Last weekend we saw an end of an era for Major League Baseball and baseball fans. Derek Jeter decided to end his amazing career after 20 years. I do have to admit, I'm a huge fan of his. I grew up watching him play and he was one of the reason why I became a bigger Yankees fan after I moved to West Virginia. I wasn't able to watch him on a consistent basis like I was able to for the first 12 years of his career.
Derek Jeter will go down as one of the best players in MLB history, no matter what anyone says. To be sixth all time in hits, to help bring the Yankees back to relevancy, and help bring fans back to baseball are just a few things that he has done over the past 20 years.
If you ask anyone in MLB, not a single bad thing would be said about Jeter. Ask any manager or GM and they would take him in a heartbeat. That not only shows his character but his talent as well. Don Mattingly asked Yasiel Puig, "What player would you most want to be compared to when you are done playing?" Puig, "Jeter."
There are many doubters with Jeter as well. His WAR (wins above replacement) wasn't very good. His range isn't close to most shortstops. Blah Blah Blah. He is a winner. You never saw him jog down to first base, regardless of where the ball went. It was always an all out sprint. Why? That's how you are supposed to play, you never know what will happen once the ball is fielded.
So where does he stand as a shortstop in MLB history? And where does he stand in Yankees' Mount Rushmore. I have to think he is a top three shortstop. Cal Ripken and Honus Wagner have to be right there. As fas as the Yankees go. He's a top ten in Yankee history. Can't put him on their Mount Rushmore but that could change over time. He might be the second replacement with Mariano Rivera behind Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, and DiMaggio.
I understand it isn't all about him but the Yankees didn't make the postseason for an extended period of time until he became the full time shortstop. They then won five championships, with him playing a huge role including hitting over .300 in all World Series games. He then became "The Captain," the first since Don Mattingly retired from wearing the Pinstripes.
The last thing I want to mention is the play below. I've never seen anything like it before and I'm sure it will never be done again. There is zero reason for him to be in the position. This play helped the Yankees win the series. I remember looking at my roommate in college dumbfounded. That play just didn't make sense. One of the best plays I've ever seen in one of the biggest moments for his team.
It was a honor to watch him play and baseball will miss him greatly. Here are a few more commercials that hit home when watching them.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
#Grindin
Every single day I see coaches and players talk about "the grind." People that grind are people that are working three jobs in order to support their family. Basketball has nothing to do with "grinding." Doing something you love to do is never a grind.
"Grinding at the gym today." I was grinding on the elliptical today for 30 minutes. You should've seen my shirt, it was wet and my light grey shirt looked really dark. I wasn't grinding, I was working out. Just like that 65 year old women who was getting her jazzercise on. During basketball season, I "grind" every day. I will even "grind" while sitting on my couch watching film and eating trail mix. Now's that's grindin'.
The best part of "the grind" is that every time it's actually exactly what they are supposed to do. And that is working on their game and/or getting better at their profession. People don't need to know about that because that is how you get better. Imagine a coach taking a picture in practice every time their team reverses the ball. That's how ridiculous #grindin is.
Same thing goes for all these trainers tweeting pictures of their "workout" guys after their skills session. Looks awesome, seeing kids with sweat stains on their shirt is always good for business. Makes me want to send my guys that way especially knowing all the #grindin they do isn't at game speed or in game like situations.
If you make a cool video like this I'll live with #grindin but otherwise stop
"Grinding at the gym today." I was grinding on the elliptical today for 30 minutes. You should've seen my shirt, it was wet and my light grey shirt looked really dark. I wasn't grinding, I was working out. Just like that 65 year old women who was getting her jazzercise on. During basketball season, I "grind" every day. I will even "grind" while sitting on my couch watching film and eating trail mix. Now's that's grindin'.
The best part of "the grind" is that every time it's actually exactly what they are supposed to do. And that is working on their game and/or getting better at their profession. People don't need to know about that because that is how you get better. Imagine a coach taking a picture in practice every time their team reverses the ball. That's how ridiculous #grindin is.
Same thing goes for all these trainers tweeting pictures of their "workout" guys after their skills session. Looks awesome, seeing kids with sweat stains on their shirt is always good for business. Makes me want to send my guys that way especially knowing all the #grindin they do isn't at game speed or in game like situations.
If you make a cool video like this I'll live with #grindin but otherwise stop
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Transfers
It seems that over the past five to ten years more players from their original basketball programs than ever before. This year's number was right around 675 from Division One basketball programs. That's almost two per school. Why are so many athletes transferring?
Everyone wants to blame AAU basketball. I don't really blame AAU at all. It's a matter of the society that we live in today. The "fast food" or "microwave" mentality is the world that we live in. Everyone wants everything instantly. When the player doesn't get playing time a starting job right away, they decide to get out right away.
Another part of our society that I believe is flawed and one of the reasons why so many kids transfer is the ability to deal with adversity. How many kids really have to deal with adversity with the high school or AAU program? They are usually the best players and don't have to deal with some working their tail off to take away their starting spot or playing time.
At times, Mom and Dad are there to help the kids deal with adversity rather than the kids figuring things out for themselves. This is something that college coaches don't want to deal with. Let the kids figure things out for themselves and get them to adulthood. No parent wants to see their child fail but sports mimic life. They will fail and they might fall on their face. How do they respond to falling on their face? Hopefully, everything they have learned over the years will help them get back up and try again or like the video below, fail harder.
AAU does play a part in it but not in the same way people think. The main reason the plays a part in the transfer process is because if a kid isn't happy with his/her playing time with their AAU program they can immediately head to another team and play a more significant role. That type of commitment or lack of commitment is what makes it tough for college coaches in the future.
Now, let's look into the reason why players transfer.
New Coaching Staff
College basketball has become a big business and if the coaching staff doesn't win, then they will be replaced. It can be really difficult to start over with a new coaching staff, especially after getting to know the previous staff for potentially a player's high school career as well as a few years in college. The argument for that in a real life situation is this, what happens when you get a new boss at work? Do you immediately quit and find a new job? Do you test it out for a while and see how they are and what their system is? Different isn't always wrong. Maybe the new system is actually a better fit for the player than originally thought. Don't close doors.
Not Enough Playing Time
The real question is, how many freshmen or sophomores start and play significant minutes right away at their high school? Not very many, especially at the bigger schools (yes, it happens but not as often as people think). I would say there is a distinct difference between a 18 year old just starting college compared to a 22 year old in his/her fourth year of college. Especially with the strength and conditioning programs that college teams have. Mentality and physically, it's night and day. Same thing goes for a 14 year old and a 17 or 18 year old in high school.
I believe I stated this in a previous blog but coaches will say things to recruits and their parents that will get them believe they are saying something else. "We could see you replacing this guy," and the players and parents hear "You will replace this guy." "We could see you starting next year," and the players and parents hear "You will start next year." Big difference in both statements. If players and parents truly listened to what coaches are saying, there wouldn't be as much misunderstanding.
Not the Right Fit
There are times that coaches realize pretty quickly that they made a mistake in a recruit. They probably won't admit it publicly but they don't get a chance to see a recruit play with their team and that a huge issue. Why? They can't really tell if they truly fit into their system. A player might be extremely talented but he just doesn't fit because he doesn't have the basketball IQ to keep up with all the new language and plays they have to learn once they get on campus. It's hard to trust someone on the floor when they can't remember the plays regardless of how talented they are.
Not Enough Time to Evaluate
Division One coaches generally don't have enough time to evaluate prospects and make mistakes in the evaluation process. The NCAA allows unlimited evaluations during July but only seven total during the school year. So, if the coaches get a late start on the process then the possibility of a mistake increases. They have a weekend in April but should add either another week in April or May because there is generally a big different in team dynamics after those first couple of weekends.
We always want to blame the kids and their parents for transferring. Sometimes the players and coaches need a fresh start. I understand the transferring at times. I transferred when I was in high school after my family moved 20 minutes away. I don't regret the decision at all and I believe it made me a much better person and it prepared me for college more than I ever expected.
Just remember this one thing...THE GRASS ISN'T ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE.
Everyone wants to blame AAU basketball. I don't really blame AAU at all. It's a matter of the society that we live in today. The "fast food" or "microwave" mentality is the world that we live in. Everyone wants everything instantly. When the player doesn't get playing time a starting job right away, they decide to get out right away.
Another part of our society that I believe is flawed and one of the reasons why so many kids transfer is the ability to deal with adversity. How many kids really have to deal with adversity with the high school or AAU program? They are usually the best players and don't have to deal with some working their tail off to take away their starting spot or playing time.
At times, Mom and Dad are there to help the kids deal with adversity rather than the kids figuring things out for themselves. This is something that college coaches don't want to deal with. Let the kids figure things out for themselves and get them to adulthood. No parent wants to see their child fail but sports mimic life. They will fail and they might fall on their face. How do they respond to falling on their face? Hopefully, everything they have learned over the years will help them get back up and try again or like the video below, fail harder.
AAU does play a part in it but not in the same way people think. The main reason the plays a part in the transfer process is because if a kid isn't happy with his/her playing time with their AAU program they can immediately head to another team and play a more significant role. That type of commitment or lack of commitment is what makes it tough for college coaches in the future.
Now, let's look into the reason why players transfer.
New Coaching Staff
College basketball has become a big business and if the coaching staff doesn't win, then they will be replaced. It can be really difficult to start over with a new coaching staff, especially after getting to know the previous staff for potentially a player's high school career as well as a few years in college. The argument for that in a real life situation is this, what happens when you get a new boss at work? Do you immediately quit and find a new job? Do you test it out for a while and see how they are and what their system is? Different isn't always wrong. Maybe the new system is actually a better fit for the player than originally thought. Don't close doors.
Not Enough Playing Time
The real question is, how many freshmen or sophomores start and play significant minutes right away at their high school? Not very many, especially at the bigger schools (yes, it happens but not as often as people think). I would say there is a distinct difference between a 18 year old just starting college compared to a 22 year old in his/her fourth year of college. Especially with the strength and conditioning programs that college teams have. Mentality and physically, it's night and day. Same thing goes for a 14 year old and a 17 or 18 year old in high school.
I believe I stated this in a previous blog but coaches will say things to recruits and their parents that will get them believe they are saying something else. "We could see you replacing this guy," and the players and parents hear "You will replace this guy." "We could see you starting next year," and the players and parents hear "You will start next year." Big difference in both statements. If players and parents truly listened to what coaches are saying, there wouldn't be as much misunderstanding.
Not the Right Fit
There are times that coaches realize pretty quickly that they made a mistake in a recruit. They probably won't admit it publicly but they don't get a chance to see a recruit play with their team and that a huge issue. Why? They can't really tell if they truly fit into their system. A player might be extremely talented but he just doesn't fit because he doesn't have the basketball IQ to keep up with all the new language and plays they have to learn once they get on campus. It's hard to trust someone on the floor when they can't remember the plays regardless of how talented they are.
Not Enough Time to Evaluate
Division One coaches generally don't have enough time to evaluate prospects and make mistakes in the evaluation process. The NCAA allows unlimited evaluations during July but only seven total during the school year. So, if the coaches get a late start on the process then the possibility of a mistake increases. They have a weekend in April but should add either another week in April or May because there is generally a big different in team dynamics after those first couple of weekends.
We always want to blame the kids and their parents for transferring. Sometimes the players and coaches need a fresh start. I understand the transferring at times. I transferred when I was in high school after my family moved 20 minutes away. I don't regret the decision at all and I believe it made me a much better person and it prepared me for college more than I ever expected.
Just remember this one thing...THE GRASS ISN'T ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Basketball Academies
Over the last decade there are has been a flux of "basketball academies" that have popped up across the US and Canada. Many of these academies have failed miserably and a few of have survived and thrived.
The concept of a "basketball academy" is a great idea as long as it's run the correct way. So what exactly is the correct way? The correct way should be to put the best of the best together and have them compete against each other on a consistent basis. To be able to practice more and then have some select games or tournaments against other academies throughout the country or world.
There are a few models of the academies that would be great examples to use. The first is the Canarias Basketball Academy (CBA). It's located in Canary Islands just outside of Spain. It has a slew of European athletes that are looking to play college basketball in the US. Their main focus is basketball and they have a school (I believe it's a loose term) and have SAT/ACT prep in order to qualify through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Their players generally qualify through the NCAA and have been placed all over the US including Seton Hall, Louisville, and Minnesota.
A few years ago, a top 100 US player was sent there by his parents for his sophomore year in high school. His name is Khadeem Lattin. His journey can be look at here. Although, his path isn't that of a "normal" top 100 recruit, it's definitely interesting to have your sole focus be books and basketball, and that's it. That article is definitely worth a read.
Another "basketball academy" that many people in the "know" of college basketball is tied in with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). HERE is what the AIS is all about. In reality, it really isn't a basketball academy but there is major focus on specific sports each athlete participates in. It is also government funded, which makes it much different than what we are use to here in the US.
The AIS has produced a ton of collegiate talent that we are use to seeing. Former #1 pick, Andrew Bogut went to AIS before he went to Utah. The next big thing to come from Australia, Dante Exum, just graduated from there in December and was just recently the #4 pick in the NBA by the Utah Jazz. Two San Antonio Spurs, Patty Mills and Aron Baynes, are products of AIS as well. St. Mary's in California has a pipeline from AIS to their campus and has help lead them to great success in the West Coast Conference.
In the US there really aren't any true academies like the CBA and the AIS but there are a few that are trying to emulate what these models are truly about. The first program I will talk about is IMG Academy. It's as close as anything we have in this country to AIS. There are several different sport associations that are tied to IMG. They have great facilities and really advanced nutrition and weight training for all of their athletes.
IMG has been a place where many pro athletes go and train during the off season and it's a place where a lot of potential NFL and NBA draft picks go to train for the combine and the upcoming season. It also houses a few of youth US National Soccer teams. They haven't had a "prep" team for very long but a few alums that most people have heard of are DeAndre Daniels from UConn, recent Syracuse signee Chris McCullough, and Jamari Traylor from Kansas.
The next two models that are probably the most well known in basketball circles are Findlay Prep and Huntington Prep. Both of these "schools" have their players (they technically aren't students of the name of the school they "attend," I know, it's confusing.) attend a local private school and then operate as a separate entity with their basketball program. The players from Findlay attend The Henderson International School and are funded by a Las Vegas car salesman by the last name of, you guess it, Findlay. Findlay has only been in existence for nine years but has a slew of D1 and NBA alums including Avery Bradley of Texas and Boston Celtics and Anthony Bennett of UNLV and now the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Huntington Prep is based in Huntington,WV and was originally started by Rob Fulford, now an assistant at Missouri. The players attend Huntington St. Joseph's Central Catholic school during the day and operate as Huntington Prep after school ends. Players stay with host families in the Huntington area. Many of their players are originally from Canada, Eastern Europe, and some African countries. I'm not sure how they are funded but they have done very well since it started six years ago. They have some famous alums in #1 pick Andrew Wiggins and Minnesota Timberwolves' backup center Gorgui Dieng.
I won't mention the many failures that have happened all over the country but the main reason they fail is because they lack funding. It doesn't help that they will oversell what they have when they don't really have it. Besides the lack of funding there is rarely a school association or a school to attend which is key for many of the athletes at the school because they need to get qualified through the NCAA Clearinghouse.
As with many other things in life, most of the issues come down to money. An adult is trying to take advantage of families that are looking for their son to get a full scholarship to a university or college. Would you really want to give your son away to someone you don't know, someone that you are giving $10,000 to, and mostly importantly someone that doesn't truly have the best interests of your son in mind (some times they do)? What about having your son living in a "apartment" that has nothing but the "school's" basketball players with no adult supervision? These are worst case scenarios but I would be better for your son just to go to junior college and get proper education and legitimate coaching.
These are many of the questions that need to be asked when dealing with any new "basketball academy" in the United States. There are just too many unknowns that won't be good for any type of development (physical, social, emotional, and educational) for your son. Like with any new product, do you really want the first edition (like an iPhone) or do you wait until all the kinks are out and everything is figured out. Take this approach when it comes to making a decision regarding anyone selling this basketball product.
The concept of a "basketball academy" is a great idea as long as it's run the correct way. So what exactly is the correct way? The correct way should be to put the best of the best together and have them compete against each other on a consistent basis. To be able to practice more and then have some select games or tournaments against other academies throughout the country or world.
There are a few models of the academies that would be great examples to use. The first is the Canarias Basketball Academy (CBA). It's located in Canary Islands just outside of Spain. It has a slew of European athletes that are looking to play college basketball in the US. Their main focus is basketball and they have a school (I believe it's a loose term) and have SAT/ACT prep in order to qualify through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Their players generally qualify through the NCAA and have been placed all over the US including Seton Hall, Louisville, and Minnesota.
A few years ago, a top 100 US player was sent there by his parents for his sophomore year in high school. His name is Khadeem Lattin. His journey can be look at here. Although, his path isn't that of a "normal" top 100 recruit, it's definitely interesting to have your sole focus be books and basketball, and that's it. That article is definitely worth a read.
Another "basketball academy" that many people in the "know" of college basketball is tied in with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). HERE is what the AIS is all about. In reality, it really isn't a basketball academy but there is major focus on specific sports each athlete participates in. It is also government funded, which makes it much different than what we are use to here in the US.
The AIS has produced a ton of collegiate talent that we are use to seeing. Former #1 pick, Andrew Bogut went to AIS before he went to Utah. The next big thing to come from Australia, Dante Exum, just graduated from there in December and was just recently the #4 pick in the NBA by the Utah Jazz. Two San Antonio Spurs, Patty Mills and Aron Baynes, are products of AIS as well. St. Mary's in California has a pipeline from AIS to their campus and has help lead them to great success in the West Coast Conference.
In the US there really aren't any true academies like the CBA and the AIS but there are a few that are trying to emulate what these models are truly about. The first program I will talk about is IMG Academy. It's as close as anything we have in this country to AIS. There are several different sport associations that are tied to IMG. They have great facilities and really advanced nutrition and weight training for all of their athletes.
IMG has been a place where many pro athletes go and train during the off season and it's a place where a lot of potential NFL and NBA draft picks go to train for the combine and the upcoming season. It also houses a few of youth US National Soccer teams. They haven't had a "prep" team for very long but a few alums that most people have heard of are DeAndre Daniels from UConn, recent Syracuse signee Chris McCullough, and Jamari Traylor from Kansas.
The next two models that are probably the most well known in basketball circles are Findlay Prep and Huntington Prep. Both of these "schools" have their players (they technically aren't students of the name of the school they "attend," I know, it's confusing.) attend a local private school and then operate as a separate entity with their basketball program. The players from Findlay attend The Henderson International School and are funded by a Las Vegas car salesman by the last name of, you guess it, Findlay. Findlay has only been in existence for nine years but has a slew of D1 and NBA alums including Avery Bradley of Texas and Boston Celtics and Anthony Bennett of UNLV and now the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Huntington Prep is based in Huntington,WV and was originally started by Rob Fulford, now an assistant at Missouri. The players attend Huntington St. Joseph's Central Catholic school during the day and operate as Huntington Prep after school ends. Players stay with host families in the Huntington area. Many of their players are originally from Canada, Eastern Europe, and some African countries. I'm not sure how they are funded but they have done very well since it started six years ago. They have some famous alums in #1 pick Andrew Wiggins and Minnesota Timberwolves' backup center Gorgui Dieng.
I won't mention the many failures that have happened all over the country but the main reason they fail is because they lack funding. It doesn't help that they will oversell what they have when they don't really have it. Besides the lack of funding there is rarely a school association or a school to attend which is key for many of the athletes at the school because they need to get qualified through the NCAA Clearinghouse.
As with many other things in life, most of the issues come down to money. An adult is trying to take advantage of families that are looking for their son to get a full scholarship to a university or college. Would you really want to give your son away to someone you don't know, someone that you are giving $10,000 to, and mostly importantly someone that doesn't truly have the best interests of your son in mind (some times they do)? What about having your son living in a "apartment" that has nothing but the "school's" basketball players with no adult supervision? These are worst case scenarios but I would be better for your son just to go to junior college and get proper education and legitimate coaching.
These are many of the questions that need to be asked when dealing with any new "basketball academy" in the United States. There are just too many unknowns that won't be good for any type of development (physical, social, emotional, and educational) for your son. Like with any new product, do you really want the first edition (like an iPhone) or do you wait until all the kinks are out and everything is figured out. Take this approach when it comes to making a decision regarding anyone selling this basketball product.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
How Do You Want to be Portrayed as an Athlete?
Over the last couple of weeks we've seen so many different incidents regarding professional and collegiate athletes and their poor behavior. It's extremely unfortunate that these role models are making costly mistakes for themselves, their family, their team, and their university/organization. What I hope is that everyone learns that someone is always watching wherever you are.
Too much of the news over the past few years is all about the bad and that is why I don't like watching the news. What I really want to touch on in this entry is the good deeds that most of these athletes do.
Here is a perfect example:
I was actually at this game and there wasn't a dry eye at the United Center
Too much of the news over the past few years is all about the bad and that is why I don't like watching the news. What I really want to touch on in this entry is the good deeds that most of these athletes do.
Here is a perfect example:
Shavon Shields took it to a whole notha' level tonight! #Committed #Avery'sBiggestFan #BaldNation #AveryStrong pic.twitter.com/rF7rlA1PxX
— Chris Harriman (@chrisharriman24) September 15, 2014
I was actually at this game and there wasn't a dry eye at the United Center
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Shoe Companies & Their Influence
Over the past couple of months I've wrote on numerous topics in regards to travel basketball. This next story is one that many "in the game" have dealt with for many years. How much influence do sneaker companies have in travel and high school basketball?
Here is an interesting article in regards to top 25 national recruit Antonio Blakeney and his recent decommitment from Louisville. There are some really interesting quotes from recruiting expert Jerry Meyer in it. He talks about the influence of a "Nike player" committing to an "Adidas school" and how it doesn't necessarily go over well in his circle. Blakeney has played the Florida based E1T1 the past couple of summers and has really gotten attention from high major schools through his play during Nike's EYBL.
Here's another article regarding Blakeney.
If you are a top 50 recruit in the country, one of the goals is to play in the McDonald's All-American game. Many have goals of playing in the Jordan Brand Classic as well as the Nike Hoops Summit. The McDonald's game is sponsored by Adidas and is supposed to be for the elite of the elite players in high school and it's not supposed to have anything to do with sneaker affiliation. The Jordan Brand Classic is supposed to be strictly for players that have played on the Nike circuit (EYBL). The Nike Hoops' Summit is clearly sponsored by Nike and it might "help" if you played for a Nike team during the spring and summer season.
There are exceptions to this to what I said above and most of it has to do with where these prospects are going to college. A great example of this is the Harrison twins (more on these guys in a bit) from Kentucky. They were sponsored on their high school and AAU team by Under Armour BUT they signed with Kentucky and Coach Cal has a lot of pull to get his guys into games like that (just as Duke and UNC signees do as well). This year, only Karl Towns (I believe), a Kentucky signee, played in the JBC after playing in the UA circuit the summer before.
Why is it so important to play in the McDonald's and Jordan game? You only get two all star games after you play your season. McDonald's has been the cream of the crop for a long time and who wouldn't want a bunch of Jordan gear? Those games are much better than any other sneaker company can and will put on.
Now going back to Blakeney, let's take a look a few other prominent players that have been influenced by sneaker companies during their recruitment. Derrick Rose played for a Nike based team for a majority of his high school career (Meanstreets, same as Anthony Davis) and then Adidas got involved in his family's life. He then had Kansas and UCLA in his final five even though neither were recruiting him, but both are sponsored by the three stripes. He choose Memphis, who at the time, were sponsored by Adidas as well. He signed with Adidas when he got to the NBA. Shabazz Muhammed played for a Nike high school in Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas but his AAU team was created by his father/Adidas and it was a known secret that he was headed to UCLA after a lot "funding" to his Dad's AAU team Dream Vision. He also signed with Adidas as soon as he declared for the draft. Here is an article about the Harrison twins and how much they were influenced by Maryland and Kentucky aka Under Armour and Nike.
If you look at many of the higher profile players that play for Nike sponsored high school teams, they end up playing AAU for Nike AAU teams. Why? Now, I'm not 100% certain on that but I wouldn't be surprised to see increased funding or more gear for high school programs that have their high profile players playing for Nike during the spring and summer. And that could be the reason why you'll see kids switch AAU programs after they have established themselves as mid to high level recruits. To go along with this, AAU programs are given an allotment of money from the sneaker companies to outfit high school programs with gear. They usually will go to a school with a big time recruit or go to a high school program that coaches in both the AAU organization as well as a local high school. The kids will have to "pay" for the gear but the price is essentially for used sneakers and sweatsuits. What's the price for the gear after it's been used all season? $25.
There is a great book called Sole Influence by Dan Wetzel that goes into the knitty gritty of AAU basketball. The book was written 14 years ago and I couldn't imagine some of the changes that have happened since then. I do remember a few stories in the book. Wetzel talks about how Marvin Stone (Louisville) and Casey Sanders (Duke), both big time recruits at the time, got their high school programs "Nike contracts" when they attended the Nike All-American Camp.
Here are some more reasons why kids and adults are enamored with shoe companies
This last part is pure speculation and I have no clue if it's true or not but I wouldn't be shocked from all the things I've seen and heard over the past 10-12 years. If a recruit ends up at a college that is sponsored by the same sneaker company that their AAU/HS is sponsored by, then those programs will get more money/gear from the sneaker company. Again, I could be blowing smoke with high level recruits, NOTHING surprises me anymore.
Here is an interesting article in regards to top 25 national recruit Antonio Blakeney and his recent decommitment from Louisville. There are some really interesting quotes from recruiting expert Jerry Meyer in it. He talks about the influence of a "Nike player" committing to an "Adidas school" and how it doesn't necessarily go over well in his circle. Blakeney has played the Florida based E1T1 the past couple of summers and has really gotten attention from high major schools through his play during Nike's EYBL.
Here's another article regarding Blakeney.
If you are a top 50 recruit in the country, one of the goals is to play in the McDonald's All-American game. Many have goals of playing in the Jordan Brand Classic as well as the Nike Hoops Summit. The McDonald's game is sponsored by Adidas and is supposed to be for the elite of the elite players in high school and it's not supposed to have anything to do with sneaker affiliation. The Jordan Brand Classic is supposed to be strictly for players that have played on the Nike circuit (EYBL). The Nike Hoops' Summit is clearly sponsored by Nike and it might "help" if you played for a Nike team during the spring and summer season.
There are exceptions to this to what I said above and most of it has to do with where these prospects are going to college. A great example of this is the Harrison twins (more on these guys in a bit) from Kentucky. They were sponsored on their high school and AAU team by Under Armour BUT they signed with Kentucky and Coach Cal has a lot of pull to get his guys into games like that (just as Duke and UNC signees do as well). This year, only Karl Towns (I believe), a Kentucky signee, played in the JBC after playing in the UA circuit the summer before.
Why is it so important to play in the McDonald's and Jordan game? You only get two all star games after you play your season. McDonald's has been the cream of the crop for a long time and who wouldn't want a bunch of Jordan gear? Those games are much better than any other sneaker company can and will put on.
Now going back to Blakeney, let's take a look a few other prominent players that have been influenced by sneaker companies during their recruitment. Derrick Rose played for a Nike based team for a majority of his high school career (Meanstreets, same as Anthony Davis) and then Adidas got involved in his family's life. He then had Kansas and UCLA in his final five even though neither were recruiting him, but both are sponsored by the three stripes. He choose Memphis, who at the time, were sponsored by Adidas as well. He signed with Adidas when he got to the NBA. Shabazz Muhammed played for a Nike high school in Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas but his AAU team was created by his father/Adidas and it was a known secret that he was headed to UCLA after a lot "funding" to his Dad's AAU team Dream Vision. He also signed with Adidas as soon as he declared for the draft. Here is an article about the Harrison twins and how much they were influenced by Maryland and Kentucky aka Under Armour and Nike.
If you look at many of the higher profile players that play for Nike sponsored high school teams, they end up playing AAU for Nike AAU teams. Why? Now, I'm not 100% certain on that but I wouldn't be surprised to see increased funding or more gear for high school programs that have their high profile players playing for Nike during the spring and summer. And that could be the reason why you'll see kids switch AAU programs after they have established themselves as mid to high level recruits. To go along with this, AAU programs are given an allotment of money from the sneaker companies to outfit high school programs with gear. They usually will go to a school with a big time recruit or go to a high school program that coaches in both the AAU organization as well as a local high school. The kids will have to "pay" for the gear but the price is essentially for used sneakers and sweatsuits. What's the price for the gear after it's been used all season? $25.
There is a great book called Sole Influence by Dan Wetzel that goes into the knitty gritty of AAU basketball. The book was written 14 years ago and I couldn't imagine some of the changes that have happened since then. I do remember a few stories in the book. Wetzel talks about how Marvin Stone (Louisville) and Casey Sanders (Duke), both big time recruits at the time, got their high school programs "Nike contracts" when they attended the Nike All-American Camp.
Here are some more reasons why kids and adults are enamored with shoe companies
"Peach Jam EYBL" Kobe 9 EMs pic.twitter.com/UUks4hSSbc
— Everything Shoes (@Amazing_Kicks) July 7, 2014
New Images of the KD 6 Elite "EYBL" Surface http://t.co/nNes72XouE pic.twitter.com/xOKWewhe3V
— SneakerWatch (@sneakerwatchcom) September 15, 2014
EYBL #Pulleynation pic.twitter.com/SYrH2FpiFt
— amir coffey (@coffeykid_) April 23, 2014
Peep at the gear 😱😱 #adidasunrivaled pic.twitter.com/eEduzgVd5G
— Billy Wampler (@LaVerdadII) July 9, 2014
Getting ready for Team USA tryouts tonight real excited! 🏀🇺🇸 @usabasketball @GamepointElite @TVHShoops pic.twitter.com/IQxj4YntyL
— Justin Simon (@simon_Says_so) June 10, 2014
This year's gear room is off the hook. Excited to see guys rocking this stuff all week. #ThisIsClassic #Breakout14 pic.twitter.com/DX7RBGd6Oj
— Breakout Classic (@BreakoutClassic) July 8, 2014
This last part is pure speculation and I have no clue if it's true or not but I wouldn't be shocked from all the things I've seen and heard over the past 10-12 years. If a recruit ends up at a college that is sponsored by the same sneaker company that their AAU/HS is sponsored by, then those programs will get more money/gear from the sneaker company. Again, I could be blowing smoke with high level recruits, NOTHING surprises me anymore.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
College Finances
I've already talked about why college athletes shouldn't get paid and now I'll go into finances of D1 schools. There are a lot of different angles that we can take to look at how much money each college makes or doesn't make throughout the course of an academic year.
Football can be a major moneymaker for the athletic department but not all the time. Why? Mostly because of salaries and the amount of money that each program puts into their players. The sheer number of people that are on staff for most football programs is crazy. Here is Minnesota's coaching staff, Michigan's, and North Dakota State's. It's just an astronomical amount of people for 120 (at the most) players. Here is a chart for coaches' salaries as well as salaries for the rest of the staff.
Let's use Michigan as an example. They seat roughly 110,000 people in their stadium. They have seven home games every year. Their seats average $75.00 per ticket (from what I gathered, probably based off of opponent as well). With those two numbers in mind, they make $8,250,000 per game just on tickets. If we average that out to $8 million per game based off them played different opponents, that's $56 million per year on just ticket sales. Depending on who controls parking (some universities do and some athletic departments do) they could get a couple million more on top of that.
Their coaching staff makes roughly $7 million all together. The question becomes do they include the administrative staff, strength and conditioning staff, the equipment staff, the grounds crew, the athletic trainers, or the communications staff. There are a lot that go into the every day things as well as the game day staff. With just the additional staff members, I have to think that's another million. And you can't forget game day security and staff, which adds up over the course of the season. I could go on and on about the expenses that go into everything. Let's give it a $10 million number. So, $56 million now goes to $46 million quickly.
If you look at a school like Indiana, whose stadium seats roughly 52,000 and tickets cost around $50 per ticket. That's $2.6 million per home game just from ticket sales. They have six home games this year for a total of $15.6 million per season on ticket sales. A drastic difference compared to Michigan. On top of that, I couldn't imagine them selling out all of their home games, so we could probably bump that down to $13 million pretty easily. With roughly $3 million in coaches' salaries that money goes away pretty quickly.
One expense that generally isn't included in the numbers is scholarships. Almost all schools force the athletic department to pay the school for each scholarship athlete. A few have waivers but because the school generally needs the money, they make the athletic department pay for all. Each FCS school can offer 85 scholarships for their football team. Let's take a look at a school like Minnesota. About 3/4 of their scholarship athletes are from out of state. In state tuition is just over $12,000 per year. So, 20 athletes cost the football/athletic program $360,000. On top of that, there are 65 out of state athletes. Out of state tuition costs just under $20,000. That's another $1.3 million for out of state athletes. For a grand total $1.6 million that the football program costs the athletic department.
Minnesota's number looks to be extremely low. In part because of out of state tuition is so low compared to other schools. Some schools make their out of state tuition look like private college tuition. At Duke (I chose them because they are private, they could have a waiver or partial waiver as well), tuition for all students is just over $47,000. Football scholarships cost the athletic department almost $4 million per year. Every school is a little different
Here is a look at each school's revenue and expenses from 2011-12 just for football. Now, looks can be deceiving according to those numbers because of the revenue from Big Ten Network (it says it in the article). The last question I have for that is, do they include coaches' salaries? Regardless, they a spend a TON of money on their athletes. Yes, they generate a lot of money but they spend a lot too.
Now, here is something that people don't understand about bowl games and how the school generally looses money when they attend. Here is why. Imagine sending 150 people down to a tropical place for 7-10 days. Here is the list for payouts to each individual team for going to bowl games. Well that's a lot of money for anyone. Those bowl games are mostly scams and here is why. While I was at West Virginia, the football team made it to the Fiesta Bowl. The Fiesta Bowl requires each school to sell 12,000-15,000 tickets. If they don't sell their tickets then the school has to pay for them no matter what. They sold 8,000 tickets under their allotment and had to pay the Fiesta Bowl for them. $100 a ticket, that's roughly $800,000 the school has to pay. Here is more on that. The Fiesta Bowl gets those tickets back and then sells them again in order to fill the stadium. Making double the money isn't bad.
In the WVU case, they spent close to $2 million for going to Fiesta Bowl. The catch is, all the money is shared with all the other schools in the conference. The Big East had eight teams playing football and WVU had to split what they "made" with everyone else. I believe the athletic department lost money because of the revenue sharing for the conference.
Football (at the D1 level) isn't the only sport that offers full scholarships. Other sports include Men's and Women's Basketball, Women's Volleyball, Women's Tennis, and Women's Gymnastics. Men's and Women's Basketball could definitely make money for the athletic department but not all do. I would say Volleyball could make a little bit of money but not much, in part because attendance and ticket prices aren't as high. There is no chance tennis or gymnastics makes money.
Other sports can actually make the school money. Not the athletics department, but the school. Partly because of the tuition being paid by the athletes. One example is my wife's team. There are roughly 85 athletes for their track and field program (cross country included) and only 18 scholarships. That's just over $800,000 made for the school in tuition if all the girls are from the state (not all are). Their budget is good but I don't think with everything that they get in travel, coaches' salaries, etc, that they actually lose money. If they do, they aren't losing much.
With all of that being said. At many of the big time universities football does make money for the athletic department and men's basketball probably does as well. Although, they need to sellout most of their games to make that happen. Generally speaking, football does help out other athletic teams in regards to funding but those coaches and athletes get an absurd amount of resources that those other sports can't even dream of.
Note: I could off a little on some of these numbers, but not by much. If football or basketball wins, they draw more, this more money to the department. All reports are based off of how the departments report them. That is generally different for each institution.
Football can be a major moneymaker for the athletic department but not all the time. Why? Mostly because of salaries and the amount of money that each program puts into their players. The sheer number of people that are on staff for most football programs is crazy. Here is Minnesota's coaching staff, Michigan's, and North Dakota State's. It's just an astronomical amount of people for 120 (at the most) players. Here is a chart for coaches' salaries as well as salaries for the rest of the staff.
Let's use Michigan as an example. They seat roughly 110,000 people in their stadium. They have seven home games every year. Their seats average $75.00 per ticket (from what I gathered, probably based off of opponent as well). With those two numbers in mind, they make $8,250,000 per game just on tickets. If we average that out to $8 million per game based off them played different opponents, that's $56 million per year on just ticket sales. Depending on who controls parking (some universities do and some athletic departments do) they could get a couple million more on top of that.
Their coaching staff makes roughly $7 million all together. The question becomes do they include the administrative staff, strength and conditioning staff, the equipment staff, the grounds crew, the athletic trainers, or the communications staff. There are a lot that go into the every day things as well as the game day staff. With just the additional staff members, I have to think that's another million. And you can't forget game day security and staff, which adds up over the course of the season. I could go on and on about the expenses that go into everything. Let's give it a $10 million number. So, $56 million now goes to $46 million quickly.
If you look at a school like Indiana, whose stadium seats roughly 52,000 and tickets cost around $50 per ticket. That's $2.6 million per home game just from ticket sales. They have six home games this year for a total of $15.6 million per season on ticket sales. A drastic difference compared to Michigan. On top of that, I couldn't imagine them selling out all of their home games, so we could probably bump that down to $13 million pretty easily. With roughly $3 million in coaches' salaries that money goes away pretty quickly.
One expense that generally isn't included in the numbers is scholarships. Almost all schools force the athletic department to pay the school for each scholarship athlete. A few have waivers but because the school generally needs the money, they make the athletic department pay for all. Each FCS school can offer 85 scholarships for their football team. Let's take a look at a school like Minnesota. About 3/4 of their scholarship athletes are from out of state. In state tuition is just over $12,000 per year. So, 20 athletes cost the football/athletic program $360,000. On top of that, there are 65 out of state athletes. Out of state tuition costs just under $20,000. That's another $1.3 million for out of state athletes. For a grand total $1.6 million that the football program costs the athletic department.
Minnesota's number looks to be extremely low. In part because of out of state tuition is so low compared to other schools. Some schools make their out of state tuition look like private college tuition. At Duke (I chose them because they are private, they could have a waiver or partial waiver as well), tuition for all students is just over $47,000. Football scholarships cost the athletic department almost $4 million per year. Every school is a little different
Here is a look at each school's revenue and expenses from 2011-12 just for football. Now, looks can be deceiving according to those numbers because of the revenue from Big Ten Network (it says it in the article). The last question I have for that is, do they include coaches' salaries? Regardless, they a spend a TON of money on their athletes. Yes, they generate a lot of money but they spend a lot too.
Now, here is something that people don't understand about bowl games and how the school generally looses money when they attend. Here is why. Imagine sending 150 people down to a tropical place for 7-10 days. Here is the list for payouts to each individual team for going to bowl games. Well that's a lot of money for anyone. Those bowl games are mostly scams and here is why. While I was at West Virginia, the football team made it to the Fiesta Bowl. The Fiesta Bowl requires each school to sell 12,000-15,000 tickets. If they don't sell their tickets then the school has to pay for them no matter what. They sold 8,000 tickets under their allotment and had to pay the Fiesta Bowl for them. $100 a ticket, that's roughly $800,000 the school has to pay. Here is more on that. The Fiesta Bowl gets those tickets back and then sells them again in order to fill the stadium. Making double the money isn't bad.
In the WVU case, they spent close to $2 million for going to Fiesta Bowl. The catch is, all the money is shared with all the other schools in the conference. The Big East had eight teams playing football and WVU had to split what they "made" with everyone else. I believe the athletic department lost money because of the revenue sharing for the conference.
Football (at the D1 level) isn't the only sport that offers full scholarships. Other sports include Men's and Women's Basketball, Women's Volleyball, Women's Tennis, and Women's Gymnastics. Men's and Women's Basketball could definitely make money for the athletic department but not all do. I would say Volleyball could make a little bit of money but not much, in part because attendance and ticket prices aren't as high. There is no chance tennis or gymnastics makes money.
Other sports can actually make the school money. Not the athletics department, but the school. Partly because of the tuition being paid by the athletes. One example is my wife's team. There are roughly 85 athletes for their track and field program (cross country included) and only 18 scholarships. That's just over $800,000 made for the school in tuition if all the girls are from the state (not all are). Their budget is good but I don't think with everything that they get in travel, coaches' salaries, etc, that they actually lose money. If they do, they aren't losing much.
With all of that being said. At many of the big time universities football does make money for the athletic department and men's basketball probably does as well. Although, they need to sellout most of their games to make that happen. Generally speaking, football does help out other athletic teams in regards to funding but those coaches and athletes get an absurd amount of resources that those other sports can't even dream of.
Note: I could off a little on some of these numbers, but not by much. If football or basketball wins, they draw more, this more money to the department. All reports are based off of how the departments report them. That is generally different for each institution.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)