Ramblings

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I am trying to hold off writing more in depth basketball articles until the season is closer to starting, and with the lack of huge football news during the week, I don't have a solid idea for a full column. So rather than waste your time with a poorly researched, uninteresting article, I am going to condense my thoughts on the recent sports topics that have piqued my interest, such as Carlos Boozer's recent freak injury, trouble among NCAA Men's Basketball major programs, and Michigan State without Mark Dantonio.

Carlos Boozer Breaks His Hand Trying To Open His Door

Many of you know that I am from Cleveland, and as well as being a dedicated Buckeyes fan, the Indians and Cavs also have special places in my heart. Long before the hatred I currently have for Lebron James was coursing through my veins and Urban Meyer was having visions of 5-star recruits, Carlos Boozer was my enemy #1. Years ago, Boozer was playing the perfect sidekick to a young Lebron James, racking up countless 20 and 10 nights. He had clearly outplayed his contract, and was becoming a restricted free agent, meaning the Cavs could match any offer from another team.

Boozer convinced Cavs management that if they let him become an unrestricted free agent (allowing him to sign a bigger contract) he would stay with the Cavs. The Cavs did. Boozer didn't. Carlos Boozer lied to a blind man (Cavs owner at the time was lifelong Clevelander and philanthropist Gordon Gund) As a consolation prize the Cavs signed Drew Gooden.

Anyway, Boozer (fresh of signing a lucrative contract with the Bulls) broke his hand last week. Here is Boozer's story, as quoted by Mike McGraw of DailyHerald.com :

“It was just dark. My doorbell had rang and I tripped over a bag, tried to brace myself and it popped. I jumped back up, opened the door and my hand was still a little bit numb.

“It was a gym bag. It was a big bag I had first thing over here at the hotel for training camp. I went back to my place, hadn’t unpacked the bag yet, came around the corner, running to get the door and fell over it. I’m 265, 5 percent body fat. I’m heavy, man. I guess I had to brace myself and my weight just collapsed the bone right there."

I know it takes a special kind of shallow, insecure, twisted person to take pleasure in others' misfortune, but it's Carlos Boozer. 5% body fat, 100% d-bag.

NCAA Basketball Recruiting Violations

I mentioned it in my Aaron Craft write up (if you haven't read it, shame on you), but Bruce Pearl is under NCAA investigation for having high school juniors over to his house last year in order to lure them to Tennessee, as well as secondary violations such as excessive phone calls. ESPN reports today that Pearl committed similar violations while at his previous job, head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The World Wide Leader also reports that Pearl is protected by his contract, which states that he can only be fired without pay if the NCAA officially finds that the program committed violations, and that Pearl knowingly participated in those violations. Looks like Pearl is using former Ohio State men's basketball coach Jim O'brien's agent (To our younger readers, Jim O'brien was fired for admitting to paying a recruit cash, but then sued the school and won a huge settlement anyway).

And my favorite rule-breaker, one John Calipari, is at it again. This time, Calipari has decided that recruiting academically ineligible high schoolers is too easy, and he is just going to start bringing professional players onto his team. Recruit Enes Kanter is being investigated to determine if he received "extraordinary benefits" while playing for a club team in Turkey last year.

I am stunned that, even in today's ultra competitive sports world, that these two men can continue to be allowed to coach, let alone be sought after coaches. And I am even more annoyed/disturbed by the fact that Calipari, despite winning ZERO national titles and VACATING two Final Fours because of violations, can be considered one of the best coaches in the country. Both of these coaches have knowingly committed violations at multiple schools. While it is right to force those schools to vacate the wins, they aren't the only ones responsible. Something needs to be done to punish the coaches that continually break the rules, and suffer no repercussions.

Don Treadwell, Master Adversity Handler

Kudos to Michigan State Offensive Coordinator and fill-in head coach Don Treadwell, who has coached the Spartans to victories over Northern Colorado and Wisconsin the past two weeks. While the victory over NC was expected, there was no drop off or hangover by the team beat Notre Dame in a wild finish and had their head coach hospitalized the week before. Then, to lose Dantonio for the game at the last second and take care of the Badgers, Treadwell sure looks like he can handle the head coaching duties. Look for his name to be mentioned as a HC candidate at year's end.

Buckeye Fans, Hands Off The Panic Button

I know that Ohio State had some bad luck with injuries this weekend (again, we wish a speedy recovery to Tyler Moeller), but let's not get worried just yet. Christian Bryant was highly praised this spring, so let's see what he can do. I am not at all saying I don't think that team will miss Moeller, as he seemed to be an emotional leader as well, but with the way Wisconsin is playing, the team might not be truly tested again until the last 3 games of the year.

And Pryor, if he is hurt bad than I agree, the season will likely not end the way we want it. But again, let us just wait and see how bad the injury is before losing all sanity. One thing is for sure: Joe Bauserman is the backup on this team. So if Pryor can't go, or go at close to 100%, be ready for some more 40 + carry games for the running backs. But given that he was banged up enough going into the Rose Bowl to need arthroscopic surgery afterward and yet still had the best game of his career, I am not losing sleep. Yet.

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