The Price of Victory

[Empire Lindy]

I made a smaller post in the Council thread, but wanted to expand on my thoughts a little bit after seeing a post blaming Petrino for bringing in this bad apple.

There is no debating that Rod Council is Petrino's recruit and - in light of this amazing mis-step in judgment - the blame can easily be put on him for bringing in a kid who has given the program a real black eye this evening. But I submit that the REAL tragedy is that this is the necessary risk required for any program who wants to make it to the top in today's high stakes, cut-throat culture of Division I athletics.

Look at all the questionable characters who have led teams to national titles in recent years. Maurice Clarett is the most notable, but you also have eight players from Florida's 2007 championship team (including team captain Tony Joiner on burglary charges) and six players from the 2006 Texas championship team (two on burglary and aggravated robbery charges).

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...s.3829d60.html

The top HS basketball recruit this season is shrouded in questions because he was implicated in a shooting that left a man dead. And yet there are PLENTY of teams who will welcome him to campus next year with open arms... not the least of which is Memphis. And speaking of Coach Cal's team, how many players continue to contribute to the nation's top team after run-ins with the law?

I'm not excusing a single case mentioned above or all of the other cases that are currently out there or directly related to teams who hang out in the Top 10 of polls in both sports. I'm just trying to say that, IMHO, this is the price of victory today at the collegiate level. For whatever reason, the most talented of athletes are all too frequently also the most questionable people because of where they grew up, who they associate with, or a myriad of other consequences.

The question I think needs to be asked is whether this fan base and athletic department is willing to be model citizens and a mediocre team or get back to the top of the mountain doing what 90% of the top programs do every single day... take chances with players who will eventuall burn them.

I don't even begin to think I know which way I want it. Ideally we could get the best of both worlds, but in reality I think we ALL know how often things work that way in the 21st century.

[Junkman]

Your point is a valid one but there's one exception that grinds against your grain.

Duke basketball.

[Empire Lindy]

Originally Posted by Junkman

Your point is a valid one but there's one exception that grinds against your grain.

Duke basketball.

Just like Petrino can cover it up, so can a lot of other coaches. There has been enough smoke during Coach K's tenure to suggest a couple of fires.