop all the other guys on Cleveland. LeBron is in his own league and no one can stop his power drives.
I really like watching Klay Thompson when he heats up. Really enjoy both him and Curry's footwork. They still have about everyone in the league fooled. Defenders need to watch their feet more. Both of these guys seem to camouflage their feet getting set for their shots while the rest of their body is in motion, pretending to penetrate further or something else. While their upper bodies are doing one thing, they are setting their feet for the jumper. Watch their feet because they square off to the basket and maybe have a shot at a tough contest of the shot and dropping their accuracy.
"Then we should go after Switzerland or the Maldives or the Caymans or several other countries in the world whose banks hide the ill gotten gains of every crook, thief and tinpot dictator in the world"
We've been doing that for about 20 years now through Int'l agreements with our IRS and other foreign agencies. Kind of makes you wonder what the real goals were in doing so. The net impact was to stop small individuals and business entities from diverting taxable income or hiding assets acquired through illegal means. This has been somewhat successful. But there is a "line in the sand" for bigger entities that still maintain a protected system for their assets and transactions.
It is just my humble opinion that by nailing smaller interests, the conduct of the bigger players will be protected because there is little public attention placed on what they are doing.
I recently filed a formal complaint with the DOJ on organizations that manipulate data on businesses, holding them hostage to join their services (for a fee) or they keep outdated info on those businesses online, which then creates a great deal of damage to those companies by misleading potential clients, confusing search engines and more. This is a billion dollar scam being conducted by organizations like the US Chamber of Commerce.
I still haven't received my acknowledgment, which they are required to send.
I've also wondered if this is grandstanding since we have a new AG, and we are coming up on an election. How much of this is politics? America was snubbed by FIFA giving the World Cup to Qatar. However... it does sound like a monstrous bribery scam... WC going to Russia then to Qatar, and the Russian deal went directly through Putin (who is now probably the richest man on the planet).
But I also read that the reason we are stepping in is because much of the laundered money ended up in American banks. Really? Swiss hiding money in American banks? Sounds like surreal comedy!
Another thing... how much will this cost US taxpayers to prosecute? I could see this getting into the hundreds of milliions.
Might Paul be every bit the coaching asset Danny was for us?
Seems like he could be a monster asset!
So lets start the campaign. Who in here still lives in Lawrence and has the time to petition the city counsel for "Paul Pierce Boulevard?"
Warriors or Cavaliers?
Is anyone in here for Sir LeBron and his cavalier Cavaliers?
I hope the names of the teams is an indication of how they play together.
Are there any players left who haven't suffered concussions just trying to get to the Finals?
Is firing a handgun at your opponent considered a Flagrant 1 or 2? What if you miss?
Will Dellavedova be able to roll up on any of the Warriors?
How about that Tristan Thompson! Where have I heard that name before? :-)
Didn't we beat that Steph Curry kid once? :-)
Two rookie coaches going at it.
Bring it, "Splash Brothers!"
Am I the only one in here who is going to watch the Finals?
Or how about Pierce really goes home and signs with the Warriors?
Might it also help his energy to play with so many young guns?
Nice thread!
I didn't know Nike was big in soccer? Thought it was all Adidas.
But let's say you are right... and let's say Nike gets indicted in this... might it bring attention to what goes on in college sports and Nike's influence?
What I take from all of this is that if the American justice department is willing to go after FIFA, can it be long before they try to clean up college basketball?
The DOJ must have played hard with Switzerland to get them on board in this raid. Pretty ballsy stuff if you ask me.
I think most of us have bitten on the hype bullet before. Watching clips and catching hype comments said.
I'm at least glad that most of the hype on Vick is coming from "basketball analysts" instead of just his AAU or HS coach. Those guys always over-hype their players.
I think we should be focusing on the idea that he can score off the dribble, something we've been having problems with at the 2. Whether or not he can do it in his freshman year in D1 remains to be seen. I hope he can have at least a certain level of execution by spring. Emphasis on "hope."
Perhaps Wayne steps up and scores better off the dribble this year. Hopefully, he is working on tightening up his handles this summer (amongst other things).
I agree... the stage is set for Wayne showing up this year. My biggest concern is that the spotlight is going to hit him too bright. I'm thinking if he shows some game early the media is going to feast on that and I hope Wayne can handle the spotlight. I get the feeling he is a guy that likes to hang below the radar.
Really, our hopes should be that Vick does have a year for learning and watching. If that is the case, then others before him should be stepping up. We all have hopes in guys like Greene and Svi.
I'm just glad we have another option at the 2, especially in the scoring department and a guy with drive potential. I felt like that was an area we sorely missed last year. At times Graham stepped in and penetrated, and he isn't the most athletic guy for the job, but we need guys willing to mix it up and create something more than the pass around the key and hope the defense doesn't flex properly.
I'm always excited when a guy comes to Kansas with a reputation for driving the ball. And even more so when he shows the basketball wisdom of knowing how to pull up for easy mid range jumpers.
I know we can be tricked a bit from watching videos. But I do see a big lift in Vick's game on the recent release. Starting to look less like a boy and more like a man.
I hope he stays healthy enough to expose what he can really develop into.
I think there is a great chance Vick can contribute to our team THIS year! I'm not going out on a limb and jumping on the hype bandwagon until I see him dribble a ball in D1. But if you look at last year, we ran into major problems producing enough points. And often one big area where we missed scoring was from the 2. Wayne slumped for most of the year.
Whether or not Vick can EFFICIENTLY translate his offense to D1 in a few months is yet to be seen. But the bar isn't really set too high if we have another year where we have problems generating offense from the 2. Greene and Svi may present a high obstacle for Vick... but they haven't proven themselves yet either. Greene has proven he can hit spot up 3s... but he has to show more than that. I've still got to see Svi properly fight through high ball screens to even consider him as a guy who might earn PT.
What I really hope is that Self shortens Wayne's leash this year. We just can't afford another year of slump from the 2. Wayne seems to play much better when stimulated. He played great when his dad sat behind the bench. That isn't going to happen every game, but surely we can find a way to motivate him to play inspired basketball.
I'm curious of the impact of fan love during the recruiting process. And at what line in the sand the NCAA steps in because at a certain point fans are recruiting players. Didn't the NCAA stop fans from doing fan sites on recruits?
It would seem that items (like my crystal ball with Paschal photoshop'd in the center of the ball) could be viewed as "recruiting tools used by unauthorized people." But how could they police and stop it?
I always think we should be out recruiting a very capable PG that is around 6'. It's hard for a 6' player to go OAD or even sooner than 4 years into the draft. Mason is the perfect example. Same with VanVleet at WSU.
I don't mind having a few OADs or TADs... but I'd always like to have an experienced PG to run the show!
Hello Crystal! And hello to your ball!
But seriously... thank you for doing all the digging. I don't have the discipline to do this. I think you have to be a big part paparazzi to seek out recruiting information because you have to filter through so much BS and propaganda. It is often the case of "follow the leader" so one guy generates a story and everyone jumps on board. When the info is wrong (like 75% of the time) it just dies down, no one is held accountable. I don't have the stomach to deal with it all, but like to read valid input from fans in here because we are all hobbyists, not trying to make a buck out of it all.
"HOW can 5 guys evaluate and figure out where hundreds of kids are going to commit and where they rank amongst each other with ANY accuracy?"
Just like in world news, they use their version of an AP wire. Pulling news off the wire and running it. Each guy has his sources of info and they run with it, and don't have a way to verify it. And in order to differentiate themselves from the pack they throw in twists or maybe an extra tidbit to substantiate or denounce some of the claims through their own sources.
And then you have the "creative writers" who can take one sentence out of a player interview and create an entire story off of it. Or even... stories. So they run with a hunch they created and start interviewing and developing off their hunches... all shear fabrication from thin air because a player said "I really like KU."
I think we all get frustrated with the big media circus, but there doesn't seem to be a better way. We will have to continue to deal with circus barkers and clowns and filter through it all to follow along.
"Unfortunately, many of those skills would not have been unlocked at KU because the college practice schedule does not allow for that type of development."
You are right. There just isn't enough time for coaches to schedule team and player practices separately and meet the guidelines of the NCAA. But that doesn't mean a developmental coach couldn't quickly put together items for players to do on their own and go work on. Kansas has had several great players that would go work on their games every evening, apart from the scheduled training. I know it sounds like overload, and it is, but these kids have only this small period in their lives to really make their game happen and get noticed by NBA scouts. And it won't get any easier if they don't make the first round draft and get stuck in D-league without a life line. Might as well call it what it is... Dumb-league!
Players can also seek out plenty of personal development in the off-season, away from their coaches, or be given things to work on and ways to self-monitor. I know Hudy's system must work that way, because the guys are given goals to reach over the summer.
Some areas, like shot form, are very sensitive and need a knowledgeable coach there all the time to keep them corrected. That's a different thing and players who can swing it should seek out situations like John Lucas and others. TT did it and claims it really helped him his senior year.
But so much of development is just guys working through drill reps over and over. Working with their weak hand, improving their handles, taking it to the hole on their weak side, shooting off the dribble, installing some shot fakes, learning spin and pivot moves, practicing FTs (muscle memory).
I think his veteran presence could really help the Clippers. They seem to be just a piece short of making it to the Finals.
The Truth needs to stick with teams that have a solid chance of making it to June. I'd definitely put the Clippers into that group. Hope he makes the move. It would be great if he could get closer to home to play out his career.
I hear what you are saying. Maker has muddied his own waters.
But what we think doesn't matter... it's what Self thinks.
I can think of some interesting ideas with Maker. Like how about a 1-3-1 defense? Maker in the middle and Chukwu down low.
Question to all...
Let's say we land Chukwu. Our scholarship plate is now full.
Then later, Maker appears to have his academic ducks in a row and wants to play college ball. And Smith has finally talked the right language to attract coaches once again (Maker will play more than one semester of basketball).
Does anyone really think Self won't be interested? He is now looking at two legitimate footers playing on one team with experienced guards. Do the math. So we don't have a spot open... and we don't have to talk about it unless everything falls right (or wrong, depending on how you look at it).
So how does that work? The best of my knowledge, full-ride scholarships are for a year. How would Self sign Maker if he didn't reserve him back a scholarship? Or how about Cal at UK? Is he going to hold back a scholarship just in case Maker comes along? Will anyone be "circling the airport" waiting for Maker's mid-year appearance?
Give Maker another year to develop and he will offer something in D1.
I said in my last post that there is no way to contractually hold Maker to Kansas after his first semester... but would he really throw his hat in the draft? A couple of months in D1 will hardly get him qualified to be a top selection. The NBA goes after potential... but they have to actually see the potential. And don't they have an age minimum? Guess it is still 19... they were talking about 20. I presume Maker would be 19...
"All indications are that Diallo is that guy. I hope you don’t end up in jail…"
Maybe for double murder! If Diallo and Vick both bring the energy! I said that in another post. Imagine if we have TWO guys that bring the super, intense energy?!
I agree with your assessment. If Vick has an issue at the D1 level it is strength. It does take strength to penetrate the ball in D1. HS is a breeze. Very little contact, Very little defensive intensity. Very little anything. Guys just going out playing offense. But in D1. Vick will have athletic guys trying to defend him. And even though the NCAA has tried to reduce the contact, it is still there. So he'll have guys stiff-arming him on his drives, and holding his jersey away from the ball to prevent him from popping open. Stuff like that. He'll have to use strength to bust free.
You can't really look at body type and totally determine effectiveness from just that. There has always been skinny guys around that play much "thicker" in real life. I hope he is one of those guys!
I think he'll make some contributions for us this year. What is great is he isn't counted on like a Wiggins was. He just goes in for his minutes and tries to produce while he is on the floor. He's in a great opportunity and I hope he makes the most of it!
He just has that "energy look"... doesn't he?
If he does bring energy, then he'll have something to help us this year (if he becomes 2015) because there are always times when we have a drop in energy.
I think I'd go ahead and mail him out a DVD with Kevin Young's clips on it. Let him get a taste of what kind of effort we want from him this year even before he arrives on campus.
I would kill for another guy who could bring the energy like Kevin Young!
Smith has been busy back-peddling his comments about Maker just playing one semester. Now he says Thon will play college ball "until he's ready." And he said that could be as long as 3 years of D1. He's obviously trying to stoke the fire again because everyone backed off, even the Squid.
But there is no mechanism to guarantee he stays beyond one semester. That is where the problem is. No way to lock him down.
Bring it to Kansas! Can't wait to see him play and develop!
Thanks for sharing the video.
That's a play where the league needs to step in and hammer down on these guys for the hard foul. This has gone on forever. Play the ball while smacking down hard on a guy to prevent the "and one."
Horford is a super mellow guy. He doesn't throw elbows. But he did, because Dellavedova continued his roll, reaching for his legs. You really have to see what Dellavedova did in the other playoff game. It was a different version of the same thing.
Playing at this level... these guys are skilled. The play Dellavedova pulled on Horford is more a possibility with less athletic players. But at this level, plays like that, players can guard from rolling on another players' legs (in many instances). This was one of those. Instead of intentionally pulling up short, he actually lunged from his legs to bring himself into contact with Horford. Like I said above, Horford isn't a guy who goes off like that... not without provocation.
The big puzzle is why Dellavedova received a technical foul? So the refs acknowledge his cheap shot, and because it didn't disable Horford it only draws a technical foul? Dellavedova said very little after getting up, and if it was bad enough to draw a technical we would have seen it inflame Horford.
What he does is legal. Going for the ball. It's just without ethics. But the NBA has plenty capabilities to "self-correct" and you'll see that happen, perhaps even in the Finals. Look how effective Dellavedova was last night. He took their big offense right out of the game, in a game that still went to overtime.
Come on, we are talking about Cleveland. City with no self esteem. City with bad cops and even worse offenders. They are going to do whatever they can to win one. To break the curse. A curse held by all their sports teams. This has just a little bit of that same feeling that the Detroit Pistons went through to finally break their curse. Same low esteem city. Dirty play.
I spent quite a bit of time in Cleveland many years ago. I get what LeBron is trying to do. He's trying to help lift the esteem of his town. They can definitely use it!
I don't care about either one of these teams.
I don't know... I think it all matters how Cliff does from here on out. If he fails to land a NBA contract he could find a Duke attorney that goes after Kansas, saying they should have properly warned Cliff and his family members about possible situations that could endanger his college eligibility (leading to his NBA potential). Especially since he comes from an impoverished family. Get a case like that in a jury trial and Kansas would have a real battle on their hands, even if they did give Cliff and his family educational material warning them of possible issues. Corporations and institutions get sued every day and so many of these cases produce a healthy settlement. It is usually worth it to pay a fat sum of money upfront and avoid having to try to fix your PR later. Usually cheaper, too.
I can already hear many of you doubting this. It is the world we live in, over-saturated in civil court and often under-saturated in criminal court, with the make-up coming from the poor in criminal court. The focus is on THE MONEY, and there is a lot more money to be made in civil court than criminal court. Follow THE MONEY!
Thanks... for getting it! Over 90% of the game is played below the rim. I know a big chunk of the money shots do happen above the rim... but why wouldn't players who can't dominate those final vertical inches focus on techniques for dominating the 90% of the game they can influence? X-axis basketball...
I've never had a problem with the Cavs before... but after Dellavedova cheap shots the Cavs to the Finals... I've definitely started to dislike them. He is clearly rolling guys onto the disabled list intentionally. What he does isn't even legal in the NFL.
Horford is a legit player. Legit players never know how to retaliate. He should have pulled a Marcus Smart flop and thrown his own legs out and then landed his entire body on Dellavedova's head. He would have gone to the foul line and made a point about taking guys' legs out.
You won't see Dellavedova around in the league long. Not now. He's going to receive plenty of cheap shots from experienced guys who know how to do it while drawing a foul in the process. Amazing how it just so happened against the only real offensive threat Atlanta had.
There is an unwritten rule everywhere in basketball. You leave players' legs alone. And another rule... if you go after players' legs then everyone goes after you.
I'd like to sign up for Atlanta and show Dellavedova the right way to roll a leg... What a scumbag.
A million times better off! F$&% being in the playoffs but having to take orders from both coaches and an inflated-ego player!
"More evidence that Wiggins would have been more valuable than Love …"
If Wigs stays healthy and keeps building his game (why shouldn't he?).. the real evidence that Wigs shouldn't have been traded for Love will become apparent in years to come. Wigs may reach superstar status and hold that title for a decade or longer. And where will Love be? He'll be chomping popcorn on the couch and drawing a salary for not playing because he is injured or just too many hits and can't compete.
I said it then, I'll say it now... that was the biggest bonehead GM move ever since "The Fatal Pick" when the Trailblazers picked Bowie over Jordan.
I'm curious. Who are the current ShoeCo's ombudsmen that dictate college sports? Who replaced Sonny Vaccaro? George Raveling? World Wide Wes? There must be many of these guys out there laying down the law just like the mob still does in NYC.
Why does Kansas remain an Adidas school? Come on, it can't be because they save a few bucks on shoes.
Found this tidbit on WWW's Wiki page:
"Wesley was also very visible in the months leading up to LeBron James' defection from agent Aaron Goodwin. Goodwin, who signed James out of high school, had helped him earn a lucrative contract with Nike. James signed with Rose during the summer of 2005.
John Calipari has been quoted as saying, "Wes is a goodwill ambassador to our program.” After Kentucky claimed the title over Kansas, Kentucky Wildcats star Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist climbed into the stands and shared a celebratory hug with Wesley, who was sitting in the Kentucky family section inside the Superdome."
There is no way WWW can put up a fight with Nike. He has to have some protection.
Enjoyed the read.
I wonder what college basketball would look like today if the ShoeCo influence had been kept totally away from the sport? I know that sounds unrealistic, but the NCAA, back when they ran a tighter (notice I didn't say "tight") ship, could have regulated out shoe contracts and made schools fund their own equipment and pay some form of regulated pricing with heavy record keeping. What would college basketball look like today without the influence of ShoeCos? My guess is it would look completely different. You wouldn't see the kind of "blue blood" separation and the sport would have a closer parity.
I'm curious about the Jordan relationship to Air Jordan. I think examples like Cosby created a big wake up call to corporate America. Same can be said of other big name celebs that have fallen from public grace. What if Jordan fell? They can't rename "Air Jordan!"
And what if the next "30 for 30" is the show exposing Nike's dirty play including interviews with Jordan to substantiate it all? If he isn't still on the payroll or in line for dividend collection perhaps his conscience will begin to speak around his filter. I have a feeling part of the deal with Jordan and Nike is a very large contract of silence that the world will never see. It better exist, for Nike's sake.
Gossip is a powerful tool. Gossip on the street is out there connecting the dots from the rap/hip-hop world to the ShoeCos. Gossip about murder, real murder, to protect interests. Why does this gossip exist? Because rap/hip-hop stars have been the only ones that can penetrate the same target audience the ShoeCos own. The legend of 2Pac will never die. Nor will Notorious B.I.G. These guys weren't "team players." Blame it on the feud. Look at the big names left in hip-hop and they've all gone corporate. Their cred is outlined by powerful attorneys and they have security forces equaling what Heads of State get.
What would that world look like without ShoeCos?
Imagine NO "Air Jordans" and another player, "2PacPower" competing head-to-head with the giants and owning their azzes because they have all the power on the street!
There is just too much money to be made to let that happen. And it didn't. And it won't!
"Health wise, Fred almost has to stay put."
That's what I thought... but why would he torture his fan base with silence?
Question: Does Michael Jordan have a power interest in Air Jordan? Might the crumbling at UNC bring Jordan from the closet for a rare corporate appearance?
I've been on a personal crusade about Kansas taking on a player development coach for quite some time.
I know the NCAA heavily regulates the amount of time college coaches can coach their players. But it seems like college teams find ways to get things done, like strength and conditioning training.
Here is a video of our old friend, Cliff Alexander, in a NBA Draft Workout session. Where was this Cliff Alexander at Kansas? I know videos are misleading, but it looks like Cliff was just days of development away from being more than only a dunk artist.
Yeah... Cal is every bit "Banker Drysdale!"
I am very doubtful UNC has to give up any titles. There have been worse crimes committed by others without NCs taken away. Take Kentucky, for example, in 1951 being caught up in the NY point shaving scandal. They still kept their 1951 NC, even though they were banned from playing in the following season.
Something more current is the situation at Syracuse. Once again, Syracuse was able to keep their NC.
There is a reason why all of us keep a KUBuckets page open all the time and hit the refresh button a couple hundred times a day.
College basketball sudden news can dramatically impact the game, our team and other teams we like to keep an eye on in the blink of a second.
Take the rumors going around about the Mayor jumping to the league. You know these rumors are playing havoc on the fan base in Ames, with the current group of talented players there, and even messes with recruits who have ISU on their list.
The rumors just won't die down on Fred. There is constant chatter going on in the universe. It appears that it won't stop until the Chicago Bulls clarify their future with the world. I'm doubtful that will happen anytime soon. Fred, the ISU fans and players, and possible recruits will just have to hang out on the edge until an announcement comes out of Chicago. Nothing short of that will suffice.. so the drama will be ongoing and may impact ISU's coming season, and seasons to follow.
Pollard on Hoiberg Watch: Let's step back from ledge ↗
We know what this is all about. We've been plagued with rumors of our own coach heading to the league for several years now. Remember this:
Self just being honest about NBA ↗
How could you forget?!
It seems like such rumors could bring extreme damage to a team during a recruiting season. Do highly-valued recruits really want to consider going to a school where the coach is about to exit? We know what happens when coaches leave... so (often) do many of the new recruits. But is it possible, that until a coach announces he is leaving, he is actually more of an incentive for highly-touted recruits to come play there? I'm starting to think this may be the case. HS players with NBA ambitions seem to magnetically attract to anyone rumored to be wanted by the NBA. So I'm game into thinking this is the case, but maybe not so probable for coaches just moving to another university job.
I know it stinks to be a Florida Gators' basketball fan right now. Might be fun to book a game with Florida again this year...
All I want to do is bottle and sell the methane gas coming off this garbage so I can retire with a castle in Florida.
My favorite movie soundtrack -
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