So yesterday was college basketball's version of signing day. You know, the high school senior sits three hats on the table in front of him, everyone is on the edge of their seat wondering which hat he will put on, and we all get to see which school the kid will be attending. The same thing happens in football. Will he choose Auburn, Alabama, or Georgia? Then he puts on the Auburn hat and instantly becomes public enemy number one in Athens, Georgia and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
It was just like that yesterday as Shabazz Muhammad chose to attend UCLA, and Nerlens Noel chose to attend the defending champion Kentucky Wildcats. Noel even took his announcement to a new level by shaving a UK logo into the back of his head. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for the two of them, as well as all of the other highly recruited high schoolers. What annoys me is why such a spectacle is made of this whole process, and why these kids are celebrated.
A young basketball player has a chance to play wherever he wants and will instantly become a key member of his new team. Everyone speculates about which destination he will choose, and finally, on national television in front of a captivated audience, he lets the country know where he will be playing ball. Doesn't this sound familiar? LeBron James did this two years ago and goes from the biggest and best free agent the NBA has ever seen to the most hated player in the league (outside of Miami of course). Why should we celebrate Shabazz Muhammad and Nerlens Noel but villify James? These high school football players and basketball players can go on national television before they are even legally allowed to buy cigarettes and are instant heroes, yet a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player who has proven he is worth every penny of his salary is the biggest villian in the league.
I hope Muhammad and Noel go on to have great careers, good luck to them both, but we don't need these college signing day specials. If LeBron becomes a villian for announcing his decision on national television then these kids should be looked at the same way. They haven't proven anything yet except that they are better than other 18 year olds. At least LeBron had two MVP trophies to prove that he was actually worthy of all the hype.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: We blew a huge chance early in the first inning to put a bunch of runs on the board, and it cost us. A 2-1 loss in another offense-optional game at Petco Park to drop our record to 4-1. Ian Kennedy takes the mound tonight in about 3 hours, so hopefully we can get more than one run and he can get his second win of the year.
Daily Giants Update: Acquired Keith Rivers from the Bengals for a 5th round pick in this year's draft, and signed Sean Locklear. I like both of these moves. It seemed like we had a different combination at linebacker and on the offensive line each week last season, so these two moves help at those two spots as far as depth is concerned.
Oh yea, and we're still the defending champs.
Daily Rangers Update: Puck drops in about 10 minutes for Game 1 against the Senators at MSG. The last month of the regular season was not good, so we are not exactly rolling into the playoffs. A good start tonight would be great. Get an early lead and then let Lundqvist and the defense do what they do best. No more screwing around, every game is important from here on out. Let's Go Rangers!
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