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Another Shot to the Body The NBA season might be over, but it doesn't mean that the league is finished claiming another victory. This past week, the Boston Celtics hired Brad Stevens from Butler University to be their next head coach. Stevens is considered the top young college basketball coach in the country....no disrespect to VCU's Shaka Smart. The fact that Stevens left Butler for Boston isn't shocking, but it is another sign that college basketball is in deep trouble. I don't blame Stevens at all....he did an incredible job at Butler and led the Bulldogs to back-to-back appearances in the title game. When one of the great brands in sports calls, you should be smart enough to listen. However, his departure is a reminder that the NBA will treat the college game much like ACC commissioner John Swofford treated the league formerly known as the Big East. It will take whatever it wants or needs....players, coaches, you name it. I'm not sure what the college game can do to gain any leverage in the discussion. The NBA has the one-and-done rule in its back pocket, and it can offer obscene dollars for its head coaching vacancies. There is no leadership and certainly no directive for college basketball. The regular season has been reduced to some time between the Super Bowl, National Signing Day and the start of March Madness. Sure, college hoop junkies will argue that point, but the masses find something else to do and watch. The stars you can name on one hand, and the Duke-UNC game can get only so much hype. College hoops is hurting.....big-time. I have no idea if Stevens will succeed in Boston, or not. And to be honest with you, it really doesn't matter. If he wins, he stays....if he loses, he would be welcomed back to the college game with open arms. You won't hear or read this from me very often......but the Charlotte Bobcats made a great move this past week, by signing Al Jefferson. Did they pay too much? Sure.....but for a franchise that has been accused of being super-cheap, this was an acquisition that makes sense for all parties involved...and that includes first round pick, Cody Zeller. I know some locals are upset because they want the club to do what they do best for at least another year....and that's lose. The 2014 NBA Draft is supposed be loaded, and why get competitive overnight now? I liked the move by MJ and Co...its been so long since I can remember saying or typing this, that I thought it was my duty to include it in this week's column. By Thursday of this week, we'll only be 7 weeks away from the start of the college football season. I can't wait....just like I can't wait to head down to Alabama next week for the SEC Media Days from which we'll be broadcasting on our SiriusXM channel. The news surrounding Aaron Hernandez is disturbing...and that includes the media witch hunt surrounding Urban Meyer and what he knew, or didn't know, while the two parties were at the University of Florida. Meyer gave Hernandez a golden opportunity to excel at Florida....and I know the the school gave him every chance to maximize his schools and get a degree. If a player doesn't figure that out and take advantage, then it's the players fault....not the coach. Meyer's track record at Florida from a winning % and championship-gathering unit was outstanding. Did his program have issues? Sure...name one that doesn't. It was reported that 41 members of the '08 squad were arrested. That number is staggering.....but the blame of Urban Meyer for the recent actions of Aaron Hernandez is absolutely outrageous. I don't blame Meyer for keeping quiet...the media is too desperate to create a fabricated story. So, Andy Murray won Wimbledon. Thank goodness. Now we don't have to hear about the "1936 exploits of Fred Perry", the last local to win Wimbledon until Murray closed the deal on Sunday. That means the Brits now have won Wimbledon...and in golf, Justin Rose just captured our US Open golf championship.....somebody stop these guys, before the soccer hoodlums emerge from overseas and take over. It was bad enough that we had to put up with David Beckham in the States all these years. The scene on the tube was terrific when Murray finally snapped the 77-year winless streak on the hallowed grounds at the All England Tennis Club. Now that we can cross that one off the list....when is the ACC going to win the College World Series? Did you hear that Jimmie Johnson just won another NASCAR race? By sweeping Daytona this year, he becomes the first driver to accomplish that feat since Bobby Allison pulled it off back in 1982. Johnson makes it look so easy....he gets the lead, and keeps it. Normally, Daytona is wide-open and crazy...and while we got a taste of that late in the race, the wrecks were taking place back in the pack. As Johnson was crossing the finish line, guess who was wrecking and taking out a half dozen cars in the process? I'll give you a hint...Kyle Petty doesn't think she is a race car driver. I watched the race between pitches of my struggling San Francisco Giants baseball team....and Danica seemed like she had a good car and performance.....but in the end, well...we know what happens. Crash. I mentioned how poorly my Giants are playing. In Saturday's game against the dreaded Dodgers, Buster Posey slammed a double down the line to score a run in the 1st inning, only to find out he was hitting in the wrong order. The run was taken off the board, and eventually Posey had to bat again before eventually flying out. It's been that kind of run for the World Champs.....the last 7 weeks have been miserable. I hope the boys can find some kind of spark....the only good news is that everybody else in the NL West is playing terrible baseball.....except those guys wearing blue from LA. I'm about ready for the MLB All-Star game to emerge....we need to break-up the funk that has taken over my favorite team. |
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