This article made me sick to my stomach. What are we
doing to our kids? What happened to education? I am interested in your reaction, maybe I am missing something here. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112sidney.html?ref=sports
Last weekend I saw a terrific special on ESPN called Black
Magic, a four hour film on the African –American influence on the game
of basketball. http://espnblackmagic.secondthought.com/
It was riveting, for me
to sit for four hours and watch anything is an undertaking, but this was
special. It was moving and educational. I cannot help but think what some of
these pioneering coaches would think and say if they could read the above
article from the New York Times.
Patrick McHugh
Obviously, a disturbing story. Renardo Sydney may be the worst example of the NCAA and NBA’s corruption of young basketball players, but there are plenty of others who aren’t quite as bad but come darn close. The sad thing to me is these boys lose their childhood trying to pursue the dream of big dollars and they are encouraged along this way by parents. I would not sleep easy if I was Miles Brand. One of the most interesting parts of the article is the stat about NBA players being arrested and the difference in % who finished 4 years of college and those who do not. The NCAA long ago became a minor league for the NBA and the NFL. Big $$$ have made many great institutions sell out.
Craig Duncan
Very sad and I couldnt even finish the article because it just got me too mad. I wonder if any work at all is going into the basic athletic development of these guys or is just being a giant enough. In watching the NBA I am often amazed at just how poorly many of the big guys move and maybe this is founded in the lack of junior programs they participate in. I am sure the preventable injuries in these junior players chasing the $ is huge
Health and Fitness
For every one that makes it, there must be 50-100 that end up on the scrap heap, with no education, and no longer considered special. Devastated at 18.