SirSaxa
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Post by SirSaxa on Aug 6, 2010 16:48:12 GMT -5
sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5443230ExcerptsThe University of Kentucky issued a statement on Friday threatening legal action over a Chicago Sun-Times story claiming that recruit Anthony Davis negotiated a deal to receive $200,000 from someone who wanted him to commit to the school.The intial Sun-Times story on Wednesday cited unidentified sources and stated:
"The rumors/sources that have Davis choosing Kentucky are also alleging that the commitment cost $200,000. [Anthony] Davis Sr. has flat out denied everything."....
Despite Kentucky's statement, the Sun-Times stood by its story on Friday, and even elaborated:
"Sources from three separate universities told the Sun-Times that Davis Sr. asked for money in return for his son's commitment, with the amounts ranging from $125,000 to $150,000."
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Bay99
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Post by Bay99 on Aug 6, 2010 17:48:18 GMT -5
Kentucky's getting what it paid for when it hired Calipari.
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Aug 6, 2010 19:43:29 GMT -5
To be fair, the rumor is not that UK offered the kid's father $200,000, it was that "someone who wanted him to commit to the school" did. Besides, the unnamed philanthropist is merely offering to pay for the young student's 4-year scholarship. Where's the harm in that?
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Bay99
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Post by Bay99 on Aug 7, 2010 16:48:05 GMT -5
To be fair, the rumor is not that UK offered the kid's father $200,000, it was that "someone who wanted him to commit to the school" did. Besides, the unnamed philanthropist is merely offering to pay for the young student's 4-year scholarship. Where's the harm in that? Dan, you have a bright future in Kentucky's PR department.
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Aug 8, 2010 7:32:32 GMT -5
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Bay99
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Post by Bay99 on Aug 13, 2010 21:39:44 GMT -5
In spite of recent headlines, Davis officially announced his verbal commitment: www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/08/amid-controversy-davis-commits-to-kentucky.htmlI'm vaguely fascinated as to how this plays out. If Davis Sr. has a shred of credibility (or dignity), he has to file the threatened lawsuit. (I know he doesn't actually have to. Just saying.) I hope the NBA lockout/CBA gets rid of the age rule. When they imposed it, I thought it might be a good thing. No system is perfect but it seemed a good step. But I think it's created a new industry--call Calipari the CEO--of would-be NBA support staff. Get rid of it. If a guy thinks he's good enough to get paid out of high school, have at it. Your potential employers, at least, will be honest about your prospects.
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MCIGuy
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Anyone here? What am I supposed to update?
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Post by MCIGuy on Aug 16, 2010 8:10:42 GMT -5
I don't want the NBA getting rid of the one year rule simply because college basketball isn't able to police itself. If anything I hope the rule becomes a two year wait instead. The NBA is a better product when the kids actually get to spend some time in college. They are more ready to contribute after a year or two in school. College basketball, however, has been having problems long before the one year rule was put into place.
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Bay99
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Post by Bay99 on Aug 16, 2010 21:31:16 GMT -5
True--I don't think the NCAA's problems are the result of the one-year rule. But it seems to me they've gotten worse as a result.
I think the only well-intentioned defense of the rule is that it helps steer (a small number of) high school kids into higher education. But I don't think it's helping kids get an education who otherwise would not have been afforded the opportunity--a blue-chip athlete in a revenue sport will always be able to name his school if he wants to go to school.
I do think the rule is producing some high-profile examples of how to bend/break rules without affecting your professional career, which hurts everyone (except the player, their agent, and the NBA) including the next generation that wants to be them.
I started to list some recent players that I think of examples as to the downside of the one-year rule--but it's a list based on ESPN and the internet, so I admit I ultimately know nothing. I see/hear/read the same things as any other fan, and it's ultimately just my opinion that the one-year rule does more harm than good.
I have my doubts about a two-year rule, among them that it will ever fly. But maybe you're right. And if the NBA is indeed locked out, anything's possible at the other end of it.
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Post by BubbleVisionBiff on Sept 8, 2010 7:37:26 GMT -5
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Post by LizziebethHoya on Sept 8, 2010 8:55:57 GMT -5
Can we just rename this threat "UK Recruiting Problems" - it seems like theres one every month now
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Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Sept 8, 2010 9:37:08 GMT -5
No wonder he left turkey he doubled his pay by going to kentucky.
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rosslynhoya
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Post by rosslynhoya on Sept 8, 2010 11:38:05 GMT -5
I don't want the NBA getting rid of the one year rule simply because college basketball isn't able to police itself. If anything I hope the rule becomes a two year wait instead. The NBA is a better product when the kids actually get to spend some time in college. They are more ready to contribute after a year or two in school. College basketball, however, has been having problems long before the one year rule was put into place. I think the better solution would be for basketball to go the MLB route: graduate from high school and you can go straight to the NBA/NBDL/Europe or you can choose to play college ball -- but if you play college ball you can't be drafted by an NBA club until the end of what would be your junior year. The best of the best high schoolers and those completely uninterested in academics would be free to go where the market allows, and the college system will be less tainted than it is today.
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Sept 9, 2010 17:53:13 GMT -5
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hoyarooter
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Post by hoyarooter on Sept 10, 2010 12:20:14 GMT -5
And then there's this quote from the article: "Given coach John Calipari's history with vacated Final Four trips -- first at UMass, in 1995-96, and then at Memphis in 2007-08 -- he couldn't afford another scandal." Really?? It seems as though Calishadi's actions belie this statement.
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Elvado
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Post by Elvado on Sept 10, 2010 12:23:00 GMT -5
And then there's this quote from the article: "Given coach John Calipari's history with vacated Final Four trips -- first at UMass, in 1995-96, and then at Memphis in 2007-08 -- he couldn't afford another scandal." Really?? It seems as though Calishadi's actions belie this statement. Maybe they meant "afford" as in pay for, or pay to cover up.
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Sept 15, 2010 16:31:05 GMT -5
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kchoya
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Post by kchoya on Sept 15, 2010 18:07:59 GMT -5
I could have told you who wrote that article without even looking. Not a good thing for UK when you see this quote from the HS principal: The former Parker principal Joseph Martin declined to explain why Bledsoe was allowed to take Algebra III first, telling the paper, “I’m going to my grave with that.”
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hoyarooter
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Post by hoyarooter on Sept 15, 2010 19:56:57 GMT -5
This is impossible. A fine, upstanding program like Kentucky would never participate in such shenanigans.
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SirSaxa
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Post by SirSaxa on Sept 15, 2010 21:42:18 GMT -5
OK, I renamed the thread as requested. As for that NY Times piece, I liked the following Excerpt A report Tuesday in The Birmingham News may put Calipari in another sticky situation. It reported a discrepancy in the grade that guard Eric Bledsoe received in an Algebra III class that he took in night school at Parker High School in Birmingham, Ala. It showed he received an A on his four-year transcript, but the grade report from the night classes showed up as a “C.”
The paper reported that the C would have prevented Bledsoe from qualifying for an N.C.A.A. scholarship, putting his eligibility during his one season at Kentucky in question.
There is also the curious matter that Bledsoe, who had a history of getting low grades, aced Algebra III before taking Algebra II, The News reported. Who should be more embarrassed: the N.C.A.A. for not noticing the discrepancy, Kentucky’s admissions office for not questioning it or Parker High School for allowing it?
Calipari is at a premier program, but the smoke from UMass and Memphis has followed him. Todd, the president who [hired Calipari], stepped down last week.
As questions continue to arise in Lexington, a new president has to decide whether having a successful program adds up to accepting recruits who ace Algebra III before taking Algebra II. But while everyone is talking about Coach Cal.... what is this about a "premiere program" and what UK "should" do? Has everyone already forgotten about the FedEx package -- loaded with cash -- that UK sent to a recruit? It wasn't THAT long ago. And UK was severely sentenced by the NCAA for that one. Seems UK and Coach Cal were made for one another.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Sept 15, 2010 21:52:48 GMT -5
The NCAA faces a serious credibility problem IMO. You have to get guys like Calipari, Calhoun, and Pearl out of the sport. They do this kind of stuff because they think they can and will do it again if given the choice (Exhibit 1 is Calipari). Pearl will twist any rule to gain an advantage (punitive whistleblowing and farting around with the investigation, among other things).
I won't argue that we are saints at all, but notice what is happening right now to us on the trail. Pops Editedes off the AAU pimps, and we're essentially skunked by any relevant AAU program in the country because they won't get some silly little "commission." That can happen to someone on the BoD of Nike - and I don't doubt the shoe connection is helpful for us even if it is just a matter of someone thinking our team shoes are "phat." That says a lot IMO.
If you look at enforcement over the past few years, the best enforcement mechanisms have been Pete Thamel - a goblin of a newspaper reporter - and FOIA requests from Yahoo Sports. Thamel brought Kevin Broadus down before the NCAA even blinked.
My $.02.
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