Friday, March 16, 2007
The two best coaches are out in Round 1
The two best coaches in the NCAA tournament were abruptly shown the exit in Round 1. For the first time since 1996, the second round of the NCAA tournament will include neither Bob Knight nor Mike Krzyzewski. The haters are out in droves. Nothing like success to inspire the American urge to tear down.
Has the game passed the Coaches’ K by? Well, they may not accomodate some of the newest ways. Unlike the Boeheims, Suttons, Harricks, and Mattas of the world they will not recruit young men whose declared intention is one year of college. Knight and Krzyzewski both continue to see education and character building as the central part of their job. College degrees are not and cannot be obtained in a single year. This attitude does not make them the best of minor leagues for the NBA, but Knight and Krzyzewski recognize that is not what they were hired to do. The willingness of other universities to dispense with even so much as the charade of a college education for their players has tilted the balance of power away from these old school coaches. Both of whom started their careers at West Point, the United States Military Academy, where there was no question about whether or not academics and athletics went hand and hand.
Not every college student is West Point material. This does not imply full scholarships to prestigious universities should be handed to boys who have no intention of pursuing a degree. It is unfair to the student body at large, not to mention the pool of applicants for financial aid. It defames the institution hurting the value of the alumni’s degrees. Denegrating the primary role of the university. Acting as though running an athletic department were more important than educating the student body. It goes beyond embarassing to down right harmful.
The Clarion doesn’t mourn Duke’s loss. They were down all year and have lacked an offensive go-to guy. The Red Raiders defeat stung a little bit longer. They had beaten two top teams this season and might have made a mini-run in the tourney. But at least the loss was to another character institution, Boston College, led by Coach Al Skinner. A leader of young men who had the guts to kick his best big man off the team for failing to abide by the rules. Contrast this to how an institution like the University of Connecticut in recent years handled revelations that its best players were stealing computers from other students. $11,000 worth of larceny, a $20,000 scholarship, a cross-over dribble---priceless.
The money machine that is the NCAA goes blithely on cashing checks. Sanctimoniously, ringing its hands about the Maurice Claretts of the world. Acting shocked when violence and crime pop up at institutions that have no checks and balances, no priority on academics. This list is much longer, but is headlined by Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Connecticut, Georgia and of course, the Univeristy of Colorado.
The Coaches K may have lost yesterday, but their players won. The longer lives they lead, the more they build their own families, the more they will internalize the message, it isn’t whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. Do your best, but do NOT sacrifice your integrity to win at all costs.
One has to look no further than the horrors of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to judge just how great the stakes are in the game of character education.
Couple of other quick notes
Duke-VCU was a terrific game. As Mel Allen might a said, "How's about Eric Maynor?" What a game, on the big stage!
The Clarion’s Final Four
Georgetown, UCLA, Texas A&M and torn ‘tween Maryland and UNLV out of the Midwest Region.
Eventual national champion Georgetown.
Has the game passed the Coaches’ K by? Well, they may not accomodate some of the newest ways. Unlike the Boeheims, Suttons, Harricks, and Mattas of the world they will not recruit young men whose declared intention is one year of college. Knight and Krzyzewski both continue to see education and character building as the central part of their job. College degrees are not and cannot be obtained in a single year. This attitude does not make them the best of minor leagues for the NBA, but Knight and Krzyzewski recognize that is not what they were hired to do. The willingness of other universities to dispense with even so much as the charade of a college education for their players has tilted the balance of power away from these old school coaches. Both of whom started their careers at West Point, the United States Military Academy, where there was no question about whether or not academics and athletics went hand and hand.
Not every college student is West Point material. This does not imply full scholarships to prestigious universities should be handed to boys who have no intention of pursuing a degree. It is unfair to the student body at large, not to mention the pool of applicants for financial aid. It defames the institution hurting the value of the alumni’s degrees. Denegrating the primary role of the university. Acting as though running an athletic department were more important than educating the student body. It goes beyond embarassing to down right harmful.
The Clarion doesn’t mourn Duke’s loss. They were down all year and have lacked an offensive go-to guy. The Red Raiders defeat stung a little bit longer. They had beaten two top teams this season and might have made a mini-run in the tourney. But at least the loss was to another character institution, Boston College, led by Coach Al Skinner. A leader of young men who had the guts to kick his best big man off the team for failing to abide by the rules. Contrast this to how an institution like the University of Connecticut in recent years handled revelations that its best players were stealing computers from other students. $11,000 worth of larceny, a $20,000 scholarship, a cross-over dribble---priceless.
The money machine that is the NCAA goes blithely on cashing checks. Sanctimoniously, ringing its hands about the Maurice Claretts of the world. Acting shocked when violence and crime pop up at institutions that have no checks and balances, no priority on academics. This list is much longer, but is headlined by Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Connecticut, Georgia and of course, the Univeristy of Colorado.
The Coaches K may have lost yesterday, but their players won. The longer lives they lead, the more they build their own families, the more they will internalize the message, it isn’t whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. Do your best, but do NOT sacrifice your integrity to win at all costs.
One has to look no further than the horrors of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to judge just how great the stakes are in the game of character education.
Couple of other quick notes
Duke-VCU was a terrific game. As Mel Allen might a said, "How's about Eric Maynor?" What a game, on the big stage!
The Clarion’s Final Four
Georgetown, UCLA, Texas A&M and torn ‘tween Maryland and UNLV out of the Midwest Region.
Eventual national champion Georgetown.
Labels: college basketball, Predictions, sports
Comments:
my final four are florida, kansas, georgetown, and texas a&m. champion florida. boring...i know. interesting that you've got ucla - i have pitt taking them down in the sweet sixteen. guess we shall see! sorry about the indiana blasphemy! ;)
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