Thursday, April 19, 2012

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

April 19th, Thursday... Jarrod Uthoff, a 6'8" basketball player at the University of Wisconsin, is being restricted of his choices to transfer to another university by head coach Bo Ryan, and the question is: What's the point? FYI: The NCAA has restrictions for transfers. They are to sit out a year and maintain a 2.5 GPA if I am not mistaken but they do not restrict a player's choice of schools. The school in question will usually restrict a player from transferring to a school in the same conference. Bo handed in a list that had so many restricted schools on it, the kid might as well quit school and go to work for a fast food restaurant! What's the point?
Why are the athletes the ones who receive the harshest punishment when an action takes place contrary to the opinion of the school and the coach barring a criminal act? Is it the scholarship money? Four year scholarships are no longer offered to basketball players. They are now on a year to year basis. Uthoff did not play a game. He was on the bench the whole season. Why would he not want to transfer after he was Mr. Basketball in the state of Iowa and recruited by Bo Ryan and only God knows what he was told by coach when they sat in the kid's living room and discussed the "bottom line"(?). Is coach "pissed off?" Or, is he shallow to the point of wanting the kid to suffer?
And, what about the good ole NCAA? When are they going to step in and stop the madness?Probably never because they are, usually, the perpetrators of said madness! Truth be told, big time college basketball coaches are gods. Most are arrogant and full of shit! They are rich and walk around with autonomy! They are also superstitious. Bo's fear is that Uthoff will transfer to a school Wisconsin will have on their schedule, the kid will score 30 and Bo will lose the game! Shit! There goes the legacy!

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