Kareem, Jacobin and NCAA athletes: Watch out what you're asking for

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:
Socialist, or rather,
Capitalist in disguise?
Confused socialist?

Because, per the old phrase, you might just get it — with that phrase's implication that you might not like it, either.

Jacobin, the hot new mag for boutique socialism, has given Kareem Abdul-Jabbar a spot calling for a variety of things related to the NCAA money pie.

Some, due to the Ed O'Bannon et al lawsuit against the NCAA, from his college days, will likely be settled in court, to athletes' favor, in a few years. An appeals court has already indicated the athletes should get something; now the question is if either the athletes, or the league [sic, more below] don't like this. (Other lawsuits, over antitrust issues, have less chance of any level of success, in my opinion.)

Some (more in a minute) are noble, but likely won't be addressed by paying Bama Tide or Oklahoma Sooner tailbacks money.

Others? Will likely benefit participants in two NCAA men's sports, possibly in one NCAA women's sport, and hurt most other sports.

In short, Jacobin has given Abdul-Jabbar a venue to talk about a possible witches' brew of capitalism, socialism and general activism — and the three may be at loggerheads with each other.

Time to dive in.

Abdul-Jabbar speaks primarily from his experience as a men's basketball player at UCLA. Beyond that, when one things of dollar signs and college athletes, football most likely comes up.

And, in fact, a study done by the NCAA itself claims that only 20 Division 1 schools make money on football. I find that kind of hard to believe, and to the degree it's real, Abdul-Jabbar has the solution — stop paying coaches and ADs so much.

That said, this is a HIGHLY contentious topic. The Washington Post, in a long piece, notes that top schools are taking in more money than ever — and paying out more than ever. Solution? The one Abdul-Jabbar mentioned — share the pie more, and more equitably.

This, from that piece:

“College sports is big business, and it’s a very poorly run big business,” said David Ridpath, a business professor at Ohio University and board member for the Drake Group, a nonprofit advocating for an overhaul of commercialized college sports. 

“It’s frustrating to see universities, especially public ones, pleading poverty . . . and it is morally wrong for schools bringing in millions extra on athletics to continue to charge students and academics to support programs that, with a little bit of fiscal sense, could turn profits or at least break even.”

Is the centerpiece.

Of course, college athletic departments aren't alone. The neoliberalization of academia means that colleges and universities in general are big business — and often about as poorly run. 

There's a related issue — if one school makes $150M off athletes and another only $50M, will one school pay more than another to players? Right now, the NCAA's various conferences are kind of like the NFL, with at least partial revenue sharing. (Way back in 2008, for Twitter friend Howling Wolf, the Bama-Vandy gap in revenue was $123M/$55M, per an ESPN spreadsheet.)

Does Abdul-Jabbar want to end this? Does he want a more unfettered capitalism?

#MarchMadness #FinalFour #RockChalk

Below is my NCAA tourney bracket. Thoughts below the pretty picture.

And now, the airing of the grievances, etc.

First, of course I'm picking the Jayhawks! See the header.

Second, there have to be a few upsets here and there. Gonzaga is the best starting point, and Nate Silver and gang at 538 are full of shit if they think the Zags have the best odds of getting to the Final Four of any team. So, that one's not really an upset.

SMU seems to be peaking at the right time, in the East, and the Dookies still seem a bit fragile.

Roy Williams seems to have righted the Heels' ship, and I see the WuShocks as underrated, but not to get all the way to the final weekend.

Related to the upset potential? The Ponies in the Final Four, without Larry Brown as coach but perhaps still benefiting from Larry Brown's cheating, would be a fun side story.

OK, if I'm right this far?

Great semifinal No. 1. Another rematch of Heels and ’Hawks. Huggins, on the other side, strangles the Ponies in the crib with his patented press.

Jayhawks, unfazed by that and led by Frank Mason III, win!

Looks like Bill Self has plenty of #Jayhawks hoops rebuilding to do

Joel Embiid/New York Times photo

I am assuming, like just about every other college and pro hoops fan, that Andrew Wiggins of the Kansas Jayhawks will be a one-and-done player.

Meanwhile, unless he changes his mind before the cutoff period, center Joel Embiid, with his back stress fracture and all, has made it official that he's coming out.

Everybody has said that Embiid could go No. 1, but they said this before the phrase "back stress fracture" came out.

(Update, March 31: Wiggins is joining him.)

That said, pro teams will draft "tall" even if they know a player will miss most his rookie season. Right, Nerlens Noel? Or if they know you have legs of different length, enough different to cause other problems. Right, Greg Oden? Or, if they know that you've got two knees bad enough you're ice-bagging both. Right, Bill Walton?

On the other hand, Ben Medro at this medical website says his injury isn't that big of a deal, if he's careful:

Making the diagnosis in the early stage of spondylolysis is important because the injury is treated with time and rest allowing bones to heal. Patience is needed because it can take 12 weeks or more and there are complications to be had if the athlte rushes back to activity. If there are bilateral pars defects or fractures, there is a possibility that the vertebral column might slide forward potentially causing irritation and inflammation to the nerves leaving the spinal canal. This slippage is called spondylolisthesis (listhesis=dislocation). Should this occur,, CT or MRI imaging may be required for diagnosis and surgery needed to stabilize the lumbar vertebrae.

Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis are common injuries that afflict young athletes. Population studies show that 3-4% of the general young adult population will have spondyloysis, but up to 15% of athletes will have damage that can be seen on plain x-ray. Of those athletes with spondylolysis, almost half will have spondylolisthesis. Athletes increase their risk of developing a stress fracture if they have poor technique, poor posture, lack core stability, strength and flexibility and are guilty of overtraining. While it is a medical mantra that most overuse injuries can be prevented, it’s tough understanding the mechanical stresses that are placed on the lumbar spine of a seven foot tall athlete. With time, Joel Embiid will likely heal nicely and by next fall will be playing in the pros instead if college.

So, there we go. So, if Wiggins also comes out, and Jabari Parker as well, it's probably a three-person race between them for the No. 1 pick. And, per Medro, it sounds like "rest" is the best prescription. Unfortunately, since Kansas is now out of March Madness, he doesn't have to worry about being tempted to not follow that prescription.

As for his potential? Maybe a few people would call him a junior Dwight Howard. Actually, I'd call him a junior Hakeem Olajuwon. I see a lot of the same type of athleticism.

And, the New York Times is certainly high on his NBA potential, too. though I can't believe it when it says Wiggins could fall as low as No. 7.

I'm surprised the #Jayhawks are still a No. 2

Andrew Wiggins has been impressive down the stretch, including becoming more assertive. But! ... Joel Embiid and his "back spasms," with the actual original diagnosis of a stress fracture in his back having been confirmed, is expected to be out until the Sweet 16 round.

And, the bottom line is that Kansas lost to an unranked team in the regular season finale, Wiggins' 41 aside. And, they lost to a slightly lower Iowa State team in the tourney semis. Yes, they've played a tough sked, and yes, Embiid is still out. But, that's precisely the point. He may not be back even in time for the Sweet 16. So, I think the Jayhawks are now a No. 3.

And, I'm shocked that tournament predictors disagree. As a fan, I'm pleased they're a No. 2, even if arguably in the toughest bracket; as a detached college basketball follower, I disagree.

I wouldn't be totally shocked if they fell to a No. 4 seed, even.

And, March 16, they stay a No. 2, even if arguably in the toughest bracket. That's even though CBS' Jeff Borzello says that, without Embiid, they're not a top-10 team, which means they should be a No. 3 seed at best.)

I mean, I'm with Gary Parrish on loving the idea of a Wichita State-Kansas final; I know Shockers fans would be, too. But, I just don't see it happening.

NCAA tourney aside, I think this is more confirmation that Wiggins is maturing, becoming assertive, and hence, probably is indeed a one-and-done. He's also pushing back ahead of Jabari Parker and others for a possible No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and Riggin for Wiggins! I know Parker was named freshman of the year on the NCAA's all-freshman team; I still think Riggins has the higher NBA upside.

Embiid? I think he might be better served by waiting a year. The back problems may drive his stock down a bit, even if, as shown with Nerlens Noel this year and Greg Oden just a few years ago, NBA teams, under the "you can't coach height" rubric, will draft centers with injury histories. Plus, especially if Wiggins does leave this year, Embiid has a chance of showcasing more of his offense in Lawrence next year.

No Number 1 seed for you, #Jayhawks! (Or No. 2 - updated)

Andrew Wiggins, beyond his 41 points, was impressive overall, in possibly one of the best all-around performances for a freshman in at least 20 years, and maybe not just for a freshman. And yes, Joel Embiid was sitting with his back spasms. And yes it was a road game. And yes, against a West Viriginia team that's been coming on lately.

But, the bottom line is that Kansas lost to an unranked team. Even with all the other recent turmoil at the top of the polls, they're out of any reasonable shot for a No. 1 seed, even winning out from now through the Big 12 tourney title.

(Update, March 15: And, they lost to a slightly lower Iowa State team in the tourney semis. Yes, they've played a tough sked, and yes, Embiid is still out. But, that's precisely the point. He may not be back even in time for the Sweet 16. So, I think the Jayhawks are now a No. 3. I don't just think that myself, I think that's what tourney folks will think. I can't see them getting a No. 2. Now, if they get to the Sweet 16, being a 3 vs. a 2 doesn't matter. However, it matters before then. And, it could also matter what region they're assigned to as a No. 3. In other words, are they seen as the nation's No. 9 team overall? No. 10? 11? 12?

I wouldn't be totally shocked if they fell to a No. 4 seed, even.

And, March 16, they stay a No. 2, even if arguably in the toughest bracket. That's even though CBS quotes bracketeers saying that, without Embiid, they're not a top-10 team, which means they should be a No. 3 seed at best.)

And, I think this is more confirmation that Wiggins is maturing, becoming assertive, and hence, probably is indeed a one-and-done. He's also pushing back ahead of Jabari Parker and others for a possible No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and Riggin for Wiggins!

Embiid? I think he might be better served by waiting a year. The back problems may, if they continue at all, drive his stock down a bit. Plus, especially if Wiggins does leave this year, he has a chance of showcasing more of his offense in Lawrence next year.

Update, March 11: Embiid's original diagnosis of a stress fracture in his back has been confirmed. There goes the No. 1 seeding, a good Jayhawks title shot and his possible No. 1 draft status. Unless he has a really dumb agent (although last year's draft showed the NBA teams are dumb enough to draft injured players) he needs to return to school.

#UK #UMass #Memphis hoops fans: A #Calipari joke for you

What's the difference between a calamari and a (John) Calipari?

One is tasty, inoffensive and has tentacles.

The other?

Has tentacles.

(rim shot)

Hey, don't blame me! The NCAA already said that twice.

Yeah, I know, "not personally implicated."

Anyway ...

Rock. Chalk. Jayhawk!

I know, I know. The University of Calipari is No. 1 in preseason polling, but, let's see.

Oh, doorknob, #DavidBrooks is writing about the NCAA

Just when you thought David Brooks couldn't get more vapid and vacuous, he does. It's Bobo-esque, of course, in that it's just as firmly grounded in the 1950s as are his fictional suburbanites.

I have to quote this whole long string of stupidity to illustrate his use of straw men, too:

There were two sides to the amateur ideal. On the one hand, it was meant to serve as a restraint on some of the more brutal forces of the day. Social Darwinism was in full flower, with its emphasis on ruthless competition and survival of the fittest. Capitalism was rough and raw. The amateur ideal was a restraining code that emphasized fair play and honor. It held that those blessed with special gifts have a special responsibility to hue to a chivalric code. The idea was to make sport a part of the nation’s moral education.

On the other hand, the amateur code was elitist. It was designed to separate the affluent sports from the working-class sports, to create a refined arena that only the well-bred and well-born could enter.

Today’s left-leaning historians generally excoriate the amateur ideal for its snobbery and the hypocrisy it engendered. The movie “Chariots of Fire” popularized their critique. In the film, the upholders of the amateur ideal are snobbish, anti-Semitic reactionaries. The heroes are unabashedly commercial and practical. Modern and free-thinking, they pay people so they can win.

Thus did the left-wing critique welcome the corporate domination of sport.

Yeah, right, on that last graph.

First, left-leaning historians of sport (which aren't all left-leaning historians) find a variety of faults with amateurism of nearly a century ago. Second, the heroes are not "unabashedly commercial."

Third, WTF on calling "Chariots" a left-wing movie? I've always seen it 110 percent the opposite, as a gauzy conservative Christian paean to idealism.

And, speaking of paeans, Brooks offers a sweet wet kiss to the NCAA of today after that.

And, doesn't even understand the capitalism he claims to support.

He offers a "practical" objection to paying college athletes:

How exactly would you pay them? Would the stars get millions while the rest get hardly nothing? Would you pay the wrestling team, or any of the female athletes? Only 7 percent of Division I athletic programs make money, according to the N.C.A.A.; where would the salary dollars come from?

You would do exactly that, and they'd learn the capitalism you so tout, you freaking moron. That's why, in the (current official) pro ranks, we have baseball, basketball and football galore, but no wrestling, little female sports and such. Or, separate money-earning sports away from college. If wrestling, etc., don't make that much money, the programs can be cut back.

And, of course, Brooks doesn't realize how he kneecaps his own political beliefs, because he's still dreaming of "Boboes in college."

Didn’t the NCAA actually used to call traveling?

This hop step/gather step-stop, then a regular two-footed jump after it WAS traveling, once upon a time.

Ahh, I guess I’m just a fuddy-duddy.

Anyway, in part because Kansas made it past the first round of this year’s Dance of 64, I watch more college hoops than I have for a while.

No thanks. I think it’s getting more physical than the NBA at times, as well as letting at least as much traveling go uncalled.

Hell, that hop step will be down in high schools in five years.