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Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now
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Outgoing (meaning, soon to be fired) Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino -- one of the superstar coaches of college b-ball -- was found to have pocketed an estimated 98% of the university's $38 million contract with athletic shoe and apparel maker Adidas for his players to wear the company's products. This revelation came to light in the wake of the FBI's ongoing investigation into corruption in college basketball.

In the two most recent seasons, Pitino reportedly received $3 million from Adidas under a personal services agreement while only $35,000 went to the basketball program. Louisville is college basketball royalty and one of the biggest of the big-time programs, having won the NCAA national championship over Michigan in the 2012-2013 season. It would make sense, then, that Adidas would want to develop a strong relationship with Pitino and his program, where a basketball recruit was alleged to have received $100,000 to play for the school.

Adidas and Louisville recently reached agreement on a new and even more lucrative contract, one which is worth $165 million total, and will pay $78 million in cash and apparel to the university's basketball program. Though not specific as to amounts, a portion of the payout is supposed to go to the basketball team's coaches.

Additionally, athletic director Tom Jurich's daughter was hired by Adidas earlier this year, and the school's governing board expressed its concern over the lack of information about the contract provided to them by the AD. His job appears to be on the line as well.

Upon news of the FBI investigation into Louisville's basketball program, the board quickly voted to initiate proceedings to fire Pitino 'for cause' -- most likely in an attempt to avoid paying the the coach's $44 million buyout. Pitino was placed on unpaid leave last week.

"The New York native and former NBA coach was placed on unpaid administrative leave last week after he was implicated in an alleged scheme to bribe the family of an elite recruit with $100,000 in funding provided by an Adidas executive, Jim Gatto, who was arrested as part of the FBI's investigation. Gatto was charged with wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy."

...

"According to acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan Joon H. Kim, the FBI investigation was launched in 2015 and focuses on 'the criminal influence of money on coaches and student-athletes who participate in intercollegiate basketball governed by the N.C.A.A.'

Specifically, the FBI is investigating two schemes: one in which recruits and their families were paid to go to particular universities and another in which player advisors were paid to persuade those players to sign with certain managers, agents, and financial advisors."

Pitino 'pocketed 98%' of U of L's $39 million Adidas deal | Daily Mail Online

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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Oh man, the ncaa is going to come down so hard on cleveland state.
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [AndysStrongAle] [ In reply to ]
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AndysStrongAle wrote:
Oh man, the ncaa is going to come down so hard on cleveland state.

Hahahahahahahaha! You make a good point, sir, sad to say.

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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big kahuna wrote:
AndysStrongAle wrote:
Oh man, the ncaa is going to come down so hard on cleveland state.

Hahahahahahahaha! You make a good point, sir, sad to say.

My school was given the ncaa death sentence 14 years ago for something much less but still extremely bad. It will be interesting to see the outcomes.
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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The happiest program to hear about the Adidas scandal is UNC - now everyone has forgotten that at least 2 of their national championships were won using players who weren't taking classes.


Still waiting for the NCAA to come down hard on the 'Heels.





Freedom just around the corner for you. But with the truth so far off, what good will it do?
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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For anyone that followed the Brian Bowen recruitment, it was pretty obvious it was crooked. He was a life long Spartan fan from Saginaw and it was long assumed he would play for MSU. His recruitment went well beyond signing day largely being a fight between MSU, Oregon and Creighton(?). Suddenly out of nowhere, he's enrolled at Loiusville when he had no connection to the school and had never even taken an official visit.

Between Bowen and Wiggins, I'm no longer disappointed when Izzo misses out on a big name recruit.
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [jepvb] [ In reply to ]
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jepvb wrote:
The happiest program to hear about the Adidas scandal is UNC - now everyone has forgotten that at least 2 of their national championships were won using players who weren't taking classes.


Still waiting for the NCAA to come down hard on the 'Heels.

Yeah, UNC's violations were pretty egregious. Outlandishly egregious, is more like it. If I were an alumnus, or a still-matriculating student, I'd be pretty ticked at what all of that says about how highly the school values the degrees it awards to its graduates. And I wonder what the accrediting councils think of all this?

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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big kahuna wrote:
jepvb wrote:
The happiest program to hear about the Adidas scandal is UNC - now everyone has forgotten that at least 2 of their national championships were won using players who weren't taking classes.


Still waiting for the NCAA to come down hard on the 'Heels.


Yeah, UNC's violations were pretty egregious. Outlandishly egregious, is more like it. If I were an alumnus, or a still-matriculating student, I'd be pretty ticked at what all of that says about how highly the school values the degrees it awards to its graduates. And I wonder what the accrediting councils think of all this?

I'm sure many UNC alumni and students are upset by it, but I haven't met one UNC basketball fan who is. After all, this wasn't an NCAA/sports issue, it was an internal academic issue that has been handled properly by the UNC administration.


There is a lot to be written in pink. As Dean Smith used to say - it's the "Carolina Way".

Freedom just around the corner for you. But with the truth so far off, what good will it do?
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [jepvb] [ In reply to ]
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I think I heard that ruling was coming down at noon today.



jepvb wrote:
The happiest program to hear about the Adidas scandal is UNC - now everyone has forgotten that at least 2 of their national championships were won using players who weren't taking classes.


Still waiting for the NCAA to come down hard on the 'Heels.



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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [Thom] [ In reply to ]
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Thom wrote:
I think I heard that ruling was coming down at noon today.



jepvb wrote:
The happiest program to hear about the Adidas scandal is UNC - now everyone has forgotten that at least 2 of their national championships were won using players who weren't taking classes.


Still waiting for the NCAA to come down hard on the 'Heels.

If they don't get the NCAA version of the death penalty -- maybe for 10 years or even a shutdown of the sports programs found to be in such serious violation (plus an equally long bar of employment, at an NCAA-affiliated school, to the academics and advisers who willingly participated in the fraud) -- there's something wrong.

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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big kahuna wrote:
Thom wrote:
I think I heard that ruling was coming down at noon today.



jepvb wrote:
The happiest program to hear about the Adidas scandal is UNC - now everyone has forgotten that at least 2 of their national championships were won using players who weren't taking classes.


Still waiting for the NCAA to come down hard on the 'Heels.


If they don't get the NCAA version of the death penalty -- maybe for 10 years or even a shutdown of the sports programs found to be in such serious violation (plus an equally long bar of employment, at an NCAA-affiliated school, to the academics and advisers who willingly participated in the fraud) -- there's something wrong.

Let me prepare you then - there is something wrong.

The NCAA is not going to give its golden child UNC the death penalty. After all, ol' Roy knew nothing about it daggumit.

Freedom just around the corner for you. But with the truth so far off, what good will it do?
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [AndysStrongAle] [ In reply to ]
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AndysStrongAle wrote:
big kahuna wrote:
AndysStrongAle wrote:
Oh man, the ncaa is going to come down so hard on cleveland state.

Hahahahahahahaha! You make a good point, sir, sad to say.

My school was given the ncaa death sentence 14 years ago for something much less but still extremely bad. It will be interesting to see the outcomes.

Morehouse or McMurray? Baylor's entire athletics program should get it as should UNC and Louisville.
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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big kahuna wrote:
And I wonder what the accrediting councils think of all this?

I think this was the direction it was going in a few years ago. NCAA really doesn't have much power outside of athletics and said they were stuck between a rock and a hard place as they have no authority in academics. I think the accrediting councils were starting to go after the school and review the schools status. The academic guys sure don't care about athletics, but they do care about research money. So I am assuming nothing was done.
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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Wow that's a lot more than most politcians get in donations and they have to use it for their re-election campaigns. He could have got lots over the table, how much is enough? Greed.

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [windywave] [ In reply to ]
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windywave wrote:
AndysStrongAle wrote:
big kahuna wrote:
AndysStrongAle wrote:
Oh man, the ncaa is going to come down so hard on cleveland state.


Hahahahahahahaha! You make a good point, sir, sad to say.


My school was given the ncaa death sentence 14 years ago for something much less but still extremely bad. It will be interesting to see the outcomes.


Morehouse or McMurray? Baylor's entire athletics program should get it as should UNC and Louisville.


St. Bonaventure. Our coach, AD and President thought it was a good idea to put in a welding certificate in place of an associates degree, playing an ineligible player. Quick summary of events: Whistle blower turned it into the board, board gave it to the NCAA, revoked scholarships and post season play (most players transferred anyway). Coach, president and AD fired. Chairman of the Board hung himself. Sad all around. Took the school 10 years to get back to it mid-major powerhouse potential.
Last edited by: AndysStrongAle: Oct 6, 17 6:55
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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big kahuna wrote:
Outgoing (meaning, soon to be fired) Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino -- one of the superstar coaches of college b-ball -- was found to have pocketed an estimated 98% of the university's $38 million contract with athletic shoe and apparel maker Adidas for his players to wear the company's products. This revelation came to light in the wake of the FBI's ongoing investigation into corruption in college basketball.

In the two most recent seasons, Pitino reportedly received $3 million from Adidas under a personal services agreement while only $35,000 went to the basketball program. Louisville is college basketball royalty and one of the biggest of the big-time programs, having won the NCAA national championship over Michigan in the 2012-2013 season. It would make sense, then, that Adidas would want to develop a strong relationship with Pitino and his program, where a basketball recruit was alleged to have received $100,000 to play for the school.

Adidas and Louisville recently reached agreement on a new and even more lucrative contract, one which is worth $165 million total, and will pay $78 million in cash and apparel to the university's basketball program. Though not specific as to amounts, a portion of the payout is supposed to go to the basketball team's coaches.

Additionally, athletic director Tom Jurich's daughter was hired by Adidas earlier this year, and the school's governing board expressed its concern over the lack of information about the contract provided to them by the AD. His job appears to be on the line as well.

Upon news of the FBI investigation into Louisville's basketball program, the board quickly voted to initiate proceedings to fire Pitino 'for cause' -- most likely in an attempt to avoid paying the the coach's $44 million buyout. Pitino was placed on unpaid leave last week.

"The New York native and former NBA coach was placed on unpaid administrative leave last week after he was implicated in an alleged scheme to bribe the family of an elite recruit with $100,000 in funding provided by an Adidas executive, Jim Gatto, who was arrested as part of the FBI's investigation. Gatto was charged with wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy."

...

"According to acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan Joon H. Kim, the FBI investigation was launched in 2015 and focuses on 'the criminal influence of money on coaches and student-athletes who participate in intercollegiate basketball governed by the N.C.A.A.'

Specifically, the FBI is investigating two schemes: one in which recruits and their families were paid to go to particular universities and another in which player advisors were paid to persuade those players to sign with certain managers, agents, and financial advisors."

Pitino 'pocketed 98%' of U of L's $39 million Adidas deal | Daily Mail Online

This all went down last week. Pitino was put on unpaid leave, effectively fired, and now he is suing for breach of contract. I imagine Calipari is very happy right now he doesn't have an Adidas deal.

_____
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Each day is what you make of it so make it the best day possible.
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [AndysStrongAle] [ In reply to ]
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AndysStrongAle wrote:
windywave wrote:
AndysStrongAle wrote:
big kahuna wrote:
AndysStrongAle wrote:
Oh man, the ncaa is going to come down so hard on cleveland state.


Hahahahahahahaha! You make a good point, sir, sad to say.


My school was given the ncaa death sentence 14 years ago for something much less but still extremely bad. It will be interesting to see the outcomes.


Morehouse or McMurray? Baylor's entire athletics program should get it as should UNC and Louisville.


St. Bonaventure. Our coach, AD and President thought it was a good idea to put in a welding certificate in place of an associates degree, playing an ineligible player. Quick summary of events: Whistle blower turned it into the board, board gave it to the NCAA, revoked scholarships and post season play (most players transferred anyway). Coach, president and AD fired. Chairman of the Board hung himself. Sad all around. Took the school 10 years to get back to it mid-major powerhouse potential.

Um you didn't get the death penalty
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [len] [ In reply to ]
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len wrote:
Wow that's a lot more than most politcians get in donations and they have to use it for their re-election campaigns. He could have got lots over the table, how much is enough? Greed.

Addidas/Nike bears a lot of the blame here. They are hurting. They cannot compete with the Nike schools. Some of these top recruits will only go to Nike schools. So many universities are switching to Nike, bc of basketball alone. I know this, bc my university did just that (UT Vols). If addidas can sign just one of these recruits to a contract once they go pro, they get paid.
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [windywave] [ In reply to ]
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windywave wrote:
AndysStrongAle wrote:
windywave wrote:
AndysStrongAle wrote:
big kahuna wrote:
AndysStrongAle wrote:
Oh man, the ncaa is going to come down so hard on cleveland state.


Hahahahahahahaha! You make a good point, sir, sad to say.


My school was given the ncaa death sentence 14 years ago for something much less but still extremely bad. It will be interesting to see the outcomes.


Morehouse or McMurray? Baylor's entire athletics program should get it as should UNC and Louisville.


St. Bonaventure. Our coach, AD and President thought it was a good idea to put in a welding certificate in place of an associates degree, playing an ineligible player. Quick summary of events: Whistle blower turned it into the board, board gave it to the NCAA, revoked scholarships and post season play (most players transferred anyway). Coach, president and AD fired. Chairman of the Board hung himself. Sad all around. Took the school 10 years to get back to it mid-major powerhouse potential.


Um you didn't get the death penalty

Ok, true, I'll get you there. But for a small non power 5 school, it may as well have been.
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [AndysStrongAle] [ In reply to ]
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AndysStrongAle wrote:
windywave wrote:
AndysStrongAle wrote:
windywave wrote:
AndysStrongAle wrote:
big kahuna wrote:
AndysStrongAle wrote:
Oh man, the ncaa is going to come down so hard on cleveland state.


Hahahahahahahaha! You make a good point, sir, sad to say.


My school was given the ncaa death sentence 14 years ago for something much less but still extremely bad. It will be interesting to see the outcomes.


Morehouse or McMurray? Baylor's entire athletics program should get it as should UNC and Louisville.


St. Bonaventure. Our coach, AD and President thought it was a good idea to put in a welding certificate in place of an associates degree, playing an ineligible player. Quick summary of events: Whistle blower turned it into the board, board gave it to the NCAA, revoked scholarships and post season play (most players transferred anyway). Coach, president and AD fired. Chairman of the Board hung himself. Sad all around. Took the school 10 years to get back to it mid-major powerhouse potential.


Um you didn't get the death penalty

Ok, true, I'll get you there. But for a small non power 5 school, it may as well have been.

It was exponentially better than the death penalty. SMU still hasn't recovered
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [Thom] [ In reply to ]
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Thom wrote:
I think I heard that ruling was coming down at noon today.


[/quote]
The ruling has been delayed. The school announced "scheduling conflicts". Basically, Notre Dame is in town to play us in football & there are a lot of activities going on in Chapel Hill all weekend long. I assume the administration didn't want to put a damper on things.

Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [TheRef65] [ In reply to ]
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"This all went down last week. Pitino was put on unpaid leave, effectively fired, and now he is suing for breach of contract. I imagine Calipari is very happy right now he doesn't have an Adidas deal. "

What would Caliper have to worry about? He is pure as the driven snow. I don't recall any school he has been at ever getting in trouble while he was there.

I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [TheRef65] [ In reply to ]
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TheRef65 wrote:

. I imagine Calipari is very happy right now he doesn't have an Adidas deal.

Bill Self has an Adidas deal
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [j p o] [ In reply to ]
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j p o wrote:
"This all went down last week. Pitino was put on unpaid leave, effectively fired, and now he is suing for breach of contract. I imagine Calipari is very happy right now he doesn't have an Adidas deal. "

What would Caliper have to worry about? He is pure as the driven snow. I don't recall any school he has been at ever getting in trouble while he was there.

According to most news sources, Nike is the acknowledged king of college basketball, spending enormous amounts to ensure their shoes and apparel are worn by as many NCAA Division I teams as possible. Anyone who thinks those teams and Nike have been pure as the driven snow when it comes to deals and contract tie-ins they have with each other hasn't been following college sports over the years very closely.

Adidas is hoping to break the hammerlock Nike has on college b-ball and was doing whatever it took to muscle Nike out of a few of the major-major Division I schools. I'm sure part of Pitino's payout involved him trying to convince a few of his peers at the other schools to jump on the Adidas bandwagon. Of course, he'd have been paid some sort of referral or finder's fee for doing so, which he'd have gladly pocketed.

It's no different at UNC or any other major university Division I college basketball or football program. These schools ought to just strongarm the NCAA and openly pay these athletes for their services. But they won't, because the rules as they stand now allow them to "pay" most of these kids a pittance compared to their worth to the schools' athletic programs, enriching their bottom line and also fattening the wallets of ADs and coaches in real cash.

Most of the big schools with successful b-ball and football programs rely on the revenue generated by those two programs to slide a little money over to all the other sports teams and programs on campus, none of which make any money and which probably cost more than they bring in, so I have no problem with the revenue side of the house in basketball and football at the college level, just the hypocrisy and the way in which the athletes are used and not fairly compensated for their labors (and the whole "but they get a free-ride scholarship" thing is also part of the hypocrisy).

There are plenty of stories, past and present, of basketball and football players who have "graduated" from a big college and who never even attended a class or, if they did, never did anything in class -- yet received passing grades and even a diploma or degree. Some couldn't even read when they went into college and still couldn't read when they left. It's crazy.

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: Most Corrupt College B-Ball Program? Looking Like Louisville Right Now [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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big kahuna wrote:
j p o wrote:
"This all went down last week. Pitino was put on unpaid leave, effectively fired, and now he is suing for breach of contract. I imagine Calipari is very happy right now he doesn't have an Adidas deal. "

What would Caliper have to worry about? He is pure as the driven snow. I don't recall any school he has been at ever getting in trouble while he was there.


According to most news sources, Nike is the acknowledged king of college basketball, spending enormous amounts to ensure their shoes and apparel are worn by as many NCAA Division I teams as possible. Anyone who thinks those teams and Nike have been pure as the driven snow when it comes to deals and contract tie-ins they have with each other hasn't been following college sports over the years very closely.

Adidas is hoping to break the hammerlock Nike has on college b-ball and was doing whatever it took to muscle Nike out of a few of the major-major Division I schools. I'm sure part of Pitino's payout involved him trying to convince a few of his peers at the other schools to jump on the Adidas bandwagon. Of course, he'd have been paid some sort of referral or finder's fee for doing so, which he'd have gladly pocketed.

It's no different at UNC or any other major university Division I college basketball or football program. These schools ought to just strongarm the NCAA and openly pay these athletes for their services. But they won't, because the rules as they stand now allow them to "pay" most of these kids a pittance compared to their worth to the schools' athletic programs, enriching their bottom line and also fattening the wallets of ADs and coaches in real cash.

Most of the big schools with successful b-ball and football programs rely on the revenue generated by those two programs to slide a little money over to all the other sports teams and programs on campus, none of which make any money and which probably cost more than they bring in, so I have no problem with the revenue side of the house in basketball and football at the college level, just the hypocrisy and the way in which the athletes are used and not fairly compensated for their labors (and the whole "but they get a free-ride scholarship" thing is also part of the hypocrisy).

There are plenty of stories, past and present, of basketball and football players who have "graduated" from a big college and who never even attended a class or, if they did, never did anything in class -- yet received passing grades and even a diploma or degree. Some couldn't even read when they went into college and still couldn't read when they left. It's crazy.

Your pink-dar isn't working today, is it?
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