Archive for Culture
Bruce Pearl and Big-Time College Athletics
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday I made a brief post concerning the University of Tennessee and their basketball coach Bruce Pearl. If you didn’t know, Pearl had to apologize for lying to the NCAA about recruiting violations. I also linked to an informal survey by ESPN of 20 top NCAA basketball coaches.
While looking further into the story, I came to see that the entire Bruce Pearl incident serves as a good example of much that is wrong in big-time college athletics.
First of all, sad to say, but Pearl does not seem to be a man of integrity. I won’t link to any articles, but a brief search of his name reveals that he has cheated on his wife and is now divorced. Not only that, but a brief look at the photos that accompany such a search show him in numerous circumstances that no respectable man should put himself in, particularly one employed as a leader to young men.
I say this first, because as we all probably know, Bruce Pearl is not the only man out there like this. Take a look around and you will see too many Head Basketball Coaches you don’t want your son to emulate. Even if they haven’t cheated on their wives or abused players or whatever, we just don’t have enough men of integrity. Something is valued more highly than that.
Second, stories such as these show what academic institutions really value. In a perfect world, we would value integrity over financial gain. And thankfully, there are some institutions that still uphold this. But now, especially among the big Universities, financial gain trumps almost everything else.
A look at Pearl’s contract makes this plain: For ESPN has reported that his contract provides him a great deal of protection from getting fired for NCAA violations. Yet, if he were simply losing, no doubt UT could pay him off to leave (happens all the time). The fact that the University agreed to such a deal (re: the protection in light of NCAA violations) speaks volumes about what they really value.
In my opinion, this is a perfect example of failing to serve their student-athletes well. Winning and financial gain trumps it all.
Third, some of the NCAA rules really are bad or at least, unenlightened.
This is not to defend Pearl, but I have to say that there are much in the NCAA rulebooks that do little more than cause confusion. And when I see Coaches getting in trouble for too many phone calls, while so much else that is worse goes on, I can’t help but think that the NCAA is missing the boat. Maybe I will say more on this some other time, but suffice it to say, that although Pearl has no excuse for lying, I know enough to admit that for a college coach, it isn’t easy to stay perfect under all the little rules.
Fourth and finally, everyone has to admit that it is not just people in positions of power that are to blame. For in the example of UT and Bruce Pearl, the supporters of the University of Tennessee must also put themselves in the mix. For the leaders are usually responding to the incentives given them. And at many universities, the incentives are winning and success and financial profit. If the men in power don’t get these things, they are out, so they do what they must.
But, if the community around the university consisted of people who value integrity more than cheap success, much would change. Suffice it to say that no matter who we are, we have to ask ourselves: Are we are a part of the problem or a part of the solution?
ESPN on College Basketball
Posted by: | CommentsThis is an overdue post, but aren’t all of my posts overdue? A rhetorical questions of course.
Anyhow, last week, I was looking into Bruce Pearl and the Tennessee basketball program because of his recent admission of misleading (otherwise known as ‘lying to’) the NCAA. While doing so, I also saw this survey of college coaches re: the current state of the game. Or the current state of things outside the game, depending upon how you look at it.
As someone who wants to go into college basketball coaching myself, much of what I read was disheartening. Though sadly, knowing what I know, I wasn’t surprised. It really is a shame that the game and the well-being of the players and everyone else involved in big-time college basketball has more or less been lost. Or at least set on the back burner. No one is being served well.
If you read the survey of the College Coaches, I would point out one primary thing: none of the Coaches were quoted as getting to the real problem with College Athletics. Some say it’s a rules issue, NCAA issue, Coaches looking out only for themselves, or AAU coaches, etc. But deep down, the issue is within, in the human heart. We have no one to blame but ourselves, from top to bottom.
Though I cannot summarize the real issue in one paragraph, it is my belief that before anything else, individuals all over the basketball world are a part of the problem or making the problem worse by looking out primarily for themselves, failing to consider how their actions fit into the well being of everyone involved. But isn’t that a primary issue in any walk of life? I think so.
Anyhow, check out the articles. I’ll have more to say sometime later. Hopefully, I will say it on this blog…
Qur’an Burning?
Posted by: | CommentsIt is sad to see a man labeled ‘pastor’ so mislead, but so it is for Terry Jones.
Christianity Today writes a good summary about the issue.
They also offer a good editorial regarding how Christians should better love their Muslim neighbors. The most recent events have served to expose the hypocrisy in much of our thinking. We are all for freedom we say, but when push comes to shove, the freedom we are for is only for ourselves. Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves requires better discernment than much of what I see right now.
That isn’t to say that the answers are easy. They are not. But they are certainly necessary to think through with diligence. The anniversary of September 11th seems like a very good place to start.
Update: The documentary, My Trip to al-Qaeda by Lawrence Wright, also looks like a good one to check out. I believe it has already debuted on HBO, but considering how often HBO shows the same programs, you should be able to find it.
Christians and the Environment
Posted by: | CommentsThree men weighed in for Christianity Today on how concerned Christians should be for the environment. Their answers aren’t comprehensive, but they are a great start.
Here’s Al Mohler.
And Jonathan Merritt.
Also worth mentioning is that Jonathan Merritt’s book, Green Like God, looks like a good one to check out.
LeBron and the True King
Posted by: | CommentsBill Simmons of ESPN has called last night a LeBacle. I agree, on multiple fronts. In particular, I want to particularly address LeBron’s failure to consider the city of Cleveland and its franchise and the city’s failure to respond better than he. Then lastly, I want to make mention of how we have responded.
First of all, after understanding the entire situation more in depth, it is obvious that LeBron really did not serve the city of Cleveland well, or its franchise. For by waiting to give his decision and not informing them of his intent to leave, he more or less left them high and dry. For Cleveland had to wait for LeBron. They couldn’t sign someone else like New York or Chicago. But LeBron waited until many others were signed. That has put Cleveland in a very difficult spot, at least for now.
Sure, you can say it is just business, but anyone in their right mind knows that that is not good business. Good business is certainly to seek well by all people, and especially by people who have invested a lot into you and in many respects, relying upon you (even if they may be doing so too much). So in that respect, I think LeBron really messed up. Considering Cleveland’s response, he may be realizing that now.
Second, LeBron really hurt himself by doing his huge ‘Decision’ show in order to announce any team besides Cleveland. That’s obvious right? I mean, think about it. Sure, the other cities were disappointed, but none of them were devastated. And right or wrong, Cleveland was. I’m not sure who is advising him, but he may want to get some new advisors, because they certainly haven’t been serving him well. Deciding to go away is one thing, but the manner in which he did so is another. It’s as if he has made things much harder on himself and everyone else.
Third, the response of Dan Gilbert (the CAVS majority owner) and much of the city of Cleveland is little to no better than LeBron’s actions. Unknowingly, they have displayed the same selfishness that they are accusing him of.
Now I realize that not too many Cleveland folks will want to own up to that, but that is reality. People were no doubt hoping in LeBron too much. He had become a god to many. So when he didn’t give the people of Cleveland and the CAVS what they so desperately wanted, they turned on him in a heartbeat and started hating him instead.
As I said, I can understand some difficulty in accepting his decision, because LeBron didn’t do things well. But Gilbert and the much of the city’s response goes well beyond difficulty accepting something. Just because someone does you wrong doesn’t give you the right to do them wrong. Every parent knows that. If one of your kids hits another and the other responds in kind, you have to know that the second is not justified in his response. And so it is here. Much has been revealed about the hearts of people in Cleveland, and it hasn’t been pretty.
In particular, have you seen the owner, Dan Gilbert’s response? He wrote a letter to the Cleveland fan base spewing all sorts of venom at LeBron. I honestly read it and wondered if he wrote it while kicking and screaming on the floor, because it really did sound like an adult temper tantrum. I had to ask: No matter where LeBron failed, does it really warrant this? Not only that, but do you honestly think a great player is going to want and come play for you? Not likely.
In the end, the hearts of many in Cleveland have been exposed. They didn’t get what they wanted, so they are throwing their own temper tantrums. They were never really thinking about LeBron, but about what LeBron could give them, how he could serve them. They are mad at him for being selfish, but in their anger, they are guilty of the same thing.
Finally, if we are at all into this story, we should use this opportunity to take a look at our own hearts. Everyone should do this. For it is so easy to sit and write critically about everyone involved (which I tend to do), while failing to note that if we were in LeBron’s or Dan Gilbert’s shoes, we could easily make the same mistakes (something I am too slow to do). If we find ourselves looking down on them for the decisions they made (as almost everyone in the media is doing), we now have the opportunity to face up to our own pride and to humble ourselves in recognition that if we were placed in the same spot, we may do the same things…or much worse.
In particular, I think about LeBron. Not to justify or defend him or anything (though that probably won’t hurt), but most people seem to look at him as if life is easy for him and his decisions plain. But think about it, really think about it. He is 25 years old. He grew up without a father. He has been called the King, and the Chosen One since 16 years of age and is looked to by countless people as something of a savior. He has more money than he knows what to do with and more power and influence than any 25 year old should have. And somehow we sit in our respective places and look down on his decisions, somehow convincing ourselves that if we were in his shoes, we would do so much better. That is arrogant, really arrogant. It shows how little we really know about ourselves.
So yes, did he mess up? I think so. Are CAVS fans messing up? I think so. But given the same set of circumstance, might we all do the same or much worse? I think so.
But that is exactly why I am thankful that LeBron isn’t really the King or the Chosen One. There is only One and His name is Jesus Christ. This story is yet another example of how and why we all are desperately in need of Him.
