The moral outrage over the pee-test gate story (JoePa/Sandusky and Fine accusations are a different story, just to be clear) is just the latest example of the drastic need for people to recalibrate their expectations for athletes and coaches in college and the pros (the saints story is another pointless story as is beer in the mlb clubhouse). It's fine to go with the "the playing fields are where our young kids become adults and develop character and discipline blah, blah, blah..." schtick when we're talking about youth sports (though even then it's not nearly so simple).
But this is big-time college athletics. Here are some truths that people need to come to grips with:
-- Coaches are paid 6-7 figures to win games and raise the profile of the university and, preferably, not get caught doing something bad.
-- Athletes need to stay eligible and preferably not break the law very often and in return they get school for free, a chance to develop AS ATHLETES (not people) and a few other benefits that the school would be fine turning a blind eye to
-- Drugs and alcohol are part of life and are basically woven into the fabric of college life in particular.
-- The qualities that make a good athlete/coach can make a good person -- confidence, discipline, drive, ambition, etc -- but not all athletes have those qualities and those qualities don't always make for a "good" person.
-- What makes a "good" person is highly debatable. I think quacks like Rick Santorum are bad people ... and he might be president.
-- Admissions requirements are dung and should be done away with. We, as a society, are far better off with a talented hoops player playing basketball and at least making some nominal progress toward a degree than are to have that same player returning to his East Baltimore neighborhood and trying to figure out some other livelihood. And, while we're on teh topic, the top lacrosse player from Gilman whose father is a CEO probably cares even less about philosophy 101 than anyone on the campus.
-- Academics are often a sham. There are smart athletes who get why it's a good idea to have an education for their futures. There are plenty who don't care at all and there are a bunch that fall somewhere in between on that spectrum. This shouldn't be shocking.
-- Human beings who are constantly told they are tremendous have a tendency to let it go to their heads. And when that happens, they're not always the greatest human beings anymore. Take waiters, who may be a great guy for all I know, but didn't we offer him in 8th grade? I mean the kid has been told he's the second-coming for the last 7 years (at least). YOu mean to tell me you too wouldn't have thought your s--t didn't stink if everyone was telling you that in middle school/high school?
Anyway, there are probably more. But it just cracks me up when people get so worked up about drug testing -- PEDs or otherwise -- academic requirements, poor behavior, etc. Who cares? This is what should be expected of coaches/players:
Coaches
Win, hopefully do it within the rules or at least don't get caught otherwise, stay out of legal trouble for the most part, and if you can help these kids become solid adults, great. But win.
Athletes
Work at your sport, try and make some sort of progress towards a degree, try not to do anything to jeopardize your career/scholarship, don't get in much legal trouble. Win.
That's really it. If these kids avoid stuff like DUIs, rapes, assault, burgalary, selling drugs -- we should all be fine with it. If the coaches anything other than complete and total , publically, then we should basically judge them on win/loss.
That's it. These myths of strong character development guys are absurd. "Marrone Guys" are the same as everyone else's. Academic honor roles? Fine, great. Win. JB isn't babysitting his players on weekends? He isn't spending 365 days a year trying to convince Fab Melo of the importance of his Western Civ survey? Who cares? Not his job. Win.
It's the simple bottom line that people are people. Going to the Naval Academy is terrific, but believe me, there are plenty of jackholes at that place (believe me, I covered it). Being a military officer is great but you can still be an a$$hat. Politicians? We all know that story. Priests? Listen there are still plenty of great ones, but they are humans operating from a position of power. Not always a good thing.
Folks just need to relax, root for teams and accept that a majority of big-time athletes are not terrific people. It's fine.
But this is big-time college athletics. Here are some truths that people need to come to grips with:
-- Coaches are paid 6-7 figures to win games and raise the profile of the university and, preferably, not get caught doing something bad.
-- Athletes need to stay eligible and preferably not break the law very often and in return they get school for free, a chance to develop AS ATHLETES (not people) and a few other benefits that the school would be fine turning a blind eye to
-- Drugs and alcohol are part of life and are basically woven into the fabric of college life in particular.
-- The qualities that make a good athlete/coach can make a good person -- confidence, discipline, drive, ambition, etc -- but not all athletes have those qualities and those qualities don't always make for a "good" person.
-- What makes a "good" person is highly debatable. I think quacks like Rick Santorum are bad people ... and he might be president.
-- Admissions requirements are dung and should be done away with. We, as a society, are far better off with a talented hoops player playing basketball and at least making some nominal progress toward a degree than are to have that same player returning to his East Baltimore neighborhood and trying to figure out some other livelihood. And, while we're on teh topic, the top lacrosse player from Gilman whose father is a CEO probably cares even less about philosophy 101 than anyone on the campus.
-- Academics are often a sham. There are smart athletes who get why it's a good idea to have an education for their futures. There are plenty who don't care at all and there are a bunch that fall somewhere in between on that spectrum. This shouldn't be shocking.
-- Human beings who are constantly told they are tremendous have a tendency to let it go to their heads. And when that happens, they're not always the greatest human beings anymore. Take waiters, who may be a great guy for all I know, but didn't we offer him in 8th grade? I mean the kid has been told he's the second-coming for the last 7 years (at least). YOu mean to tell me you too wouldn't have thought your s--t didn't stink if everyone was telling you that in middle school/high school?
Anyway, there are probably more. But it just cracks me up when people get so worked up about drug testing -- PEDs or otherwise -- academic requirements, poor behavior, etc. Who cares? This is what should be expected of coaches/players:
Coaches
Win, hopefully do it within the rules or at least don't get caught otherwise, stay out of legal trouble for the most part, and if you can help these kids become solid adults, great. But win.
Athletes
Work at your sport, try and make some sort of progress towards a degree, try not to do anything to jeopardize your career/scholarship, don't get in much legal trouble. Win.
That's really it. If these kids avoid stuff like DUIs, rapes, assault, burgalary, selling drugs -- we should all be fine with it. If the coaches anything other than complete and total , publically, then we should basically judge them on win/loss.
That's it. These myths of strong character development guys are absurd. "Marrone Guys" are the same as everyone else's. Academic honor roles? Fine, great. Win. JB isn't babysitting his players on weekends? He isn't spending 365 days a year trying to convince Fab Melo of the importance of his Western Civ survey? Who cares? Not his job. Win.
It's the simple bottom line that people are people. Going to the Naval Academy is terrific, but believe me, there are plenty of jackholes at that place (believe me, I covered it). Being a military officer is great but you can still be an a$$hat. Politicians? We all know that story. Priests? Listen there are still plenty of great ones, but they are humans operating from a position of power. Not always a good thing.
Folks just need to relax, root for teams and accept that a majority of big-time athletes are not terrific people. It's fine.
