Did baseball see the light?
OK, the draft is about to happen. Some teams will take some future stars. Some teams will take some future insurance agents. That's how the baseball draft - the most unpredictable draft anywhere - works.
But amid all the hand-wringing from fans and finger pointing from both sides of the negotiating table, there appears to be a sense of urgency from the players and the owners now.
After the owners countered the players original counter, the players have now countered again.
And this one starts to move us to the middle.
Here are the keynote details:
> 89-game season;
> Full prorated salary (a big point for the players);
> 16-team postseason (a big point for the owners).
For the first time in a long time, I actually feel optimistic about a possible baseball season.
That's good news right?
Of course, right as I was about to file this, someone from the owners' side has reportedly told ESPN that 89 games is a "non-starter."
Baseball's going to mess this whole thing up, aren't they?
Shut up Kevin
These are tough days to be a leader in the college sports realm.
The NCAA. ADs. Dabo being Dabo.
The new normal after the Corona and racial unrest is going to be different for all of us, be it health-related, socially related or fiscally related.
Well in college sports, the combination of those societal tsunamis has created unprecedented empowerment among college athletes these days. And that's not even adding in the talking points of the most confusing and perilous time in college athletics like transfer portals, name image and likeness rights and reports and allegations of eye-popping levels of cheating.
And at almost every turn, the names and faces that lead continue to trip over their tongues in speeches or their thumbs on social media.
After Dabo's time, Duke AD Kevin White took to social media to blast the nerve of college athletes looking for ways to make money on their own names.
Hey, I get it. There are whispers and wondering about "How will this affect recruiting?" and "Will this encourage cheating?"
OK, before we even get to the fairness and hypocrisy angles of all major programs - especially Duke basketball - being against players getting paid for the NIL rights, let's just review the fallacy of those two questions:
"How will this affect recruiting?" So you think the current recruiting model is fair right now? Uh, that's a flawed starting point, like the parable of the man building his house on the sand. UK, UNC and Duke will still get the best one-and-doners. Alabama, Georgia and the rest of the game's elite will get the five-star blue chip football recruits. If anything, it would allow non-traditional teams to acquire the occasional five-star, and if programs like an Arizona State football team or a Rutgers basketball bunch land a program changer, how is that not good for competitive balance? (Hint: The Dukes, the UNCs, the Sabans and the Swinneys want all the five stars and if there's an open market, that means more opportunities, no?)
"Will this encourage cheating?" Uh, hello. Duke is neck deep in court proceedings that Zion Williamson just got paid like a CEO for five months in Durham. Encourage cheating? Heck no. This will only legitimize it, because by now we know that a) cheating happens at almost every level (for Pete Maravich's sake that Bowen kid got $100,000 offer from Xavier people); b) reread part a); c) the NCAA has little interest in enforcing the rules, investigating the allegations and punishing the blue bloods, especially in college hoops and d) reread part a).
First, White was quick to back UNC AD Bubba Cunningham's similar position on NIL. Cunningham said last week that letting players cash in on NIL would 'abandon a model' that's flourished in the past.
Uh, Bubba, flourished for whom? For you and the schools? Yes. For the players? Not so much.
So, if you look a little deeper, White's post gets to the crux of the issue and why the power brokers in college sports hate the NIL possibilities. After the 'recruiting' questions and the 'bidding war' for star players laments, here's the kicker:
"Will resources from equipment, apparel, and shoe companies be redirected to a relatively few individuals rather than being shared equally among the lesser known, but no less valuable, Olympic sports?," White wrote.
There it is. Period, and forget the fallacy of that premise and the complete misuse and the double meaning of the word 'valuable' there. If you want to say 'no less important' fine. But valuable? Duke swimming is as valuable as Duke hoops? Auburn equestrian (which is a powerhouse) is as valuable as Auburn football? That's insulting.
White and Cunningham and everyone else who make a college sports coach the highest-paid state employee in their state know that the only way that's possible is with the connected dollars of Nike or Under Armour, of Coke or Pepsi, of whatever other 'official whatever of Duke basketball.'
So a fair market applies to coaches - who can move whenever and wherever - and ADs and everyone in the program but the players? Nope. Not any more Kevin.
Also, Kevin notes that it could create issues in the locker room? Uh, Kev, do you think Zion was treated the same in the locker room or across campus as, say, Mike Buckmire?
This is a song and dance, and worse than being tone deaf, it's irresponsible.
The smart college sports leaders, rather than trying to save the Titanic model that was, should be shaping the details of the model that will be.
> Keep monolithic companies - like Nike - in check, be it with individual player caps or even in possible agreements that allow apparel companies to stay as partners with schools and programs;
> Figure out the important by-laws needed to prevent Joe from Joe's Chesse and Mattress Wholesalers in Valley, Ala., from giving a four-star DT any deals before he's officially a college athlete;
> And maybe most importantly, work to protect the athletes on how to manage those rights so the next megastar like Zion - who made Duke tens of millions in exposure and revenue in exchange for his 5 or so credit hours - does not get exploited.
But again, that would be worrying about the player than the next paycheck, which is assuredly how college sports has been built. And apparently no one wants to 'abandon a model' like that.
Right Bubba?
Betting you want to bet
OK, we should have offered this earlier, and we likely will only get the regulars - about 25 or so is my guess - but who wants to have a contest in honor of live sports returning this weekend?
I know I do. I know Alejandro does. Spy? You bet he wants to bet. He better.
Even Horshack has his hand raised. (Mr. Kotter, underrated I say. What say you?)
Since we did not have the Masters contest, let's put a similar frame on this weekend's fan-less Colonial. Deal? Deal.
Pick five players, best four count. Where a player finishes is the number of points he gets, add that together and low score wins. (For example: If you have the winner (1), the runner-up (2) and two guys who tied for seventh (7 and 7) then you have 17 points and are in strong contention.)
Who's with me?
Here are my five: Rory, Jon Rahm, Webb Simpson, Sungjae Im and Harris English.
Add your picks to the comments or email me at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com. Winner gets a gift card and a meal on me.
Deal? Deal.
This and that
- Lots of chatter that ESPN could be looking to make a move in the morning on the national radio platform. Here's some more.
- You know the rules. Here's No. 3 on TFP college football expert David Paschall's most memorable games he covered during the 1990s. I was at this one too, but in the stands as Auburn rallied by Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators in 1993. Good times. (Sorry JTC.)
- Be careful what you say, part No. 1,204,752. CrossFit CEO George Glassman retired after the blowback from his "we're not mourning George Floyd" over the weekend. Several corporate partners broke ties with CrossFit.
- Be careful what you Tweet, part No. 1,204,753. Some dude on some show called "The Flash" was fired for old racially insensitive social media comments.
- Be careful what you say, part No. 1,204,754. The L.A. Galaxy, one of the most recognized MLS teams, cut ties with a player because of social media posts wait for it getting there from the player's wife. Aleksander Katai's wife Tea posted some offensive stuff on social media - including the picture of a black female looter running from a store with a box of tennis shoes under the caption "Black Nikes Matter" - and it was clearly offensive. But are we in the cancel culture so deeply that we're responsible for the actions of spouses? Where's the line? Is it this side or the other side of cousins?
- I see - and am somewhat scared of - the cancel culture around us. But how is taking Elmer Fudd's rifle away or removing "Gone With the Wind" from HBO Max catalogs a solution that makes sense to anyone other than an ostrich? What's next, are we going to burn all of Twain's classic because of the verbiage?
- On the other side of that, I did see a story that some emotional movies dealing with the fight against racial issues - "Selma"
and recently released "Just Mercy" among the titles - are being offered for free on various streaming services. Here's more.
- Quick side point: I thought the impassioned masses speaking at Chattanooga City Council Tuesday night was powerful. Two quick thoughts about that: First, I hope all of those people are registered to vote, because while a social voice is important, a voting voice is the most powerful. Second, no matter the uniformity of the 70-plus folks who spoke to the council, dear Lord, please do not let our leaders - locally and regionally - follow the disastrous example of defunding police departments. I pray this does not happen. Truly. What a nightmare. And if you are wading toward defunded police departments, well, know this: That idea - of closing police departments - is so radically left of center Bernie 'Bleepin' Sanders is against. Chew on that.
- Side point to the side point: Dang if every time you turn around, though, there's another cop-killing-someone story. Here's more, and know the body cam of a New Mexico officer telling Antonio Valenzuela he's going to "choke you out" in February. Valenzuela died in custody and the officer - Christopher Smelser - has been charged with manslaughter.
- MJ is competing in a fishing tournament and his $8 million yacht is getting a ton of attention. And rightfully so. But, knowing MJ's 'competition' addiction and locker room issues when things are not completely smooth, do you think that a) MJ has seven figures on his team "Catch 23" (which is a glorious team name by the way) and b) with MJ's team being in fourth after a 442-pound blue marlin, did MJ find Scott Burrell and punch him in the jaw?
Today's questions
Wow, the This and That got This and Fat. And meaty.
Which of is more ridiculous, taking the guns from Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam in the cartoon remakes or pretending that "Gone With the Wind" doesn't exist?
Which issue is most pressing for the NCAA, NIL, transfer portal, or recruiting scandals that generate FBI attention?
On this day in 2007, The Sopranos' run ended. Which kind of person are you, the one who appreciated the Sopranos finale or the one who hated it, because there are not many in the middle on that one? (I'm a big fan of the ending.)
Also on June 10, Prince Philip is 99. Judy Garland would have been 98. Elizabeth Hurley is 55
On this day in 1977 Al Geiberger cared the first 59 in a PGA Tour event.
Rushmore of numbers in golf. Go and remember the contest and the mailbag.