Category: College Basketball

About this lack of institutional control at UNC-CH….

On By kassienetteIn College Basketball, College football, Controversy2 Comments

This post is probably not a surprise to most. It is probably more of a surprise that I am just now writing about it.

Yesterday, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill released the Notice of Allegations that was sent to them on May 22. The report was a redacted version but what was released was damaging. We found out what many, including myself, have been saying for years-there is some shady business happening in that athletic department.

Now before you get your t-shirts all in a bunch, please do not come at me with this whole I am only saying this because it is UNC-CH mess. The rivalry between my alma mater and this school has absolutely nothing to do with my stance regarding this situation. Contrary to what you may believe, I have a great deal of respect for this university as a whole. To some extent. Let me rephrase. I have a great deal of respect for those who work at the university and are not a part of this scandal. The ones who do their job the right way on a daily basis. I have a great deal of respect for my family, friends and colleagues who are graduates of this university; the ones who did things the right way. However, the allegations that keep spilling out of the hallowed walls of the buildings in Chapel Hill are disturbing, damaging and sickening.

Continue reading “About this lack of institutional control at UNC-CH….” →

I am not feeling it…

On By kassienetteIn Baseball, Basketball, College Basketball, College football, Football, Hockey, NASCAR, NBA, NCAA, NFL, NHL, Soccer, SportsLeave a comment
{Source: Google Images}
{Source: Google Images}

 

I have a confession. 

I have not been feeling very “sportsy” lately. 

What does that mean exactly? Well, my life often revolves around sports. I have been known rearrange activities or even skip them because “the game” is coming on. I watch SportsCenter daily. I read ESPN.com daily to stay abreast on the latest happenings. And I answer at least one question a day from someone regarding something sports related.

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And McCants keeps talking…

On By kassienetteIn Basketball, College Basketball, NCAA, North Carolina State University, Sports4 Comments

I have held off as long as I could but the PR major in me will not allow me not to keep quiet any longer. My twelve cents.

Rashad McCants is talking, AGAIN. And he is not backing down. Oh boy. This is about to get REAL ugly. Wait, too late. This is about to get UGLIER.

Now look. Everyone knows about my disdain for the university of north carolina at chapel hill, when it comes to sports. A lot of smerfs like to claim it is because they have won some championships since the last time my beloved Wolfpack did. Never. Just a little friendly rivalry where I always manage to get up under their skin. I do not like hate them or anything but between their feelings of entitlement and the whine and cheesers that are prevalent throughout smerf nation they always make for great comedy.

Anyways, McCants is talking, AGAIN. Did you miss that UNC-CH? He is talking, AGAIN!!! And again, UNCH-CH is giving me the impression that they are hoping this situation will just blow over. How many accusations must come out of that department before the school is willing to address this situation head on? This situation has gotten so bad that even I, a proud alumna of The North Carolina State University, am at the point where if they would let me, I would be willing to step in and help them stop this sinking ship.

This has gotten out of hand and it has been out of hand, pocket and control since 2011 when the first allegations of academic fraud within the football program surfaced. Since those first allegations surfaced, the football program has voided some wins and instituted a post season ban in 2012. When I proposed a theory back in 2011, few wanted wanted to listen to me. I had no proof but I told quite a few people that the basketball program was next. All the UNC-CH supporters that I told accused me of being a “hater”, of course. Even with no proof, I knew what I was talking about. My spidey senses were kicking in. Just think about it. Why would an institution work so hard to cover up academic fraud within a program that is not their big moneymaker? This is not a program that has multiple national championship banners. Shoot, they do not even have any recent ACC Championship banners. So why would all the fraud be confined to this one program? It is not like the program was on the cusp of greatness, unless I missed that memo. This was a deflection. A few papers written by some tutors cost a coach his job, a tutor her job, a chancellor exited stage left to go be a PROVOST and an AD retired. Something ain’t riiiiiiiiiiight.

And now we have McCants, a member of the 2005 NCAA Championship team, coming forward with claims that his whole academic career at UNC-CH was nothing short of a sham. According to McCants, he rarely went to class, received numerous A’s in “paper classes” and was in danger of being declared ineligible when Roy Williams stepped in an saved the day. Oh boy. Now McCants is no saint in this. If the allegations are true, then he is just as liable as whomever in the department knew what was going on. He knew what was being asked of him was wrong and he went along with it anyway. Is he a snitch? Yep. He has definitely violated the code of conduct in the brotherhood that is collegiate sports. However, I will applaud him for having the guts to take on this high powered operation.

For all the talking McCants is doing, he is not even the one doing the most damage right now. Do you all realize who is really sinking this ship? Roy Williams. His responses to McCants accusations are nothing short of head scratching. Now I am going to assume that he is being advised by the same horrible PR representatives that have been butchering this situation since 2011. That is the only explanation for him making such ridiculous statements such as he strongly disagrees with what McCants is accusing him of. Or this jewel that he gave us after McCants latest interview. Williams said, “We have a very defined system here at the University of North Carolina. I have somewhat control over the basketball program. I don’t have control over the academic side. But the academic side and our athletic director and our president want me to emphasize that academic side every single day, and they want our players to understand that. They want us to be concerned and to emphasize it but they don’t want us to step over to the academic side. They don’t want that to happen.”

Are you serious right now Roy? You are the HEAD COACH. You emphasize academics but you are not involved with your players, academically? You want us to believe that you have no idea what is going on in the classroom? You were hired just to coach these ATHLETE-students? I mean STUDENT-athletes? C’mon! In the words of Jay-Z, “We don’t believe you! You need more people!”

Somebody better do something, QUICK. A great PR person is needed badly in Chapel Hill. Badly. And I know where they can find one :-).

 

Until next time…TOODELLS.

 

P.S. Btw, I am placing blame on that wishy-washy NCAA as well. If only they were consistent…

Final Four pix…

On By kassienetteIn Basketball, College Basketball, SportsLeave a comment

Last week I got four of the games right. Yay me! Earlier this week I realized I did not pick who I thought would make it to the Final Four. Oops. Ok, so here it goes.

Michigan over Syracuse
Louisville over Witchita State

Louisville over Michigan for the NCAA Championship

By the way, if you have not seen ESPN’s Rece Davis’s interview with Louisville’s Kevin Ware, Google it immediately. Great interview! Ware is a bright, intelligent, classy, humble young man. Best wishes to him!!

I have not shown the women any love this postseason. Shame on me because their tournament has been gooooood. Here are my pix…

Louisville over California
UConn over Notre Dame

UConn over Louisville for the NCAA Championship

I think next week I need to address the fact that the Atlantic Coast Conference will be gaining two Final Four participants next year, two each from the men’s and women’s side….Louisville, Notre Dame and Syracuse. Should make for an interesting ACC Tourney next year.

Have a great weekend folks! Until next time…..TOODELLS!

Really Mike Rice? Really Rutgers?

On By kassienetteIn Basketball, College Basketball, Controversy, SportsLeave a comment

This story was written before Mike Rice was fired…

What Rutgers men’s basketball coach Mike Rice did is nothing new. Happens all the time. Every day. All across the country. Well, the throwing of basketballs at players may not be real common. Over and over, players report what is happening. Parents report what is happening. Member of the personnel report what is happening. Unfortunately, all too often, the consequences tend to be the same. The coach is brought into the office to be “talked to.” Sometimes there is a suspension. Sometimes there is a loss of pay. Very rarely is a coach fired.

Just a few weeks ago, I was talking with a friend about this very common style of coaching. Profanity. Yelling. Belittling. Verbal abuse. I never understood it and never will. And this is coming from a female who played sports all through middle and high school. To me, it is unacceptable. However, I find it to be very acceptable among males. I always hear, “that is just how it is.” That might be how it is but it does not make it right. No one, absolutely no one, deserves to be talked to as if they are not worthy of even being on this Earth. No one deserves to be called names all because they did not meet someone’s standards at that particular moment. No one deserves to be called anything less than the name that is on their birth certificate.

What Rice did was wrong. So wrong. So wrong on so many levels. How he still has a job is just baffling. While I do not condone the use of profanity and I do not think yelling at players every minute is very effective, I understand that that is the culture, especially in men’s sports. Men are taught to be tough and somewhere along the way, the use of profanity and yelling became synonymous with effective coaching. However, some things just should not be accepted. Throwing basketballs at players. Pushing players. kicking players. Calling players f****** is UNACCEPTABLE.Again,how Rice still has a job is just baffling. I am befuddled. Is this the new standard? Is this how we think young men should be treated? Is it now ok for coaches to hurl basketballs, at close range, at players all in the name of the game?

As I watched SportsCenter today and learned more about the situation, I found myself becoming increasingly angry with the way the situation was handled. Former Rutgers Director of Player Development, Eric Murdock, met with Rutgers Athletic Director, Tim Pernetti as early as last summer to discuss what had been taking place at the practices. At that time there were no disciplinary actions taken against Rice and soon thereafter, Murdock was fired. In December, Murdock provided Pernetti and Rutgers officials with video footage of Rice physically and verbally abusing players. With concrete evidence in hand, Pernetti suspended Rice for three games and fined him $50,000. He was not relieved of his duties because this was a “first offense.” I bet you are laughing, just like me.

What if the roles were reversed? What if the player was the one doing the kicking, screaming and throwing basketballs? Do you think he would still be playing basketball at Rutgers? No. Ask Latrell Sprewell what happens to players who put their hands on coaches. Now I am no psychologist but I am willing to bet that there are players, past and present, that have suffered emotionally and mentally as a result of Rice’s actions. Sadly, we all know many players will not admit it because it makes them look “weak” and there is no room to be weak in college basketball. Thankfully, there has been one player, Gilvydas Biruta, willing to step up to the plate and has admit that Rice’s behavior was the reason he transferred. I guarantee he is not the only one suffering. Where there is smoke, there is fire.

Today, players emotional, physical and mental well being need to be what is most important. The past actions of Pernetti have spoken loud and clear: his main concern is for her coach. That was until today when ESPN’s Outside The Lines broke the story. In response to the videos and interview with Murdock that was aired, Pernetti defendedhis actions only to later say he is now mulling over what is best for Rutgers basketball. Conincidence? I think not. It is amazing what bad press will do for you. Rice wore out his welcome years ago(this started in 2010) and it is past time for him to be relieved of his duties. Show these players that they matter.And while they are at it, relieve Pernetti of his duties as well. Those young men deserve to be under the tutelage of someone who is concerned about them, first and foremost.

Until next time….TOODELLS.

Elite 8 picks….

On By kassienetteIn Basketball, College Basketball, NCAA, SportsLeave a comment

Ok, so in keeping with my word, I had to come up with something to write about today :-}. Thought about doing random thoughts cause I have quite a few. Thought about talking about Tiger Woods. If he wins the Master’s this year, he will definitely get some love. Basketball is back tonight so I decided to go with that. I am currently in a battle with my mother. She is beating me in our bracket battle by 5. Unfortunately, two of my Final four teams are out so I am hoping there are some big upsets so I can make up some ground. Hehe.

Alright, so here are my Elite 8 picks…

Miami over Marquette

Zona over Ohio State

Indy over Cuse

La Salle over Witchita St.

Louisville over Oregon

Michigan over Kansas

Duke over Michigan St.

Florida over Florida Gulf Coast(I think this is going to be a really good game. I would be estatic if FGCU wins even though it would destroy my bracket, what is left of it.)

Enjoy the games! I know I will. Make sure to follow me on Twitter @KassieNette to catch all my hardwood commentary.

Come back to The Korner tomorrow to read my latest post about a very controversial topic. Until next time…TOODELLS.