R.George

NCAA Won’t Budge On Paying College Athletes As Organizational Changes Loom

September 23, 2013 By R.George

By NANCY ARMOUR

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The structure of the NCAA could look very different by this time next year as members try to resolve the growing disparity between big-money schools and smaller institutions.

What won’t change, however, is the amateur status of the players who make college athletics a billion-dollar business.

“One thing that sets the fundamental tone is there’s very few members and, virtually no university president, that thinks it’s a good idea to convert student-athletes into paid employees. Literally into professionals,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said Monday at Marquette University. “Then you have something very different from collegiate athletics. One of the guiding principles (of the NCAA) has been that this is about students who play sports.”

Emmert and the NCAA have had a turbulent year, with money the source for most of the discontent. After Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel was investigated for allegedly receiving money for autographs — he was cleared — Time magazine put him on the cover along with the headline “It’s Time to Pay College Athletes.” Oklahoma State is investigating whether rules were broken after a series of Sports Illustrated stories that alleged cash payments to players and academic misconduct.

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Sizing up 2013-14’s best college hoops recruits

September 23, 2013 By R.George

By Chris Johnson

A consensus has been reached: The 2013 recruiting class is one of the best to enter the college game in years. The group is so good, and so rich with potential, that there is speculation that some NBA teams may attempt to intentionally lose games this upcoming season to improve their chances of landing a high lottery pick in the 2014 draft. Before these players reach the NBA, they’ll need to play at least one season of college basketball, and it’s our job to figure out how these players will fit in in with their respective teams.

There are a number of excellent players in this class with bright professional futures, but after lengthy deliberation, these 10 freshmen are set to have the biggest “impact” on the college game in 2013. To give you a better understanding of why the following list is ranked as such, here are a few factors that were considered: Stats-based production, playing time, effect on team win total and, most importantly, influence on the national championship picture.

For some keener scouting analysis, I spoke with Scout.com’s Evan Daniels to get his take on how each player might translate at the college level. Let’s dig in:
1. Andrew Wiggins, Kansas

Before Wiggins announced his college choice in May, it was fair to question whether Bill Self would be able to extend his ridiculous nine-year regular season conference championship streak in 2013-14. Doubts may still exist — Oklahoma State and Baylor pose considerable challenges — but Kansas’ conference title aspirations seem much more realistic now than they did four months ago. Many believe Wiggins is not only the best player in one of the best recruiting classes in years — they believe he’s the best player to enter the college game in the age ofb one-and-done, a Kevin Durant-type, can’t-miss prospect with the sheer talent and athletic ability to develop into an NBA superstar.

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British Open 2013 schedule: 142nd Open Championship begins Thursday

July 16, 2013 By R.George

By Mark Sandritter

When the first round of the British Open begins on Thursday, it will mark the 16th time Muirfield Golf Links has hosted the Open Championship. Live previous events, this year’s Open figures to test the field of 156 of the best players in the world. While the tournament doesn’t begin until Thursday, the golf world has already arrived at the legendary course.

Players began playing practice rounds on Sunday, and will continue to do so through Wednesday. Practice rounds are a way for players to get a feel for the course and how it’s playing, but they can also lead to some entertaining moments. During his practice round on Monday, Phil Mickelson practiced a backwards flop shot.

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Back at Michigan, Mitch McGary ready to break through — again

July 16, 2013 By R.George

By Seth Davis

LAS VEGAS — Mitch McGary squatted into a textbook defensive stance — feet spread, knees bent, arm extended toward the dribbler. Normally, McGary would not have had a hard time locking down his opponent from that position, but on this occasion he just happened to be facing the best player on the planet. It only took LeBron James one power dribble to his left to separate from McGary, rise up and drill an easy 15-foot jumper. As McGary glanced over his shoulder to see the ball go in, he could only shake his head.

“I tried to do my best out there,” he said later with a smile.

The sequence could have been from one of McGary’s dreams, but it happened for real last week at the LeBron James Skills Academy, the Nike-sponsored gemstone of the summer hoops circuit. McGary was one of 23 college players invited to work out in front of dozens of NBA scouts at the Cashman Center in Las Vegas. Unlike three years ago, when McGary was one of the hundred-plus high school players at the camp, The King knew exactly who he was this time. (Imagine the twinge of glee McGary felt when, during a defensive switch, LeBron shouted, “I got Mitch!”) James’ cameo at the college workout happened to occur on the three-year anniversary of his ill-conceived announcement that he was signing with the Miami Heat. McGary had his own Decision to make last April, and if it received a fraction of the attention that the King’s got, it also demonstrated a lot more maturity and judgment.

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The evolution of MLB’s July 4 caps

July 2, 2013 By R.George

By Paul Lukas

Thursday is Independence Day, which means MLB teams will once again be wearing stars-and-stripes caps. You can see this year’s crop of caps here.

The use of flag-based cap imagery on July 4 began during the 2002 season as a response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Some fans view the caps as a worthy gesture of patriotism; others see them as just another way for MLB to sell more merchandise (although it’s worth noting that MLB has donated proceeds from the cap sales to Welcome Back Veterans since 2008).

Either way, the cap designs have steadily evolved over the past dozen years. Here’s a year-by-year look at that evolution:

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