College Basketball is Broken
I originally wrote this post in October 2015, but it feels as relevant today as it did then. I'm a UK fan, but I'm not cheering the sanctions that the NCAA handed U of L this week. I wish we could find a way to fix the game that I love.
Like most Kentuckians, I have a little bit of a college basketball problem. I'm really, really obsessed with my team, the sport, and basically everything else surrounding the process. I spend a whole lot of time worrying about recruiting and injuries and all of the other pieces of the college basketball puzzle. Over the past few years, in the wake of investigations and scandals, I've come to a sad realization about the sport I love so very much: College Basketball is broken.
Now, I've tried really hard to not immerse myself in the tawdry details of the current goings on at the University of Louisville. The truth is, this story is more sad than salacious. Louisville escort Katina Powell's story is not funny, or sexy, or fascinating, it's the story of a sex worker who introduced her potentially underage daughters into prostitution in exchange for college basketball recruiting. Very young women were, Ms. Powell's story goes, paid to entice very young men in an effort to sway a college basketball commitment. That is, quite simply, a depressing, disgusting, and somewhat Dickensian proposition.
As a Kentuckian and a basketball fan, I don't want this tale to be true; in fact, I don't want this circus to be happening at all. I'm a UK fan, and a UK fan only -- no offense, Cards friends, it's not personal that I don't cheer for y'all; I don't cheer for anybody but my 'Cats -- and, yet, I still desperately want the Katina Powell story to just go away. It speaks badly of the city I call home. It speaks badly of the Commonwealth I love. And, it speaks badly of the sport over which I obsess and the coach whom I once revered.
The truth is, a lot of things are wrong in college athletics. Every season, we hear about recruiting violations and scandals and we get a little more immune to it all. Everybody does it, we read in the comments of the articles, these guys just got caught. The U of L basketball program will suffer some severe sanctions in light of these revelations, but within moments of ESPN's confirmation of Ms. Powell's claims, legalistic arguments of strict liability replaced the lurid details. The story became about Coach Rick Pitino's culpability, and about how much he knew about these proceedings. There was a rush to place all blame firmly at the feet of former U of L staffer Andre McGee. But, the problem is far bigger than what McGee did or what Pitino saw. The problem is that the system is broken.
The system is broken because we think nothing of casual sexism. The U of L saga tells the story of giving women as rewards and incentives. We find ourselves making distinctions like "oh, boys will be boys; if it's just strippers, it's no problem. If they paid those girls for something else, it's a bigger issue." We laugh off the "girls" as a perk of playing ball. And, more dangerously, we point our fingers at the accusers. The Pitino regime sits on the precedent that Karen Sypher was scamming the program, and it's become easy for sympathetic local media sources to frame Ms. Powell in a disgusting tableau of slut-shaming and victim-blaming. (See, if you care to, Billy Reed's egregious piece about the "book-writing prostitute." Or don't. I suggest that you don't.)
The system is broken because of the archaic and draconian rule of the NCAA. In a world where increasingly high-performing athletes are in high demand, the governing body of college sports seems increasingly outdated. For every rule change that seems designed to increase the quality of play, it seems there are ten regulating minute rules. A creative network has arisen around skirting these regulations -- from the frequently ridiculed "You can give a recruit a juice, but not a muffin at certain events" rules to far more substantive rules. We live in a culture where it seems a slippery slope exists between giving a recruit a second helping of breakfast and setting him up for a lap dance. Perhaps it's time for an overhaul of the regulating body.
And, perhaps most importantly of all, the system is broken because of a fundamental refusal to acknowledge the true nature of college sports. College basketball is a game of recruiting and a forming a pipeline to the NBA. Recruits are already tied into sneaker companies' networks through their AAU affiliations. College basketball is a multimillion dollar enterprise, and we somehow find a reason to divert profits away from the very participants whose hard work and, at times, physical wellbeing are the foundation of the game. College athletes are no longer boys who play a little ball whilst earning an education. They are a high-profile, high-earning potential commodity, and yet NCAA steadfastly refuses to acknowledge that student-athletes deserve a cut of the earnings. As fans, we willfully buy into the idea that our student-athletes are at particular schools for both the athletic and academic experiences. It's time to acknowledge the economic reality of college athletes, provide these athletes with a realistic financial stipend, and treat them as what they are -- employees of their universities.
The U of L scandal will blow over, or it won't. Coach Pitino will weather the storm, or he won't. And, in a few months, the sports media will move on to a newer, more salacious scandal. The fact remains that the sport is broken. But, those of us who love basketball keep loving the game and hoping for real change.
Cat Studio Keeneland and Kentucky Derby Pillows
Yesterday, I attended an event at Keeneland, and simply fell in love with the new Keeneland embroidered pillow designed by Cat Studio and available exclusively at the Keeneland Gift Shop.
Photo via Keeneland Gift Shop.
Cat Studio pillows have always been a decor #goal of mine. There are so many great designs from which to choose!
If you're a Derby fan, the Kentucky Derby pillow is available at the Kentucky Derby Museum.
You can order the Kentucky state pillow here.
This UK Pillow is available locally at Two Chicks & Company!
Cat Studio has the Cards fans covered, too!
A Cat Studio pillow would be such a fantastic housewarming gift or a nice reminder of home for a Kentucky expatriate. Which design is your favorite?
The HerKentucky UK and U of L Fan Elite Eight
While we're all agonizing over our brackets and waiting for The Big Dance to start, here's the guide to what's really important about March Madness for fans of the University of Louisville Cardinals and the University of Kentucky Wildcats: Celebrity Endorsements. We've broken down the brackets for HerKentucky's Elite Eight Pairings of Celeb Super-Fans, and applied some Joe Lunardi-style bracketology to offer up our best picks.
The Hunger Games Edition
The stars of The Hunger Games are both Kentucky natives but they fall on opposite sides of the team lines.
Josh Hutcherson, a native of Northern Kentucky, cheers for the Cats
while Louisville native Jennifer Lawrence is all "L's up!"
Winner : Team Katniss. J-Law is just as fierce without archery gear. Sorry, Peeta.
The Heartthrob Edition
Leonardo DiCaprio reps the Cards,
while Cougar Town star Josh Hopkins is a proud member of the BBN.
The Winner: Josh Hopkins. He may have dated gorgeous celebs like Courteney Cox and Erin Andrews, but Lexington native Josh Hopkins makes no secret that his first love is Kentucky basketball. (We'll even forgive him for attending Auburn.) Los Angeles-born Leo looks like a bro who found a cool hat, and the lady beside him is not impressed.
The Supporting Actor Edition
Actor Steve Zahn is a fixture around Lexington, especially at UK games,
while William Fichtner of The Dark Knight showed his U of L loyalty at a recent Derby Party.
The Winner: Steve Zahn all the way. He really put in a touching performance in Dallas Buyers Club, his Treme character is hilarious, and he's married to J. Peterman's daughter. Plus, the Batman dude looks scary.
The Leading Lady Edition
Ashley Judd is perhaps Kentucky's most iconic basketball fan...
while Jennifer Lawrence (Oops... we included her twice, because she's the HerKentucky girls' imaginary BFF, and Hollywood's It Girl) is the Cards' biggest fan.
The Winner: Too close to call. Both are super-fans whom everyone associates with their respective teams. Ashley is the Grande Dame of Kentucky Basketball, but everybody loves Jennifer.
Did we miss anybody? Who's in your Celeb Super-Fan Bracket?
College Colors Day: Beth wears U of L Red and Black!
Beth keeps her House Divided civilized on Game Day!
Beth with Dr. Liebschutz.
This College Colors Day post comes from my friend Elizabeth Leibschutz-Roettger, a dedicated U of L fan who also serves the University of Louisville as Director of International Programs at the College of Business. Thanks to Beth for sharing her experience in a House Divided! -- HCW
I was born a Louisville fan! My Dad, a Louisville native, earned his Bachelors of Science and Medical degrees from the University of Louisville. After a residency in Iowa (go Hawks!) and an Army post in Louisiana, he brought his family back to Kentucky, settling in Danville. Growing up a UofL fan in Danville, I had to be tough skinned. From a young age, I knew being a UofL fan set me apart from my friends. (Literally... sometimes they would not acknowledge me during rivalry games!)
Through my allegiance to UofL, I have experienced the jubilation and disappointment of great victories and painful losses. One of those losses came on the gridiron in the fall 2006 against Rutgers University. Had Louisville played better that evening, I might have met my husband, Bart, as we were watching the game with mutual friends. As chance would have it, we would cross paths again in 2007 (thanks again to our mutual friends) the evening of the UofL/UK game. UofL lost the game; which made me give second thought about going on a date with a UK fan I met that evening. One of the greatest triumphs was watching the Cardinals win their National Championship game in 2013 with my Dad on his 70th birthday (even more meaningful as he passed from brain cancer a year later). The National Championship game is just one of many cherished memories of watching UofL play through the years with my family.
Beth and Bart -- a House Divided
And while always a UofL fan, my dedication to Louisville continues to grow stronger. Our house divided rivalry is a special bond for my husband and me. I think of us as modern day Montagues and Capulets (without the grisly ending!). It is not uncommon to find my little family on Sundays in the spring at Patterson Field watching UofL baseball with our young son who loves running the bases when the game is finished. He loves the “Cardinal Bird School” (but can be heard frequently saying, “Go Big Blues” too). And I am not just a fan of the UofL athletics. I also work for UofL as the Director of International Programs in the College of Business. Furthermore, I will earn my PhD from the University of Louisville and join my Dad in its ranks of alumni.
Beth and Bart
Now when I go home to Danville and other areas of UK strongholds in my youth, I see more and more representation of the University of Louisville. While I know much of the growth in popularity is connected to our athletic successes, I also know the University of Louisville continues to provide a quality education for the students who enroll each year. From football to Fulbright, UofL is a university where great things are happening. As a member of the Louisville community, a student, and a life-long fan I genuinely believe Louisville First, Cardinals Forever #L1C4.
