We would love to win a national championship, but we're not obsessed with it because we're obsessed with these guys trying to live their NBA dream . . .
6 months ago
KJ@theonlycolors
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Texas coach R Barnes
Lucky for him all Texas fans care about is football
"There are no next times when you're competing for big things." - Tom Izzo
Go Spartans
I think I've got...
…a lot of sympathy with this quote from the ESPN piece.
There’s also something to be said for actively wanting your players to play in the NBA. Given the inequities in college basketball — Barnes made millions of dollars this year; All-American forward Damion James got room and board — this is not an ignoble goal. Barnes wants his guys to make money and do well at the next level — by next level here, let’s be very clear: in the NBA — more than he wants to win at all costs. That’s not the worst thing in the world, is it? Heck, it might be borderline admirable.
It is true, there’s something kinda admirable about the millionaire saying he cares more about his players who get paid comparative peanuts making a lot of money in the future than about something that would probably make him more highly paid or at least more prestigious.
One problem with that is the players on the team who aren’t going to make the NBA, or even make a living playing in a Europeon league or something might like to experience a national championship.
The other thing is why exactly are those goals at all in conflict?
I think the concern is
whether you’re higlighting your star player(s) (Damion James, in this case) at the expense of overall team goals.
I think Barnes’ statements here generally fit under the category of “things that aren’t really reprehensible, or even surprising, but should probably best go unsaid.”
Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!
by KJ@theonlycolors on Mar 4, 2010 8:29 AM CST up reply actions
If I were Barnes PR guy, I'd spin it this way
“We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that college athletics are not meant to be merely an end to themselves. The real goal is preparing these young men for the rest of their lives. For some, that means giving them skills in leadership, teamwork, and responsibility while helping them get an education that will be with them for the rest of their lives. And there’s also a vocational component. Some of these men are preparing for a professional basketball career and we shouldn’t ignore that. So, yes, winning is important and national championships are great but in terms of college basketball, which is supposed to be an amateur endeavor, winning can’t be ou sole concern. That’s unfair to our responsibility to our student-athletes”
Not saying I totally buy it – it’s sounds somewhat disingenuous – but that’s what I’d say.
I would just add
that some coaches find it possible to do both. Roy Williams, Jim Calhoun, and Rick Pitino spring to mind (and of course Coach K). Izzo has done alright, but he doesn’t tend to bring in players with “next level” potential as frequently as the aforementioned.
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