OK. End college basketball now.
I thought the purpose of college was to educate a person so that they could be a productive citizen. The results of their education would lead to better jobs, more money, and a work ethic that would later help them serve their community with money for worthwhile projects, to help teach the younger children the value of hard work, and to serve as role models for these children to follow.
I was on a conference winning college team (3 years Varsity - tied for 5th in the NCAA’s in 1966 in fencing, plus 3 All Americans, two two-timers and a Lieutenant Geoff Hamm, KIA Vietnam, 1967 - my buddy and mentor).
Our team was composed of both “Officers and Gentlemen”, from the coaches to the fencers to the manager/fencer. That was the code we had to follow as team members, representatives of our college, and in the sport itself (which had a great code of honor and conduct).
And we all got college educations plus the education of self-discipline, group cooperation, and the value of lots of practice and sweat to become good.
Then we went out into the world.
PS: I got an MVP award from Jesse Owens. Talk about a “high”. A real gentleman. Not like these bitter race-baiting fools of today (not even most of today’s professional players but enough to piss in the punch and destroy it).
By the way, Jesse Owens offered his Jewish team-mates in the 1936 Olympics, who had been banned from participating by Hitler, to not participate in solidarity with them.
They told him to “Go out and win. Beat that Nazi bastard” (Marty Glickman).
You know the rest.
Jesse was a class act as was the rest of that winning relay team.
Not enough men like him today in professional sports though we do have some pretty good men and women who don’t bitch and moan.