Kelly's Cincinnati departure teaches tough lesson

(Go to the original article at TNJN.com)

When Brian Kelly told his former Cincinnati Bearcats team he was headed off to South Bend to lead Notre Dame back to their glory days, senior Mardy Gilyard touched on a very poignant note.

"Just blindsided by the fact that it's a business," Gilyard said. "People lose sight of that. At the end of the day, NCAA football is a business. People have got to make business decisions."

He's right. But technically he's wrong.

NCAA is an amateur sports organization. It's the opposite of a business in the same way Little League Baseball is.

But try telling that to Adidas, Nike, Under Armour, ESPN, CBS and anyone else that funnels in absurd amounts of money due to the efforts of these "amateurs." Heck, I'd tip my hat if you could convince the BCS.

State universities pay coaches millions in hopes that they can lead their team to national prominence. Undeserving student-athletes receive full-rides, while high school graduates with 3.5 grade point averages don't make the cut for needed scholarships anymore. And all the while money seeps its teeth into a level of play that is supposed to be pure.

Kelly's leaving is completely understandable and logical. He's going to make more money, garner more national exposure and work from better facilities. Love it or hate it, but head football coach at Notre Dame is one of the most prestigious coaching gigs in American sports. And, as Kelly said many times, Notre Dame is his dream job. The problem is how he left.

"I handled myself in a manner that was upfront and honest," Kelly said at his introduction as Notre Dame head coach about leaving UC. "When I had the opportunity to inform our team, I certainly did that."

Wait a second. Many players came out of the team meeting shocked. Many of them had claims that they thought you weren't leaving Cincinnati, whether they were based on implicit gestures or direct conversations.

This whole situation of sought-after coaches leaving for better opportunities isn't uncommon. Rich Rodriguez ditched West Virginia for Michigan before the Mountaineers' Fiesta Bowl victory against Oklahoma in 2007. Urban Meyer said he liked coaching Utah just a few weeks before taking over for the Gators (he did coach the Utes in their bowl game to finish the season undefeated). And let's not forget Nick Saban had no interest in the Alabama job while he was the coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Kelly's situation is the same as all of those: he had the chance to be a hero. He had the opportunity to stick it in the system's face and continue to build a sure powerhouse in a city that has no lack of high school talent, in front of a fan base that was as gaga for him as ever.

Instead he took the money. He used his players as the means to an end instead of considering them as the end. Letting the politician in him run loose, he wasn't just secretive about his intention to leave, he straight up lied about it. Upon his hiring at Cincinnati, he said he wanted to make the school a coaching destination, not a stepping stone. Even in the past couple of weeks, he misled just about everyone.

There's a reason they don't make movies about situations like this: it happens all the time. People using people, people lying, people taking the money, people not finishing what they started, it's all commonplace

Most likely, Kelly will win quickly at Notre Dame, just like he's always done. Who knows? He might even meet up with the Bearcats in a BCS bowl next season.

One thing's for sure, he hurt a lot of people in this move.

But remember, it's just business.

Tebow loses, rest of world wins

Tim Tebow let his emotions show after the Gators' 32-13 loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship, but it wasn't appropriate. Read my blog at TNJN.com:

http://tnjn.com/2009/dec/05/tebow-loses-rest-of-world-wins/

U.S. draws England in World Cup, avoids 'death group'

U.S. Soccer got a favorable draw for the World Cup in South Africa, and is set to open play with England. Brazil and Portugal head the dreaded "Group of Death." Read my article at TNJN.com, where I discuss the draw and the Americans' chances of advancing next summer.

http://tnjn.com/2009/dec/04/us-draws-england-in-world-cup-/

Switchfoot tests waters of independence with 'Hello Hurricane'

Switchfoot's newest album Hello Hurricane released on Nov. 10, but the story behind the music is just as fascinating as the music itself. Includes an album review and the tale of how the band got there. Read my review at TNJN.com.

http://tnjn.com/2009/nov/09/switchfoot-tests-waters-of-ind/

(Image courtesy of Atlantic, used with expressed written consent)

Kiffin, NCAA under righteous illusion

(Go to the original article at TNJN.com)

The UT football situation ending with the permanent dismissal of two players is the latest in a never-ending saga of athletes and misconduct.

Whether it's at the professional level, college, or even high school, it's no secret that athletes and trouble go together like late-night hunger and Taco Bell.

Specifically in the college world, there seems to be a continual misunderstanding between fans, coaches, and players about behavioral protocol.

"As I've said many times before, we hold our student-athletes to an extremely high standard on and off the field," said UT Head Coach Lane Kiffin, after dismissing Nu'Keese Richardson and Mike Edwards. "Our student-athletes must be responsible members of society, and this type of conduct will not be tolerated."

Sorry Coach, but I'm not buying it.

If the neanderthal that sleeps in class everyday only after arriving 10 minutes late with no backpack, books or pencil, is the "high standard" you speak of, you need to set the bar based on athletes outside of your locker room.

You didn't recruit the players you have because they are functioning members of society, you recruited them because they're good at football. If you cared about these kids upholding values, you would have recruited at National Honor Society meetings, not high school playoff games.

If you hold your players to high standards off the field, don't recruit kids that have been involved with, or are likely to enter the world of crime. Kiffin supporters might say that he didn't know that Nu'keese Richardson or Mike Edwards would end up with charges of attempted aggravated robbery. After all, he's no fortune-teller.

Give me a break.

A coach with Kiffin's recruiting experience knows exactly what each kid is like within five minutes of talking to him. On top of that, they have easy access to prior coaches who are sure to have information on the player's past or ongoing behavioral issues.

Unfortunately, like every other NCAA coach, Kiffin was hired to win. That's it. His job title isn't Head Coach/Babysitter/Ethics Professor.

Especially in a BCS system that demands perfection, noble causes, like developing young men to contribute to society once their football careers are over, are ignored completely in the quest to win. As a head coach in the NCAA, you have to produce results, and produce them quickly, even if it means investing trust in untrustworthy adolescents.

These scandalous stories of college athletes and their sabotaging charades won't end until the big programs realize that winning isn't worth moral bankruptcy.