NFL Draft: Why a Team May Take a Chance and Draft Kyler Murray

Don’t be surprised if you see an NFL team take a chance and draft Kyler Murray in the 2019 NFL Draft. Would an NFL team really draft a player who was a top-ten pick in the most recent MLB Draft and got a cool $4.66 million signing bonus? Why would a franchise use a draft pick on a player who may not be playing for them?

The entire NFL Draft is one big gamble

The entire process is a crap-shoot. Each pick is a lotto ticket; you’ve got a chance to hit on a franchise changing player. You could either get a complete bust, hit for a solid player, or you could hit the jackpot and win an All-Pro Hall or Hall of Famer.

NFL teams have been preparing for the 2019 NFL draft since the last pick was announced in 2018, if not sooner than that. Most, if not all, of them, are looking for the best player available in this draft not playing this sport right now. Like Antonio Gates or Jimmy Graham who were college basketball players.  It’d be unconventional for an NFL team to draft Kyler Murray who will be playing in an MLB team’s minor league system. But unconventional thinking is what often leads to brilliance.

When/if a team does take Murray, he’d be under contract with the A’s. So he would need clearance to sign with an NFL team. Next, if a team drafted Kyler Murray and wanted to hang onto him in the hopes of a return to football, they’d have to sign him to a rookie contract. If Murray didn’t sign by the 2020 Draft, his rights would become draft-eligible once again.

Like Bo, Kyler Knows

Look at Kyler Murray’s lone season as the starting quarterback of the Sooners, and you’ve seen a TON of brilliance. He led Lincoln Riley’s Oklahoma offense, which ranked #1 overall in the nation. Murray showed he is arguably the most electrifying athlete in all of college football. He did all of this on the gridiron AFTER hitting .296 for the Sooners baseball team, adding 10 HR, 47 RBI, and ten stolen bases. He can hit, play solid defense, absolutely fly, and he’s got a cannon for an arm. He’s an ideal fit in center field while batting at the top of the order. Think Mookie Betts for the Boston Red Sox.

Kyler Murray Wouldn’t Be the First

This situation played out in 1986-87 with Auburn legend, running back Bo Jackson. Like Murray is now, Jackson was a top baseball prospect while also a top football prospect. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held the first overall pick in the 1986 NFL Draft and wanted Jackson. But, Jackson told Tampa Bay he didn’t want to play for them, wouldn’t sign with them. Jackson believed they intentionally got him to break NCAA rules which made him ineligible to play football at Auburn. So, he said he would play pro baseball if they selected him. Tampa Bay still went ahead and gambled on Jackson changing his mind, only to see him do exactly what he said he would, which was not sign and play pro baseball. The Buccaneers had nothing to show for their first overall pick in 1986, and the Raiders ended up drafting Bo Jackson in the seventh round of the 1987 Draft.

Another similar gamble would occur about a decade and a half later with Drew Henson. In 2001, he left college before his senior season, to sign a 6-year $17 million contract with the New York Yankees. Henson was most likely going to be a first-round pick if he were in the 2002 Draft, with there even being serious talk of him being a potential number one overall pick. In 2003, the Houston Texans used a sixth-round pick on the former Michigan quarterback and current struggling New York Yankees third base prospect. The Texans later flipped Henson for a third-round pick in a deal the following year, sending Henson to the Dallas Cowboys, who were searching for Troy Aikman’s replacement still three years after his retirement. That gamble, unlike for the Bucs, paid off for the Texans.

On the flip side, there’s one gamble that followed the same model just in reverse order. That would be Jeff Samardzija, a current major league pitcher and former two-time All-American wide receiver for Notre Dame. He was on track to be a first or second-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. But before any team in the NFL had a shot at a selecting Samardzija, he pulled his name from the Draft after signing with the Cubs in January of 2007. Today, Jeff Samardzija is in his eleventh season in the major leagues and according to Spotrac, has made approximately $88.6 million.

The predicament Kyler Murray finds himself in is a difficult one. There are guaranteed contracts in baseball and less wear on the body. Would he give up baseball for a chance to be ‘the next Russell Wilson,’? Wilson still gets the best of both worlds. Every offseason he attends spring training for the team that owns his right. This year, after having his rights traded to the New York Yankees he even played in a few games.

Kyler Murray is electrifying on the football field, and he’s good enough at baseball for a team to bet almost $5 million on him. The Oakland A’s have said they drafted Murray and signed him to the contract they did with the understanding that he’d play one last season of college football before turning his attention to baseball full-time. In a recent piece by Julian Williams of The Athletic, Murray was, when asked about his future in baseball and football, quoted as saying his “future is already decided as of now” but that he “would love to play (both professionally) if that was possible.”

We Know What Kyler Wants, as of Now

Teams have four months or so to decide whether or not to spend a pick on Kyler Murray. Murray, if selected in the fourth round, he’d be looking at a four-year deal worth (approx) $3-4 million and about a $700k signing bonus. In comparison, his signing bonus in baseball would be close to seven times as much as it would be in football. That’s a lot less money for a lot more damage to your body. But an NFL team could strike gold in Murray, and the possibility of gold could be too much for a team to pass up. Murray’s immediate future seems to be on the baseball diamond. But that is, in the words of Kyler Murray himself, “as of now.”

Dwyane Wade: The Man Who Helped LeBron James Become A Champion

Dwyane Wade will go down as one of the greatest basketball players to ever live. His impact on the game since his arrival in the NBA back in 2003 will never be forgotten. Wade was known for his “clutch genes” as he always seemed to close out games in big spots when his team needed him most. During the 2006 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat faced a 0-2 deficit to the Dallas Mavericks. Needing to turn the tide, Wade put the team on his back and lead the Heat to four straight wins behind #3’s stellar four-game run of 42, 36, 43, and 36 points.

Winning the NBA Finals in ’06 was an amazing accomplishment, but it may not be his crowning achievement. Wade did something that changed the landscape of the NBA. One player, in particular, cannot thank Wade enough for what he did just a few short years ago.

Dwyane Wade helped LeBron James become a champion.

At the end of the 2009-2010 NBA season, LeBron James was at a crossroads in his career. James was the best player in the league. The numbers supported that as “The King” was coming off a season of 29.7 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.9 rebounds. However, the supporting cast in Cleveland was almost nonexistent. Mo Williams, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, and an aging Shaquille O’Neal were arguably the best players around James that season. Not surprisingly, James and the Cavaliers were bounced from the playoffs in the second round. James did lead Cleveland to the NBA Finals in 2007, but the Spurs were the superior team and made quick work of the Cavs. The comparisons to Michael Jordan started to become lopsided in Jordan’s favor because James did not have that elusive championship. The pressure was on. LeBron knew one thing and one thing only: It was time to win a championship.

In Miami, Wade was in the prime of his career. “Flash” was two years removed from leading the league in scoring with 30.2 points per game. In the 2010 playoffs, Wade averaged 33.2 points per game, but the Heat were bounced out of the playoffs in five games. Wade could’ve gone on with his career as “the guy” in Miami. He still would have been a first ballot Hall of Famer. Instead, Wade recruited LeBron and Chris Bosh to travel down to Miami to team up and create “The Big Three.” All three players took less money to come to Miami and form this super team. Players regularly leave teams to become the top dog (Kyrie Irving comes to mind). Wade did the opposite. He invited two of the top players in the game to come to his town and join the team because he knew it was for the best. However, Wade’s biggest act of unselfishness would come a year later.

Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James

Skip ahead to the 2011-2012 season. The Heat were coming off of a disappointing loss in the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. LeBron still could not get over the hump and win a championship. He needed one to add to his legacy and silence the critics who said he could not win the “big one.” This is where D-Wade did the unthinkable.

Wade took a step back.

Wade was still at the top of his game in the prime of his career. He averaged over 25 points per game in that first season with LeBron as a teammate. However, Wade realized that for the team to succeed, he needed to take a step back and let LeBron become the top guy. That’s not an easy pill to swallow for an all-star talent to play second fiddle. Wade lead his team to a championship before, which is something LeBron had not done yet. Miami was Wade’s city, and yet he unselfishly avoided conflict and told LeBron that it was his time to take over. Wade was an unbelievable player, but he was not LeBron, and he knew that. For the good of the team, he let LeBron take the keys and lead the way as Wade happily became his sidekick.

The Heat ended up playing in four straight finals, winning two consecutive championships in the middle of that run. Because of Wade’s ability to do what was best for the team, both he and LeBron added multiple championships to their legacy. Looking back, asking the returning player to step back on his own team and make way for the prized free agent was unheard of, but Wade comes from a different breed. Wade’s selflessness should not go unnoticed. It is a decision that I will never forget.

Dwyane Wade helped LeBron James become a champion and changed the face of the NBA.

College Football Players Are Not Obligated to Play in Bowl Games

Will Grier Bowl Games Sitting West Virginia

Why do fans expect an “amateur” football player to put his career and livelihood on the line for what amounts to an exhibition game? On Saturday, West Virginia University announced that starting quarterback Will Grier will not be participating in the Camping World Bowl game against Syracuse. His decision not to participate in bowl games to focus on preparation for the NFL Draft did not sit well with some college football fans. He joined the list of more than a dozen players who will skip their teams’ bowl games.

Grier made the following statement informing fans of his decision.

Fans have no right to be upset with unpaid “amateur” athletes for choosing to further their professional careers.  After all is that not what a major part of the college experience is all about, learning to make tactical business decisions to be better professionally.  Grier did just that.  He made a tactical business decision to protect his potential professional career by not subjecting himself to injury in the bowl game.

Furthermore, Grier is slated to be a first or second-round draft pick. Would it really make sense for Grier to jeopardize his NFL draft potential by playing in a bowl game? The answer is simple. No, it would not make sense.

The Minimal Reward is Not Worth the Risk

The risk of injury in bowl games simply is not worth it for a college football player with a high NFL Draft potential. Bowl participants receive what amounts to very little for their participation. Participants receive a bowl gift and bragging rights for a year. Bowl gifts are nice and fun. However, they are minuscule when compared to the salaries and bonuses that coaches receive for bowl participation. This is especially true for a player like Will Grier who has already accomplished the pinnacle of what college sports and “amateurism” is supposed to be about – degree completion.

A degree is extremely valuable and can lead to a better life. Receipt of scholarship money to acquire a degree is very valuable as well.  However, a scholarship often does not equate to a college athlete’s full market value. Why should a player with the potential to finally receive their full fair market value for their athletic prowess risk a potential career ending injury in a game that is not going to compensate him up to his full value? Again, the answer is simple. No athlete should take that risk.  No fan should expect them to.

College Football Players Should not be Vilified for Opting Out of Bowl Games

Suiting up for any game carries a risk of injury. However, dissenting fans argue that it is only one more game, so the players should play. While it may only be one more game, the risk of injury is ever-present. In fact, the risk of injury is so prevalent that Grier is not the only player sitting out of a bowl game this year. In the past, players like Jaylon Smith and Jake Butt have suffered a serious injury which impacted their draft position.  Specifically, Ed Oliver, Rashan Gary, N’Keal Harry, Greedy Williams, and Grier’s teammate Yodny Cajuste are among those that have opted out of their respective bowl games this year to prepare for the NFL.

Some fans are equally upset by these decisions.  They argue that such players are being selfish and are quitting on their teams. However, that is not true. The players who opt out are not doing it to quit on their team. They are doing it to protect their future career prospects so that they may finally receive market value for their talents.  Despite what fans may think, college football players are not obligated to risk a career-ending injury for their viewing pleasure. Accordingly, players who opt out should not be vilified for their decision.

Players are not the Only Ones who Opt Out; Coaches do Too

Players are not the only ones who opt out of bowl games.  Coaches opt out as well.  Every year, several coaches leave their teams to take jobs at other schools in the midst of bowl game preparation.  Coaches are allowed to make business decisions for the betterment of their careers, just as players should be.

Whether people want to acknowledge it or not, college football is a business.  Therefore, all parties involved should be allowed to make decisions that are in the best interest of their careers. This freedom of movement may upset some fans. However, players and coaches should be able to make whatever decision is best for their career.

Kyler Murray is a Perfect Example of Why the Teenage Twitter Police are Predators

Kyler Murray Tweets Heisman

If you wait to bring people down in their in their shining moment, you are a predator.

Kyler Murray wins the Heisman, and on a night he is celebrated, the teenage twitter police wanted to tear him down. Y’all are going to have to stop trying to hold people’s feet to the fire for things they tweeted while 14-15 years old. People evolve and grow from stupid teens. Kyler Murray is now 21 years old. Consider the things did and believed to be true at 14 versus the things you did and believed at 21. Now stack that on top of the things you believe and do now. There was likely a ton of evolution of thought and maturity there.

Our need in society to tear people down in their greatest moments is sickening. Whoever unearthed Kyler Murray’s tweets from when he was 14 and waited to bring them out publicly should be embarrassed. The first click bait article about it 10 minutes after the Heisman ceremony was over. When somebody makes statements, tweets, or remarks that may be perceived as racist, sexist, or disparaging against someone’s sexuality it is fair for people to ask them about it. However, for someone to screenshot deleted tweets and hold on to them until your moment in the sun is wrong. Lying in wait to attack is predatory behavior. This is no different than showing up at someone’s housewarming and asking them about the time they got arrested for shoplifting or asking someone at their wedding reception about the time their child died.

After I said this on Twitter and Facebook a few people asked me would I feel differently if Murray’s tweets had been racist by a white person. I said no. In fact, this did happen multiple times in 2018. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen had racist tweets surface right before the NFL draft. Also, Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo had tweets come out immediately after he was named NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. I don’t know if either one of them is racist, but I realize that even if they were things could have changed from 14-21. They must be judged by their actions and character now. We cannot reasonably expect teenagers to tweet responsibly when adults find it a tough task.

Change Happens

When I was at  Oregon, I played with a guy who grew up with the skinheads and Aryan Nation crowd. I knew him for years, and even though we weren’t particularly close, his racist perspective wasn’t obvious. During my redshirt sophomore year, we sat down and had a very real conversation. He told me about his past and how coming to college was the best thing for him. He saw how wrong the people were who taught him falsehoods about people of other races. His college experience with friends and teammates showed him there were two kinds of people: good and bad. He learned that character was most important, not skin color. I’m not sure if that moment was where his epiphany happened or whether he just wanted to share it.

So, I hate to give him the only true test of racism. I asked him would he have a problem is one of the “good Black guys” married his daughter would he be ok with it. His honesty was, and vulnerability was admirable. He said it would be hard because an interracial marriage would cause so much tension within his family and community. However, if he treated her great, I would be happy and accept him and defend him.

The entire time I was sitting there in shock at what I was hearing. At 20 years old, I would have expected to hear this from a kid from the south or middle America, but not a kid from the melting pot that is southern California. My conversation with him did teach me a valuable lesson. We have to allow people room to grow, mature, and change. Everyone must be accountable for their words and actions, but we cannot be shortsighted enough to permanently label them racist, sexist, and homophobic. Imagine if there were social media and smartphones around to capture the ridiculous things you did and said as a kid. I can raise my hand and honestly say I would have a lot of questions to answer. So why on earth would people try and hold someone’s teenage tweets against them?

Let’s be wary not to tear people down in their golden moments. We have to judge people for who they are, not who they were.

Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley named as Eddie Robinson Award finalist

Lincoln Riley

Oklahoma Sooners’ head coach Lincoln Riley has been named as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award.

Just two seasons into his first head coaching job, and Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley has certainly had an impressive run. And now, on the cusp of a back-to-back trip to the College Football Playoffs, Riley has been named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. The award is presented by the Football Writers Association of America in conjunction with the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Lincoln Riley was one of eight finalists announced on Wednesday. The entire list includes Josh Heupel (UCF), Brian Kelly (Notre Dame), Jeff Monken (Army), Nick Saban (Alabama), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), and Jeff Tedford (Fresno State). Brian Kelly and Nick Saban are the only finalists named to have won the award in previous seasons.

Riley has taken the Sooners to back-to-back 12-1 seasons with back-to-back Playoff berths. Oklahoma has one of the nation’s top offenses behind quarterback and Heisman hopeful, Kyler Murray. Finishing at No. 4 in the College Football Playoffs final rankings, the Sooners had been a fringe team throughout the second half of the season. With a Texas Longhorns team that had been improving throughout the season, Oklahoma’s playoff implications rode on the Big 12 Championship.

In the Red River Rivalry–the Sooners’ only loss on the season–Oklahoma didn’t play as physically on defense, which raised some red flags as to whether the second year of the Lincoln Riley era was about to unravel. With the firing of defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, the defense was still an issue under interim defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill. With the Longhorns on the schedule again for the Big 12 Championship, this was a must-win game for the Sooners for a Playoff berth, and the game to catapult Murray into the top of the Heisman discussion.

Not only did the Sooners, win, they became the first Power Five team to win four Conference Championships outright in a row for the first time since Florida in the mid-’90s. Moreover, the win showed that Oklahoma is capable of applying some defensive grit, as the Sooners shut UT out of the endzone throughout the entire fourth quarter.

Oklahoma is still 108th in the nation in total defense, but offensively, the Sooners are the No. 1 team in the country through 13 games. In 859 plays this season, Oklahoma has amassed 7,513 total yards of offense, averaging 8.75 yards-per-play. An even more impressive statistic is that the Sooners are averaging 577.9 yards-per-game. To draw contrast from other Eddie Robinson finalists, UCF is third in total offense, while Clemson is 5th, followed by Alabama at 7th, Notre Dame at 28th, Fresno State at 49th, and Army at 81st.

The No. 4 ranked Sooners will face Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Saturday, December 29th. With back-to-back seasons where Lincoln Riley’s quarterbacks are turning pro, it will be interesting to see how he develops the Sooners’ new gunslingers in the future, which have helped Riley create a fluid identity during his head coaching career.

The 2018 Eddie Robinson Award will be announced on Thursday, December, 13, with the official presentation reception on January 5, 2019, in San Jose, Calif.

Want More? Check Out: College Football: Before You Fire Your Head Coach Take the US Coaching Test

More Impressive Run: Derrick Henry Or Marshawn Lynch?

Derrick Henry 99 yard TD Jacksonville Jaguars Tennessee Titans

Nothing Gets The Blood Going Like a Huge Stiff Arm.

Last night, in a game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans, running back Derrick Henry made NFL history with a 99-yard rushing touchdown, joining Tony Dorsett as the only two players in NFL history to ever accomplish that feat. Henry’s run showcased his speed, size, and most importantly, strength, as he stiff-armed a few Jaguar defenders on his way to the end zone. If you haven’t seen the run, check it out below.

Pretty impressive, right? Since society never takes a moment to appreciate greatness and always looks for comparisons (guilty), fans are now comparing Henry’s run to another famous rushing touchdown from Marshawn Lynch, which is known as the “Beast Quake.”

Here’s the question: Who had the more impressive run, Henry or Lynch?

Let’s break it down!

Derrick Henry vs. Marshawn Lynch

*Note: Each category has a points scale from 1-5. Highest combined total after 4 categories wins.*

Degree of Difficulty (Before The Run)

To set the scene, Henry’s run started at the 1-yard line in a one-possession game in the 2nd quarter against a Jaguars defense that was ranked in the top 10 in multiple defensive categories. Lynch’s run occurred on the 33-yard line in a one-possession game in the 4th quarter of a playoff game. There is no doubt that Lynch’s run was a bigger pressure moment because of the nature of the playing in the playoffs. However, if we’re looking at the runs for where they are on the field without taking into account the time and score, Henry’s play gets the edge over Lynch.

Henry – 4.9

Lynch – 4.3

Degree of Difficulty (During The Run)

The hole was clogged up when Henry first touched the ball, but the former Heisman trophy winner was patient. Once a block developed, Henry powered through the trenches and gained some breathing room in the open field. Then, Henry annihilated A.J. Bouye with a stiff arm that sent the Jags defender to the ground. After a burst of speed, Henry then stiff-armed Leon Jacobs to the ground before a cutback, another tackle break via stiff arm, and a final sprint before reaching the end zone. All in all, Henry had 81 yards after contact on the play.

On Lynch’s run, the question is not if he broke a tackle. The question is: How many tackles did Lynch end up breaking? On the Beastquake, Marshawn Lynch broke 9 (!) tackles. NINE. When Lynch started his run, he was met head-on at the line. Lynch broke the two tackles, gained some speed, broke a billion (not quite, but close to it) more tackles, and then somehow, Lynch gained more speed. How?

Lynch followed that up with a lethal stiff arm, two more broken tackles, and a dive into the end zone. Henry used three stiff arms to break a few tackles. Lynch seemingly broke a tackle from every member of the defense. Lynch has the edge here.

Henry – 4.5

Lynch – 4.9

Better Stiff Arm(s)

This category comes down to personal preference.

This…

and this…

OR this…

Two might be better than one in most cases, but I’m calling this a tie.

Henry – 4.8

Lynch – 4.8

“The Moment”

If we’re breaking down the runs without any context, both are very impressive. However, and this is not Henry’s fault, you have to take into account, “The Moment.” Henry’s run was amazing and will be a well-remembered highlight for years to come, but it came during the second quarter of a Thursday Night Football matchup in Week 14. On the other hand, Lynch’s run came in the fourth quarter of a one-possession game against the Saints in the Wildcard Round of the NFL playoffs. The Saints were heavily favored in the game as 10 point favorites while the Seahawks made the playoffs with a record below .500. If Lynch doesn’t break this run or at least get a first down, the Saints would have called timeout. They stop the Seahawks on third down, force a punt, and then Drew Brees gets a chance to take the Saints down the field for the win. I understand that I’m using “what ifs,” but that has to be taken into account. Lynch put the team on his back during the biggest spot of the game.

Henry – 4.2

Lynch – 5.0

Final Score

Henry – 18.4 / 20

Lynch – 19.0 / 20

Lynch’s run was more impressive, but that does not take away from Henry’s jaw-dropping touchdown. I hope both highlights are shown back-to-back when describing the greatest runs in NFL history.

Interview w/Ricky Volante: Historical Basketball League Plans to Disrupt NCAA

Historical Basketball League

Educate and Compensate

Should college athletes be paid? The Historical Basketball League says yes. The HBL is a start-up basketball league that plans to disrupt the NCAA’s current economic model. It was co-founded by sports and entertainment attorney Ricky Volante and economist Andy Schwarz. The HBL plans to totally disrupt the NCAA’s system. Their aim is to give “basketball athletes a unique US-based opportunity without economic and academic exploitation.” With its inaugural season set for 2020, the HBL plans to pay their players their market value while ensuring they receive a quality education.

There are college sports fans on both sides of the debate about compensating college athletes. Opponents contend that an athletic scholarship is a sufficient compensation for the hard work that college athletes put in. They also contend that college athletes who wish to be paid should simply play where they can receive payment. Whereas, supporters contend that an athletic scholarship is not enough compensation for the billion dollar industry that the labor of college athletes propels. Until recently the only such option was to play in a professional league in another country.

In November, the HBL announced that former two-time NBA Champion David West would be joining the league as its first Chief Operating Officer (COO).  In light of this announcement, I interviewed Ricky Volante to get more insight into the HBL and exactly how it plans to take over the college basketball market by educating and compensating the players.

Kassandra: First, before we dive into the Historical Basketball League could you tell me a little about yourself?

Ricky:  I started off as an attorney based in Cleveland, Ohio working with individuals and issues related to sports, film, and music. I got the opportunity to work with a number of athletes during their professional careers. While in law school, I worked with one of the mid-major five conferences. There, I got the opportunity to see how things worked within the enforcement side of the NCAA’s amateurism rules. Those two experiences were a driving factor for me getting more involved with college sports and led to Andy and me connecting.

Kassandra:  Could you briefly explain what the Historical Basketball League is?  What Prompted you and Andy Schwarz to create the league?

Ricky:  Essentially we are building the Historical Basketball League to become the primary opportunity starting with men’s college basketball players. Initially, Andy and I came together to write an article analyzing the O’Bannon decision. During that time, we both realized a similar passion related to bringing about change within college sports. He then shared with me the original iteration of the HBL. He thought it was a way to bring about change by putting it into economist terminology.

The way he presented it was that you break up an economic cartel in four ways.  Number one is legislation. It simply is not going to happen legislatively given the current political climate. Furthermore, legislation is not going to be drafted to benefit predominately black college athletes.  Number two is litigation.  He [Andy] has been involved in White v NCAA, Obannon v NCAA, and now Alston v NCAA. In various ways, those litigations have chipped away at little pieces of the amateurism mold. However, there have not been wholesale changes to the very foundation.

Number three is an organization or unionization. This failed at Northwestern. The NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) punted on the decision and did not allow the Northwestern players to unionize. Accordingly, there are additional restrictions for students at a public university to try to unionize. Therefore, for now, that door seems closed. The only option left [to break up an economic cartel] was competition. We decided to form a league that would compete with the NCAA. Initially, we were focused on that competitive element maybe bringing about change to the NCAA. However, we have now shifted into a focal point of replacing them as the primary option for college basketball players.

Kassandra:  What is the structure of the league and how will it operate?

Ricky:  We will be structured as a single entity.  Therefore, all of the players will be employed by the HBL.  The teams will be owned by the HBL. There will be a centralized leadership group as opposed to the traditional ownership model that is employed by the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL.  For those who may not be aware, there are other single entity leagues. The NBA G-League, Major League Soccer, and Major League Lacross are single entity leagues. We are by no means inventing the wheel, we are just utilizing what is already in existence to our benefit.

There are a few reasons for doing that. One is that we want to have controlled sustained growth as opposed to the rocketship mentality of let’s see how high and how far we go and how fast we can get there.  That [mentatilty] has been the main reason for start-up leagues to ultimately crumble and fail when they try to compete with a long-standing incumbent such as the NCAA.

For both legal reasons and from a business standpoint, we wanted to have that single entity structure in place. Our league is going to be comprised of teams operating out of various cities across the country that will be closely located to a number of universities that will ultimately be providing the educational piece of our player’s compensation package.

Kassandra:  The HBL has chosen 20 potential cities to host HBL teams. How were the potential Cities Chosen?

Ricky:  We looked at a range of factors.  First and foremost we wanted cities that would be beneficial and attractive to players to live in.  Second, we wanted the teams to be in close proximity to a number of universities. With the model we are using there is no one to one match. For example, our Cleveland, Ohio team could have players [attending] Cleveland State, Case Western, Akron, and a number of other universities.  We wanted to create as many options for the players as possible. The available schools would likely play a factor in the player deciding what city to play in. Therefore, if a player always wanted to attend a certain school that player would pick the city that is closest to that school.

Also, we wanted to pick cities that we felt would be attractive to team operators, potential sponsors, and that would create an opportunity for us to grow the revenue of the league as we continue to develop.

Kassandra:  How will the final cities be selected?

Ricky:  The cities will be narrowed down from 20 to 12 on a first come first serve basis.  We are reaching out to potential team operators. Potential team operators are reaching out to us.  A team operator will be a shareholder of the HBL. The team operator will control certain elements of the team, but will not own the team.  The team operator will have access to certain other rights.  Team operators will have input on venue selection, jersey design, team name, and other things depending on how early they get involved.

Kassandra: Being that we are both from Virginia, I have to say I am pulling for Richmond, Virginia.

Ricky:  I am too. We also considered the saturation of the sports market in particular cities when we selected the potential cities.  Richmond only has a minor league baseball team and a number of universities. These facts made it sort of a perfect option for us. The city has gone through a lot of renovations in terms of infrastructure, transportation, and investment in certain developments in the area. It is a much more attractive city to live in now. However, it does not have a major sports team to latch on to as a city. This is why Richmond is one of our primary choices even though people may not think of it as a first thought city when it comes to sports.

Kassandra:  Originally the HBL wanted to get schools, specifically Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to participate in the league. Is that still a goal?

Ricky:  We wanted to keep the HBCU element alive as best we could.  Selecting cities that were near HBCUs was another factor we considered. Our southeastern cities are areas where HBCUs are clustered together. However, this is a pretty drastic shift from what the original plan was where the teams would be the universities’. That plan is long since gone.  We ultimately decided that as the new entrant into the market we needed be agile and able to move very quickly. For good reason, institutions of higher education do not have that ability because there is a lot of bureaucracy and red-tape. We decided that to create the best atmosphere and product for our players, we did not want to have the direct involvement of higher education in our leadership team.

However, we do still view institutions as a huge resource and opportunity for our players from an educational standpoint. It is essentially divided up. Universities are going to handle the educational side. We will handle the commercialized sports side. Everybody gets to stick to their strengths. In short, is there a direct link to HBCUs in our current model? No. However, we picked cities with that [HBCUs] in mind. Hopefully, a number of our players will be attending HBCUs while playing for the HBL.

Kassandra:  Since you moved away from the schools to the city model, what are the Title IX ramifications? Are there any?

Ricky:  I suppose we will not have the answer until we are truly up and running. As of today, we are very comfortable with the idea that the money we put into scholarships for our players is unlikely to be subject to Title IX. However, if it is we are not shying away from the possibility of doing a matching donation to an institution. However, I do not think it will be a problem.

Kassandra:  What has been some of the challenges in creating the HBL?

Ricky:  Undercapitalization is the biggest challenge for any startup, and we are no different.  However, with the addition of David [West], we are very quickly getting over that hurdle. Our biggest hurdle to date was the question of  – who is your basketball person? Andy, myself, the advisory board, and others who have been involved have great minds within sports business. However, no one played in the NBA or played college basketball as far as I am aware.  This was a continuous criticism. We were faced with the question of how could we look a family in the eye and say we know what is best for you in your basketball career? Therefore, it became my primary focus to answer that question.  David was at the top of my short list from day one.

Kassandra:  How did you get David West involved? What do you hope to gain from his involvement?

Ricky: I believe I waited all of seven minutes after he announced his retirement to begin the reach out process. We were very lucky to get him on board. Now we are able to say don’t take it from us, take it from this gentleman who played four years at Xavier, who had a successful 15-year career in the NBA, and who is a two-time NBA Champion with a college degree. 

Furthermore, David and his brother run one of the top AAU programs in the country. Therefore, he is intimately tied to the grassroots basketball community at the high school level. He is a “pros pro.”  You can ask anybody in the league whether, in the front office or players who played with or against him, everyone has a great deal of respect for David.  David thinks holistically about the development of players, bringing together both the basketball and educational side. David checks a lot of boxes that we did not have checked before getting him on board.

Kassandra:  Are there any other big names to fill any other positions in the works?

Ricky:  I do not know about filling positions per se within our leadership team.  However, as far as the next big names go, we are primarily focused on the first team operator, first team coach, and the first player.  We want to make big splashes with each of those firsts.

Kassandra:  Do you foresee issues with getting athletes interested in the HBL with the NBA G-League’s new program?

Background: This fall the NBA announced an alternative to college basketball for elite men’s basketball players. Elite players will have the option of receiving a “select-contract” valued at $125,000 to play in the NBA G-League.

Ricky: I do not see it as an issue for us. Most people have portrayed this as a potential negative for us, but I view it as a positive.  First and foremost, it proved that our compensation range is right on the mark. We were publicly saying that $50,000-$100,000 would be our salary range.  We had internally discussed exceeding $100,00 in the right situation.   Shortly after the G-League announced the $125,000 “select-contract” we announced our maximum salary range would increase to $150,000. In a way, it set the market for us and validated what we were thinking from an economic and business standpoint.

I appreciate the G-League providing another option for players, but it is still playing into the false choice of education or compensation. We are focused on education and compensation. Being that we are offering education and a higher maximum salary than the G-Leauge, we will be an attractive option to players. When you compare the cities that we are going to be in with the cities that the G-League is in, our cities will likely be more attractive to players looking to build a brand.

Kassandra:  The players will be able to be represented by agents. Is the HBL going to have its own certification process for agents?

Ricky:  We are going to have a certification program for HBL agents. Agents often get a bad reputation. There are some bad apples out there. However, not all agents are bad. Since the players are at a very vulnerable time in the life, we are going to have protections in place. We are going to do our best to protect the players.  Also, we are going to have a certification process for financial advisors as well. The NFLPA has a registration system for financial advisors, and we will have a similar program to ensure that we know who is helping with the financial management of our players.

Kassandra:  Where do you see the HBL in five years?

Ricky: I would like to see us up to between 24 and 30 teams.  I would like to see us crossing into at least the $500 million and potentially 1 billion dollar threshold in terms of revenue generated by the league. Hopefully, by year five, we will be the primary destination of 50 or more percent of the top 25 players every year from every recruiting class.

Also, five years down the road our first recruiting class will have graduated. Hopefully, every one of our players whether in the NBA, in an international league, or doing something outside of basketball will be having a successful career. An outcome for us is not limited to success in the NBA. If we have a player who plays for us for five years and graduates with a four-year degree and a master degree who starts his own business with the salary received from the HBL, that would be a wonderful outcome as well.

Kassandra: What is the HBL Foundation?

Ricky:  The HBL foundation website launched on Tuesday, November 27th. The foundation is primarily focused on providing educational opportunities, resources, and support for students in need that are often overlooked.  The foundation will have both an athlete scholarship fund and a business of sports scholarship fund for non-athletes looking to enter sectors that service the sports world. Sectors such as athletic training, journalism, or sports management.

Unfortunately, in the current system, if you accept a traditional college athletic scholarship, it comes with a lot of ties that are often detrimental to the player. The player has to maintain both academic and athletic eligibility. This often means that the player cannot get a job to cover any cost the player or the player’s family may have while in college.  It also means that the player is pretty much at the mercy of their coach. We want to create an alternative option where our scholarship fund (both the one for athletes and for non-athletes) can cover that cost of attendance.

The foundation will also create original content. The content will be for middle and high school students who are preparing for athletic careers in college and those who wish to pursue a sports-related major.   We are excited about being able to create that content and make it easily accessible and free to people that would otherwise be overlooked.

Kassandra:  Do you have a funny story that you experienced while creating the HBL that you would like to share?

Ricky:  I have a few. While David [West] was making his final decision as to whether he was going to join the HBL he presented at a conference. Afterward, a woman came up to him and told him a story about unlikely allies. It is now a rather amusing thing between David and me for the following reasons. David finished his career in Oakland playing for the Golden State Warriors. Andy lives in the bay area and is a Warriors fan. I live in Cleveland and am a Cavaliers fan.

During the entire development of the HBL, it has been the Warriors and the Cavs in every NBA finals. Andy and I have had a running rivalry. The very thought that it would be somebody on the Golden State Warriors who beat my Cavs the last two years who would end up working with the HBL and helping us move to the next level is funny. Furthermore, it makes David’s story about unlikely allies rather fitting.  I found it to be very amusing for what ultimately happened.

Luka Doncic: A Star Is Born for the Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic

There is a moment in the new movie, A Star Is Born, where Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) invites Ally (Lady Gaga) onstage with him to sing for the first time as a duet. The song is titled, “Shallow.” Ally clearly has the voice of a star, but she lacks confidence and an overall stage presence. However, there’s a note in the bridge towards the end of the song where Ally grabs the mic with authority, belts out the note, and owns the stage. It’s in this moment where the audience realizes Ally’s true potential and that she is a star in the making.

Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born / Via: Warner Bros. Pictures

Ally’s huge note that jumpstarted her path to superstardom mirrors Luka Doncic’s miraculous shot from the other night against the Houston Rockets. Early in the first quarter, Doncic received a pass on the wing and was suffocated by last year’s MVP, James Harden. With the shot clock winding down, Doncic made a quick move to the corner and attempted to step back for a three. However, Harden was right in his grill the entire time. Doncic pump faked, which made Harden leave his feet, created space, reset, and then launched the shot. The rest is history.

With that play, a star was born. That play symbolizes Doncic’s young NBA career in a nutshell. This play showed the 19-year-old’s versatilely, creativity, and guts. This is not your ordinary teenager. Throughout 19 games, the 6’7″ forward is averaging 19.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. For reference, only eight players in the NBA matched those numbers last season, and seven of them made All-NBA. With numbers like those, Doncic is the clear frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.

By the way, Doncic also made this shot during their 128-108 win over the Rockets. Doncic is not only a great player but a showman with a flair for the dramatic. “We’ve said from day one, he’s almost like a matador,” said Dirk Nowitzki in an article for Sports Illustrated. “He loves playing off the crowd, loves to make spectacular plays.”

What’s even more impressive than Doncic’s stats is his ability to elevate his team. When Doncic arrived in Dallas, it was quite apparent that they found their replacement for Nowitzki, who would carry the torch for the next decade and lead the Mavs to greatness. Doncic may have been acquired to lead the future, but that process has been expedited to the current team as Doncic is slowly becoming the team’s number one option. Doncic leads the Mavs in scoring and has helped Dallas start off with a 10-9 record, which if the season ended today, would make them the 8th seed in the playoffs. It’s remarkable considering the Mavs started off the season 3-7, but are winners of 7 of their last 8.

Dallas is not a championship team right now, but Doncic makes the Mavs exciting with a promising future. If the front office continues to build a team around this rising superstar, Dallas could be a force in the Western Conference for years to come.

Here’s to the matador. May he continue to baffle defenses for years to come. I leave you with the potential song of the year from The Ringer, “Halleluka.”

https://twitter.com/ringer/status/1067418012712615936

College Football: Before You Fire Your Head Coach Take the US Coaching Test

Coaching Test

Tis’ Firing Season

It is abundantly clear that many schools do not make good decisions when it comes to deciding whether to retain or fire their head coaches. So I am here to help. I have come up with a simple, absolutely genius, and foolproof Coaching Test to determine whether or not your head coach needs to be fired.
Thanks to social media, fans, and boosters that scream about wanting their coaches fired are now heard. More often than not get their wish granted. As of November 29th, there have been 12 FBS head coaching jobs that have come open. None of these coaching changes were unexpected, but sometimes coaches are fired prematurely. Often, coaches are on an extremely short leash and are expected to win now despite the dysfunction they inherited. Fans and boosters want Clay Helton, and Gus Malzahn fired at USC and Auburn. But should they be gone as well?

2019 Coaching Changes

Coaching Test
With some coaches having large buyouts, there are obvious financial ramifications to firing a head coach. In addition to financial ramifications of firing the coach, there is often a lot of uncertainty when you don’t know who the next head coach is going to be. Many fan bases that have called for their coaches to be fired are learning a hard lesson. You may get your wish with your coach being fired, but your new coach may be from the “scratch and dent bin.” There are good coaches in the scratch and dent bin, but they aren’t perfect and have some unsuccessful times in their history. But you got what you wanted, a new coach. Take Kliff Kingsbury for example. After Texas Tech fired him, his phone started ringing off the hook with job opportunities. Tell me if you think Kingsbury should have been fired after you take the test.

Unafraid Show Coaching Test

Every head coach needs to be reevaluated every season. It does not matter whether the coach went undefeated and won the championship or went defeated and zero games. You only need to answer two questions two know whether your coach needs to be fired or not.

Number one:

Is there a coach that is guaranteed to take your job that is better than your current coach? Example: James Franklin is the head coach at Penn State. He seems to be doing a good job, but anyone clearly would fire him if Dabo Swinney or Nick Saban would replace him. Often coaches are fired, and the schools have no clue who will replace him.
I believe that is part of the reason USC did not fire Clay Helton. How many established, and winning head coaches would be willing to leave a successful program to go to USC. Coaches are more often valuing the stability at a top 11-25 job rather than jumping at the chance to coach a top 10 team.

Number Two:

Is there still hope? Can your current coach go into the living rooms of 17-21-year-old kids and sell them and their parents on the fact that the future of your program is brighter than the past? Can you make them buy in, believe, and go all in with you?
If you can’t answer both of these questions in the affirmative, then you need a head coaching change. The Unafraid Coaching Test is a simple and foolproof test. If Athletic Directors and administrators answered these two simple questions every season, they wouldn’t consistently mess up their programs. This method of determining whether to keep or fire your coach is an easy explanation to the boosters and other influential people around your program. It will keep the waters from being muddied by people with personal agendas and faulty reasoning. When Athletic Directors and administrations listen to the mob of angry fans, they mess up their programs by firing a coach too prematurely, or they rely on their gut/pride and keep the coach too long.
The angry mob of fans and boosters change their minds like the wind; their opinions cannot be trusted in the short term. Think about this.  Last year Florida State fans couldn’t wait to get Jimbo Fisher out and Willie Taggart in. Now, they would happily take Jimbo back. Texas fans were unsure about Tom Herman’s prospects as head coach. Now the Longhorns fanbase is smiling.
Here are a couple of common questions I got when I explained this on #UnafraidShow:

What if the coach is winning, but he can’t recruit?

If your coach can’t recruit, then he can’t win long term. If he can’t win, there will be a loss of hope. When the loss of hope happens, fire your coach. Don’t fire a winning coach!

What if the coach recruits well, constantly goes 8-5 or 9-4, and can never get you “over the hump”?

This is clearly referring to Kevin Sumlin at Texas A &M last year. TAMU was able to get Jimbo Fisher who has won a national championship. So, firing Sumlin was a good move. If they had missed on Jimbo, the Aggies would have ROYALLY screwed up. A coach who recruits well and consistently stays in those win totals is really close to breaking through. If you miss on the big fish, you will wish for him back two years from now.
Next time you get into a discussion about whether or not the coach of your favorite team needs to be fired refer to the Unafraid Coaching Test.

Kliff Kingsbury to USC? Here’s what we know about Texas Tech’s former HC

Kliff Kingsbury

Former Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury could be headed to Los Angeles as the USC Trojans’ offensive coordinator, but other teams could also be in the mix.

When former Texas Tech head football coach Kliff Kingsbury was fired following the Red Raiders’ loss against Baylor to close the season, it was pretty much guaranteed he would not be returning to Lubbock as its head coach in 2019. The following day, in a somber tone, Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt made the official announcement, and shortly thereafter, rumors of Kliff Kingsbury sightings in Los Angeles started to emerge. What’s more interesting is that despite the up and down news cycle in the past five days, there have been no other rumored sightings of Kingsbury elsewhere.

A USC Annenberg Associate Professor of Professional Practices, Jeff Fellenzer dropped this bomb on Twitter earlier today:

The news began Thursday afternoon when this started making the rounds:

This source has been wrong in the past, and in any event, we should always take caution when news breaks, especially if it’s not a primary source or corroborated by secondary outlets. Moreover, While the NFL season is still ongoing, according to many sources, Kingsbury has “firm offers” from several NFL teams, and NFL analysts such as Ian Rappoport have cautioned against any conclusive moves involving USC and Kingsbury.

In a Tweet by Bruce Feldman, Kingsbury’s agent said this in response to the news, “Pump the brakes on the Kliff Kingsbury to USC talk. His agent Erik Burkhardt just told me. ‘It’s premature to say that any decision (by Kliff) has been made.'” This could mean a number of things. It could very well mean that the in-principle deal outlets are reporting as factual are not true, or parties are still negotiating. It could also be a method agents employ when they want to drum up more leverage, considering Kingsbury will take a pay cut by going from making just north of $3 million a year at Texas Tech, to somewhere in the ballpark of $1.5 million. When former USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin was signed to an extension this past February, the details of his contract weren’t disclosed, but considering USC just wiped most of its staff, I’m sure Kingsbury and Burkhardt are being very meticulous about this.

Regardless of if or when terms are met, it’s important for USC to find its next coaching staff, especially with early National Signing Day on December 19.

We’ll be sure to update this as more information becomes available.

Want More? Check Out: Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 14: CFPlayoff Chase