Childhood Lost

I just turned 21 last Tuesday. Certainly one of those "end of an era" moments when you begin to realize that your childhood is in the past. But it wasnt until today that I realized my childhood was in fact over. Why today? American Airlines filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. American has been a part of my life from day one. I got into my first fight on an American flight when I was a year old and a flight attendant woke me from a deep sleep. I learned to walk climbing up and down the stairs at the San Juan Admirals Club. I had multiple birthday parties inside Terminal 3 at O'Hare, running around the Admirals Club playing hide and seek. To be honestly, no where on earth can you find a better glass of sprite than in the original concourse H/K club at O'Hare. I feel in a big way that American in part raised me. It inspired me to dream of a life of business travel, to dream of being the next (and I guess the first non-fictional) Ryan Bingham. And I feel let down. I have drifted away from my parental airline slowly over the past several years. In fact, Southwest has become a mentor to me, showing me how air travel can in fact work in the post-9/11 era where birthday parties in the Admirals Club are no longer a possibility. But I still considered myself a loyal customer of American and made sure to skip out on Southwest whenever American was convenient and whenever I wasnt checking bags (I refuse to pay for bags, period). I couldnt wait until the day I got my first job that involved travel and set out on a life of AAdvantage miles and Admirals Club membership. Now I dont know what to think. My airline has let me down and I feel like a piece of me has declared bankruptcy right alongside AMR. It is a sad day, the end of a childhood I really did enjoy. But now it is time for me to refocus on my life moving forward, just like I know American will refocus itself on emerging from bankruptcy a better airline. Right now, they arent ready for the big time. They are too big, too impersonal, and too caught up in their own bureaucracy to be a functioning business, one dependent on customer service no less. I hope they can recover their sense of what air travel means, their sense of what it takes to make a customer happy and to make money in the process. American needs to change and I hope they do so that all of those fond memories I have of a childhood spent at the airport arent tempered by a reality in which American is simply a terrible airline to deal with. I need them to do my childhood justice. Anyway, no pressure, just do better.

One Final Rant Against the BCS (for tonight at least)

"No more than two teams from a conference may be selected, regardless of whether they are automatic qualifiers or at-large selections, unless two non-champions from the same conference are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the final BCS Standings." This was taken directly from the BCS's own explanation of their system. Think about this clause, seriously think about it. Should this even be necessary? Doesnt the mere fact that this has to be included and that we sit one upset away from it becoming reality put into perspective the stupidity of the entire system? Yes, if LSU loses to Georgia in Saturday night's SEC Championship game, then we will likely face a situation in which LSU maintains a top-2 position, facing Alabama in the BCS Championship game. But the reality is that we dont need this to happen in order to face a situation in which controversy will ensue. Assuming LSU wins, the situation is fairly simple. Does Alabama get in as #2 despite losing at home to LSU? Probably. Totally unfair considering the weakness of the SEC beyond LSU, Bama, and Arkansas (now completely out of the picture, I hope), but likely to happen given the fact that perception is reality when it comes to BCS standings and the perception is that the SEC is king. In reality, Oklahoma State should go if they beat Oklahoma and win the Big-12. Oklahoma State would have 1 loss, on the road, right after a devastating tragedy hit the school. More importantly, they would have won the other top conference in FBS. Two one-loss teams. Two conference champions. The best two conferences. It should be simple. But then again, Montee Ball should be the unanimous winner of the Heisman Trophy and yet Trent Richardson of Alabama is going to run away with that crown as well. Now let's say that LSU gets upset. The likely situation is that LSU and Alabama stay at 1 and 2. The SEC would then have found the sole exception to the two-team cap on a conference's BCS representation and likely would bump a worthy Boise State (who beat Georgia, in Atlanta), Michigan, or potentially even Stanford out of the running. But if common sense prevails and Oklahoma State gets their chance, then what happens? Well, either Alabama or LSU would be left not only out of the BCS Championship but out of the BCS altogether. If LSU stays in the top 2, at least you can argue that they beat Alabama, played the tougher schedule, and won the division. But likely the move would be made by LSU as Alabama sits on the sidelines at #2 and unlikely to move back considering all 5 teams over the course of BCS history to sit out the final team while ranked in the top 2 have held their ground. In that case, Alabama goes to the national championship game and LSU goes to the Capital One Bowl. All this while LSU beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa, played non-conference games against Oregon and at West Virginia, and won the SEC West outright. But they would be headed to Orlando. Any way that you roll the dice, the situation that this weekend presents spells controversy. The BCS just invites it each and every year. But while controversy is to be expected, that last situation, one that if you really think about things, is fairly likely, spells absolute disaster for the BCS. College football fans should be rooting for Georgia to give us a chance to see potential chaos come to fruition. Only when the rules get in the way of a beloved SEC power will the BCS powers that be get things right. They will never go to a playoff unless they have to and if either LSU or Alabama is left out of the BCS altogether, that might just be the situation that gets the ball rolling.

NBA More than A Bunch of Whining Millionaires

The perception that many people have of professional athletes is that they are overpaid, under worked, arrogant individuals who get paid way too much money to essentially play a game for a living. Though it is a reasonable perception given what the public sees of professional sport, it is far from the truth. The median salary among NBA players is in the $2 million range. But what people forget, in addition to the fact that many players are paid salaries well below this median, is the limited career span of an NBA player. The 10-year guaranteed contracts may be what get the publicity, but the average career of an NBA player is just under 5 years. Do the math and that comes out to a median earnings potential of around $10 million. Dont get me wrong, these guys arent poor and in fact are probably part of the infamous 1% crowd. Given that the average career of your everyday white-collar worker is upwards of 35 years, NBA players make on average the equivalent of about $285,000 spread out over that 35 year span. That is definitely a lot of money, but it isnt so much that players can go about their lives without financial worry. And when you think about the consequence of losing a season's worth of salary, the impact is tremendous, the equivalent of losing 7 years of work in a "normal" job. Say what you want about the decision to reject the final offer that NBA owners gave this week. In fact, I would probably agree that they lose leverage with each passing minute. But to say that the players should stop whining and go back to their multi-million dollar mansions is simply an ignorance of the realities that many NBA players face. This lockout fight isnt about the Lebron James' and Chris Paul's of the world, although their decision to stand up for their teammates is to be commended (not Lebron's, but certainly Paul's). Rather, it is about the average players, those guys you see on the bench who have made the game of basketball their livelihood and who are fighting to ensure that they can continue to do so. Just keep that in mind when you call for an end to the fight.

Keep College Athletics In College

I, like the rest of college basketball fandom, cannot wait to see North Carolina take on Michigan State friday on the USS Carl Vinson docked in San Diego. But the more I sit and think about this game, the most it honestly repulses me. I have no problem with having a marquee game on Veterans Day to honor the troops, but I think the "carrier game" is way over the top. Think about it: Two east coast teams traveling across the country during the week, during the middle of the first semester, to play one basketball game lasting 2 hours on an aircraft carrier that is charged with the defense of our nation. When you take away the novelty of the whole thing, it is quite honestly a crazy idea. What it definitely is is simply another example of college athletics getting too big for its own good. To have these student-athletes travel across the country for an exhibition like this is an absurd waste of resources and an even more absurd waste of the student-athletes' time. The two teams could have just as easily honored the troops with a game played in Washington, DC, our nation's capital, in front of an all-military crowd. And guess what? That could have been done without the time and expense of cross country travel and without the added distraction from the academic obligations of these student-athletes. For an NCAA (and a BCS, for this point) that time in and time out talks about keeping time in the classroom in mind when scheduling or setting up games, tournaments, or a potential FBS playoff, this is where the grand hypocrisy begins to rear its ugly head. Because the Quicken Loans Carrier Classic is not really about honoring the troops on Veterans Day, it is about making money. For the schools. For the promoter. It might be politically incorrect to say it, but they are simply using the military backdrop as a means by which to add to the intrigue and the money-making potential of the game. Again, if it was simply about the troops we would have no need to take the teams across the country to an aircraft carrier. Never mind the enormous diversion of military resources that the game requires. So the hoopla that surrounds the carrier game, to me it is a disturbing sign of the influence money has come to have on collegiate athletics. Its not about the student-athletes, its about the money. Solution? Keep college athletics in college. No more NIT in New York. No more Maui Invitational. No more bowl games in resort areas. No more final fours in New Orleans. UNC-Michigan State should be played either in East Lansing or in Chapel Hill. Not San Diego. Not New York. On campus. That's how you clean up collegiate athletics. Keep them in college.

The Loss of a Legacy

Its often been said that it takes years to build a legacy and just 5 minutes to bring it down.

Never has this phrase rung more true than with this week's unveiling of the ongoing issues concerning Jerry Sandusky's pedophilia and its impact on a Penn State football program that sought to keep it under wraps. 

Joe Paterno is a man of integrity, I do not doubt that. He is arguably the greatest coach in the history of college football, although one has to recognize that many of his records are as much the result of longevity as they are of prowess. Just to be a voice of reason, Penn State has only won three conference titles since joining the Big Ten in 1993, two of those being titles shared with Ohio State. 

But Joe Paterno's legacy for integrity and football dominance has been completely wiped away by the allegations that were made public Saturday. Joe Paterno's legacy is now that of a football coach who ignored sexual abuse going on in his program. Even his 409 wins will fail to overshadow that.

While many in the Penn State community are likely to be angered at this point, it is set in stone at this point. Unless Sandusky is found innocent of the crimes he is charged with, Paterno will find himself unable to avoid the association. 

The problem for Paterno is that this wasnt just some rogue assistant, this was his heir apparent, his defensive coordinator, his "number 2". 

Whether he knew or not, Paterno should have known. The allegations against Sandusky were not new and yet he didnt see all that interested in taking Sandusky out of the program, let alone off the streets. 

Joe Paterno should not coach on Saturday. The storm of emotions that are sure to swarm Beaver Stadium will do disservice not only to current players, players trying to hold onto a two-game lead in the Big Ten leaders' division, but more importantly to victims who right now deserve not to have to see the man who had the power to keep them away from harm cheered in his final home game.

Paterno should go out quietly and a final home game will certainly but anything but. Retire now and in a year or so, you can come back and get the warm farewell that you still deserve.

But right now is not the time to do a victory lap. Because with sexual abuse allegations like this, there are no victors.

New Years Day For College Basketball Fans

Its finally here. 216 days. 5184 hours. 311,040 minutes. Thats how long those of us who consider ourselves true college basketball fans have gone without anything to do. Sure, the college football season provides a brief distraction from the boredom, and baseball is always something to while away the hours with, but for true college basketball fans, the summer and fall is spent waiting for November to finally roll around. And tonight, it has. The lineup of games to start the season isnt star-studded (at least until Friday), but it isnt bad. First up is an east coast matchup between William and Mary, perhaps best known as one of the five remaining Division 1 schools to have never played in the NCAA Tournament, and St. Johns, a school fresh off a revival year under first-year coach Steve Lavin that found them in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. The story out of Carneseca Arena, however, is clearly Lavin's bout with cancer and the impact that it has had on his young Red Storm squad. Returning just one scholarship player from last year's 21-win team, the Storm do have the luxury of one of the nation's top recruiting classes but Lavin's illness has made it difficult for those freshman to become acclimated with the ins and outs of college basketball at the pace that St Johns would like. But assistant coach Mike Dunlap, formerly interim head coach at Arizona during Lute Olson's similar bout with cancer, is a capable replacement. Add in the presence of special assistant and former Purdue head coach Gene Keady and the Johnnies should be ready to go against the Tribe. That is, however, provided they are able to overcome a lack of depth in the face of 3 of those heralded freshman- Jakarr Simpson, Norvell Pelle, and Amir Garrett- being ruled ineligible for at least the fall semester. As a result, the Red Storm roster is down to just ten players, including walk-on Sam Sealy. Then again, William and Mary returns a young roster that produced only 11 wins last year and is projected to finish 6th in the CAA. An upset doesnt appear to be in the making. Next on the docket is Mississippi State and Eastern Kentucky. Again, the Bulldogs have a talented roster and should not face much adversity against EKU. But MSU is also facing issues with eligibility, losing Kristers Zeidaks for the remainder of this season and for 11 games next season. But with the Colonels just 1-32 all time against SEC opponents, I dont think Renardo Sidney and crew have much to worry about. The final matchup of the opening night trio pits Arizona and Valparaiso, no doubt the most intriguing of the three. Arizona is on the uptick under Sean Miller, having come within an eyelash of reaching the Final Four for the first time since 2001 last season and riding a wave of recruiting momentum that has Wildcat nation hopeful that the glory days of Lute Olson and company will return under Miller's watch. But the challenge for U of A is obviously replacing Derrick Williams. The #2 pick in the NBA Draft, Williams was Arizona last season and it will be difficult to replace his production, even with the addition of four freshman ranking in the top 30 at their respective positions. If you need anymore evidence of Arizona's vulnerability in the wide open Pac-12, look no further than their 69-68 exhibition loss to Seattle Pacific. Valparaiso is a team that might jump onto some people's radar screens this season and a win in Tucson tonight would certainly help accelerate that process. The Crusaders finished 23-11 last season, racking up a respectable 12-6 record in the competitive Horizon League. As the Horizon League continues to get more attention on the national stage with the success of Butler and the expectations of Ray MaCallum's Detroit squad, Valpo could become a household name with a few key victories. Tonights matchup with Arizona is the first of two non-conference dates with ranked opponents, the next coming on November 25th when Bryce Drew's squad heads to Columbus to face #3 Ohio State. A win in either game would thrust Valpo back into the Sportscenter queue. So while the real action starts on Friday with 126 games, including the "carrier classic" between Michigan State and UNC, tonight is an appealing first course. Its been 216 days and with just a half hour remaining, the college basketball season is just about here.

Forgetting The Context

After a year of NCAA violations ripping through some of the nation's preeminent college football programs, the latest scandal involving the Penn State football program takes the disgust over what happened at Ohio State and Miami to a completely different level. Penn State didnt just violate NCAA bylaws (in fact, they probably didnt violate those at all), they violated our nation's laws and more importantly, the laws of human morality.

It is troubling enough that a division one defensive coordinator would use his position of power to take advantage of young boys and satisfy his pedophilic desires, but it is perhaps more troubling that those around the program would ignore this man's transgressions in the hope of continuing to win football games.

For nearly a decade.

Yes, nearly ten years passed from the time an unsuspecting graduate assistant first witnessed former Nittany Lion defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy in the team's shower area and reported his frightening observation to program superiors, specifically to head coach Joe Paterno.

Over those ten years, Sandusky was able to walk the face of the earth in freedom, freedom to continue ruining the lives of young children whose traumatic experiences would no doubt haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Why?

Because allegations like this, concerning a man in Sandusky tapped by many at one point to be the likely successor to the legendary Paterno, would spell disaster for the Nittany Lion program and would tarnish the legacy of the great JoePa.

Because allegations like this would hurt recruiting and make it difficult for Penn State to continue fielding a team that could compete at the highest level on a national stage.

Because allegations like this threatened to take Penn State back to the pre-Paterno days during which State College was simply a cloistered town in central Pennsylvania that just happened to house a state university.

Because to those involved, it wasnt worth saving numerous young boys from the terror of Sandusky if it meant the end of Penn State football.

It is sickening just having to imagine how this thought process played itself out, how despite these allegations making their way all the way to the desk of Penn State President Graham Spainer's desk, the only result was Sandusky's ban on use of PSU football facilities.

No police report. No further investigation.

Perhaps even more sickening is the reality that Penn State probably isnt the only program in today's landscape of college football that would choose the same path of immorality in order to save their program. College football has become too much of a money-maker, too much of a measuring stick of the viability of major research universities that despite the sickening nature of what went on, I do not think it is crazy to conclude that other programs out there would choose the same course of inaction.

Football has become larger than life and that is a dangerous reality that we as Americans must reevaluate.

It is sad that we have to hear comments such as "Well, Tuscaloosa was destroyed and people died, but at least Bryant-Denny Stadium was spared from damage". And yes, I didnt pull that out of thin air, someone actually said that on the set of College Gameday on Saturday.

It is sickening that despite the evidence showing how NFL players across the board are dying at a significantly younger age than the population, it is more important that we keep the game hard-hitting and exciting.

And it is sickening that a university would even think for a second to hide away the transgressions of one of its own in order to maintain the football program's ability to recruit at a high level.

What has happened at Penn State will forever tarnish one of the game's great personalities in Joe Paterno. Whether or not Paterno is fired (which he should be, but likely wont), JoePa will now be remembered for allowing this abuse to occur under his watch, perhaps even more so than for his Division 1-record 409 wins.

But one can only hope that this incident gives rise to a national rethinking of the role football plays in our society. One can only hope that other programs dont simply shrug this incident off as an isolated event, because while the actual disgrace is confined to State College, the principles that led to it are prevalent throughout college athletics.

Football is just a game. The spectacle with which games are conducted may seem to some as "larger than life", but the reality is that nothing overshadows the importance of life itself.

Nothing.

Even football.