There are very few big-time Division I sports coaches I’d want my kids to learn from. I find most of these guys to be used car salesmen, riding on the backs of kids who’ll leave college sans degree or enlightenment. Sure, there are exceptions. But few. The whole system disgusts me, times 1,000.
That said, consider me the newest fan of Mick Cronon, head coach of Cincinnati’s men’s basketball team. Why? His words after the pathetic brawl between players from his team and Xavier today the end of a game last week:
“These guys, very few of them are ever going to make a dollar playing basketball. They are here to get an education at two great universities and they need to appreciate that. The world don’t revolve around them, around basketball. They need to learn how to act. They need to have respect for the fact they are on a scholarship, that people come to see them play. That’s just the facts of college athletics. There’s too much glorification of all of sports in our society. The fact is, guys are here to get an education. They represent institutions of higher learning. Xavier has been a great school for years. We are trying to cure cancer at Cincinnati. I go to school at a place where they discovered the vaccine for polio and created Benadryl. I think that’s more important than who wins a basketball game. And our guys need to have appreciation for the fact they are there on a full scholarship. And they’re there to represent institutions with class and integrity … I have never been this embarrassed.”
Amen.
