Lots of stuff on my mind today. Lets start with Jim Salmon and the Eddie Griffith Challenge. First off I need to say a few things about Jim Salmon, even if I have said these things in the past. JIM SALMON remains one of the true good guys in AAU and Travel basketball. And trust me I know this first hand. A few folks get caught up in Jim's success, become jealous, and look for ways to knock him. What is he getting? Why does he do this? Is he selling players? How much money is he making? Is he is arrogant? Is he cocky? Is he illegal? The answer to all above is NO, NO, NO, NO...... This guy goes out of his way to help all the kids that participate in his program and many who do not even have an affiliation with his Playez Teams. I have seen him show up at HS games to support, I have seen him show up at D2, and D3, games to support ex players. I have seen him create extra teams to help kids get recognition and find funds to allow them to travel to places as far away as Vegas for tournaments. On a personal tip I will not even go into what he has done for many people away from basketball. That includes me! He has always been there for the right cause and activity. So during this time that we start discussing The Eddie Griffith Challenge and other high profile events, I wanted to salute Jim for his hard and wonderful efforts.
Now about the challenge, I do hope they will have some sort of program available so that the average fans can know who is who. The games, which will be played at the Barn Gym on the Rutgers campus, seem to be potentially great games. What makes the location ideal is Philly and North Jersey (Where many NJ players are from) seem equally close. I am also sure that FHJ and his staff lobbied for the games and Jim got the gym for a great price. I really look forward to paying my entry fee and watching these games.
What is happening AGAIN at Seton Hall?
Are you kidding me? Suspending a player because he lost his ride back to campus and had to ride the team bus back? Suspending a coach because he did not stop the player from getting on the bus? Do you folks honestly think this would happen anywhere else? Even Princeton would not have been as harsh. UCLA coaches are shaking there heads! Other BE coaches are laughing and crying at the same time for BG and staff based on this crap. 2 game sustentions? And than the AD makes the suspensions not the first two games of the season, he makes them games that will be watched on TV by many. I am sure this will make many potential recruits scratch their heads.
Allow me to give you a definite formula for basketball failure. Athletic Director with own agenda + Aggressive Basketball Coach + lack of communication and understanding + Strong Personalities + borderline hatred = FAILURE
Seton Hall does not have football so basketball is the premier sport. Men's basketball is supposed to make money and it can make alot if they get the formula right. The talent on that roster will be great. And if they get MR. GLOVER WATCH OUT! Why would they start what could be a great beginning with this very unnecessary crap?
I think the punishment should have been paying back the school for the bus trip, and a warning. The coach in question should have found him a ride with someone else at the game and I am sure there were some NJ fans there. But that is only if he saw him and found out he lost his ride. But suspend the Coach? Wow!
Sporting News College Basketball
Purchased the Sporting News Magazine yesterday. They have SHU and RU in the back of the pack with SHU one slot ahead of RU. I honestly think they are wrong. SHU will be a middle of the pack team and RU will be better than the SN predicted.
Looked at the All American Team. One senior on the team and we know who that is. That hard playing, hard nose kid from North Carolina. But the others all were underclassman. Seems the NBA has drained the college basketball game of players. I remember when a player had to prove they had a real hardship to come out. It was called the hardship draft. Now it is just an underclass draft. It is almost like saying if a kid gets to be a senior in college he has little chance of being drafted. First good year a kid has he is advised to run from the campus as quick as he can.
Also noticed alot of the 15 players chosen as pre season All Americans were not household HS names. Shows what happens when kids work hard and improve. I would bet that half the kids were not in the McDonalds game. The key remains choosing a school where you are loved and not wanted and where you will play.
Well that's it for now. I hope to get something on here more regular very soon.
2 comments:
The barn at RU is an absolutely horrible place to hold the Eddie Griffin Challenge! To hold something at RU named for a Seton Hall player is an absolute insult! RU is synonymous with losing and unlike RU, SHU is NOT a loser. The only major Division 1 school in the state is Seton Hall and there is no way RU should be allowed to hold such an event. This should be held at Seton Hall, no ifs, ands or buts abut it.
I always thought Salmon was shady due to the the Villanova debacle. After spending some time with him, he's the real deal. Does a lot more than he is given credit for.
On Seton Hall, you've got it slightly wrong:
Inept Athletic Director with own agenda + lunatic Basketball Coach who thinks everyone is on this planet for him + weak University administration who cares little about athletics and would prefer us to be in the MAAC = FAILURE
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