Satellite camps
There has been a lot of hand-wringing about where Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh holds his practices and camps.
The controversial - by design - Wolverines boss spent a week doing spring practice at the nation's most talent-rich high school last month. Last year, Harbaugh held a football camp in Alabama to get his program in front of players who may not have the means to get to Ann Arbor for whatever reason. The thinking was ingenious. Michigan spring practice was being discussed everywhere, and we even spent a fair amount of time on Harbaugh and the thought process on "Press Row" on ESPN 105.1 FM here in Chattanooga.
Michigan football in March being a hot topic in Chattanooga. That, in and of itself, made this a great idea.
But that idea was met with severe backlash. The ever-sensitive SEC coaches did not want power programs from other conferences coming into the talent-rich recruiting areas of the South with extended camps. The ACC felt the same way.
So the schools acted and voted and the NCAA banned satellite camps, effective immediately late last week.
The NCAA's decision was understandable, at least as a matter of protocol. Six of the 10 conferences voted for the practice to be discontinued. That's how things work. (That said, the backlash against Harbaugh and his continual social media barrage against his colleagues kind of tainted this idea from the start in some ways. Case in point, the Big Ten was the only power conference to vote against the rule change, but the quote from Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, who is against the rule, was telling: "I guess abuse brings control.")
The ideology behind the rule change - and a fairly large by-product of that change - as well as the immediacy of this action, however, generate a few questions.
First, what's the thought about changing this rule? In some bizarro world, maybe you could rationalize competitive balance, since it can be fairly expensive to operate and not an option for every program. And if the rule had not been put in place across all conferences - before the change, the SEC and the ACC did not allow satellite camps - it would have been a way more prevalent practice sooner rather than later among the power programs.
In truth, is that a bad thing in theory since more players would get more exposure? The biggest casualty here is the prospective high school players who would have had more chances to perform at camps before a bigger audience. How is hindering teenagers' chances to be seen because of a recruiting turf war the goal of any organization - be them specific college programs, conferences or even the NCAA?
"I don't know if there was a genuine determination to further oppress low-income families, but that's essentially the effect that this rule on satellite camps has," Washington State coach Mike Leach said on Sirius Radio this week.
The language of this rule offers a very disturbing by-product for a majority of the schools, too. The rule states coaches can't work camps that are not at their university, meaning smaller FBS schools - conferences such as the MAC and the Sun Belt - won't be able to send coaches to camps at Tennessee or Alabama or Auburn or Ohio State or wherever to get a glimpse at the thousands of players there. A big camp could attract more than 1,000 campers, and only a handful would get an offer from the Tide or the Buckeyes. But there are dozens of programs there looking to fill out there rosters, too.
(The logic behind the smaller conferences such as the Sun Belt and the Mountain West voting in favor of the ban is extremely puzzling, since the programs in those conferences get a lot of bang for their buck by going to camps at other schools. The SEC and the ACC voting against satellite camps is understandable; everyone else voting against them, though, is a little bit strange considering the wording of the rule.)
It is unclear right now if this includes FCS level programs like UTC, but it will affect them this summer. Mocs coach Russ Huesman told us last week on Press Row that some of the Mocs coaches were going to work a Big Ten camp in Nashville this summer. That camp is now cancelled.
Also of note is how quickly the NCAA acted on this. An organization that normally causes sloths to be stunned by its deliberateness, the NCAA's reaction to satellite camps was rocket-fuel fast.
Sometimes, though, quicker is not better. And at least in the grand scheme of things the overall appearance of the consequences for the power brokers in college sports from this knee-jerk reaction is more jerky than anything else.
FILE - In this May 8, 2014, file photo, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel reacts after being selected by the Cleveland Browns as the 22nd pick during the first round of the NFL Draft in New York. The Browns indicated Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, that they’ve finally had enough of Manziel’s bad-boy behavior and intend to release the quarterback in March when the league begins its next calendar year. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) Johnny Manziel
OK, we got wordy on the first one. With that in mind, can someone please try to communicate to Johnny Manziel that he's got to make better decisions.
Wait, let's back up a step and review.
Johnny Football was a partying Heisman winner who made great plays and greater highlights at Texas A&M. He got the usual quarterback pokes and prods during the draft process. He's undersized. His athletic skills will be diminished against NFL competition. His decision-making is questionable at best.
His run-ins in college - suspended a half for a game for NCAA issues, being sent home from the Manning passing camp for whatever reason, et al. - were minor. Troubling in their numbers but minor in their stature. But they have continued and continued and continued.
And now Manziel is without a job and the latest news comes that he lied about his living circumstances recently to a reporter, saying he moved in with former A&M star and Denver All-Pro Von Miller in L.A. Miller, who has said he'd love to have Manziel on the Broncos, denied the story.
Why lie about it Johnny? Well, maybe because the new report has Manziel living with Cleveland wide out Josh Gordon, a supremely talented wide out who can't stay on the field because of violating the NFL's drug policy.
Is this against the law? Of course not.
But for a former first-round pick who is has had at best bad judgement off-the-field in the recent past, it looks simply awful.
Positive Braves guy
We are going to find an optimistic point in the worst team in baseball until they find a win.
First, misery loves company. So come on in, the winless water is warm and toasty. OK, whatcha' got Positive Paul?
"Morning Braves fans. It's going to be a beautiful day. Want to know why? Because the rain has stopped and baseball season is here.
Yes, the Braves squandered a couple of leads and lost 6-4 to Washington on Monday. The team is 0-6. Let's find three positive things to say today, shall we? I think we shall.
First, Bud Norris pitched very similarly numbers-wise as Nationals ace Max Scherzer. Norris allowed five runs in five innings; Scherzer allowed four runs in six innings. Now remember that Norris makes $2.5 million this season and Scherzer is making $22.1 million. That's value friends.
Secondly, did you see the wheels on Mallex Smith? He singled, stole a base and scored a run in his big-league debut. Man, a true speedy lead-off hitter would be a nice place to start as the club rebuilds around Freddie Freeman.
Finally, an offense going 8-for-32 is markedly better for a team that was hitting .198 coming in.
Progress, fellow Braves fans. Progress. Are they baby steps? (Is there anything smaller than baby steps?)
Sure, but they are steps nonetheless."
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots in front of New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and Dante Cunningham (44) in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) This and that
- Today is national grilled cheese day. Man, grilled cheese sandwich = good times. The 5-at-10 tots are official aficionados and they give River Street Deli the double-thumbs up seal of approval for their grilled cheese. (Two sneaky good-to-great chain restaurants with excellence grilled cheeses: Waffle House and Cracker Barrel.)
- Average price on StubHub for Kobe's final game at the Staples Center is $997, which according to ESPN's Darren Rovell is a regular-season record for any sport. (And crazy to think it is not even the biggest regular-season NBA game tomorrow night, since the Warriors are chasing history tomorrow night.
- Man, Russell Westbrook is having an awesome season. Dude has matched Magic Johnson's modern-day record with 18 triple doubles. (He got one last night against the Lakers in the first half. Yes, a triple double in less than 18 minutes of action.) And to speak of team value - and to prove Westbrook is hardly stuffing a stat sheet - OKC is 18-0 when Westbrook gets a triple double. Dude would be a clear-cut MVP candidate in any other year that did not include Steph Curry hitting 400 3s as his team tries to get the most wins in a season.
- It's official. Mark W. won the Masterfully Mastering the Masters Challenge, with a gift card to Clyde's and some Masters swag. Congrats Mark, and thanks to everyone for playing. We'll crank up another contest soon for the NFL draft. We love the draft. You know this. (U.S. Open for sure.)
- Enjoyed TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer's take on the Donnie Tyndall situation in today's paper.
- And if you are a Lookouts fan, TFP all-around ace David Paschall has a mountain of preview information on this year's team in today's paper.
- LeBron James scored 34 points (on 13-of-16 field goal) as the Cavs toppled the Hawks. Cleveland has home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Today's Rushmore
Lots to cover, so feel free to dive on in.
As for a Rushmore, well, today is Ed O'Neill's 70th birthday. Sal-LOOT.
What's the Rushmore of TV stars with multiple Hall-of-Fame-level roles in comedies? Certainly, O'Neill, who was Al Bundy on Married with Children and is Jay Pritchard on Modern Family, is a bona fide contender.
Whatcha got? (And remember the mailbag.)