SOMETHING HERE DOESN'T SMELL RIGHT!!!!!
By JERRY RILES
This smells of John Calipari from beginning to end. The odor is “hot stinking garbage” that somehow found its way back to the Windy City and it is blowing all over the place.
For someone to throw Chicago Bulls star guard Derrick Rose under the bus for allegedly having an individual take the SAT for him as a student at Neil F. Simeon and change his grade, is ludicrous.
Once again, the player becomes the scapegoat. Unfortunately, the player, as usual, is an African American athlete from the inner city. All fingers pointing toward Rose, who led Simeon to back-to-back state titles in 2006 and 2007.
According to reports and his agent, Rose has cooperated fully with the University of Memphis investigation which uncovered no wrongdoing -on his part. And that makes perfect sense.
How can a 17 or 18 year-old high school student athlete pull something like this off? He or she couldn’t. An adult would have had to been involved to make sure everything went through the process without detection.
My guess is that someone connected to the high school may have found an unsuspected envelope on the floor near their desk right before the test was administered, or perhaps something in the mailbox or on the windshield of their car.
It’s called “Friends of The Program”, and if you or someone you know has gained national attention due to exceptional athletic ability, you can bet believe family members and close acquaintances will be introduced to the new “friends” real soon.
Rose’s former collegiate coach belonged to a great program that had many friends.
Calipari isn’t new to controversy either. Back in 1996 as the coach of UMass, the slick, silky smooth operator, car salesman type recruiter, had another African American star player involved in some shenanigans.
Marcus Camby was accused of accepting $28,000 from two agents during his time as a Minuteman under Coach Cal. Camby repaid the university, but the program was still stripped of its Final Four banner and forfeited games and revenue generated during that time.
So the question is, who leaked this information? Why at this time and why target the NBA Rookie of the Year?
Perhaps Chicago is an easy target due to all the political controversy that has made it to center stage all around the country for months now. Nevertheless it’s still unfair to Rose and his family.
I think the answers point squarely in the direction of Mr. Calipari. In order to be the best college basketball recruiter in the country you must have some skills. And coach has got some skills. Just ask the Memphis faithful who were dumbfounded when the $1000 suit wearing stud bolted for Kentucky .
My guess is someone in the department felt betrayed, spilled the beans, and now wants to watch how Calipari squirm his way out of this one. The spotlight is on the Wildcats now and that’s a BRIGHT light shining on the biggest basketball program in the nation.
Now that the Bulls are vacationing for the summer, after being eliminated from the NBA playoffs in the first round by the Boston Celtics, this negative blemish involving Rose should blow away by the start of next season.
Believe me Rose is not the first player under the gun for improprieties regarding college sports and student-athletes. Practically every major university has had some type of scandal aimed at one of their programs at one time or another.
In most cases the illegal wrongdoing is pushed under the rug until either a championship has been won, a coach is fired, hired or JUMPS to another school, or someone in the administration is pissed off.
In this case all of the above may apply. It’s just unfortunate that Rose and his family have to endure such scrutiny after having such a successful start to his long NBA career.
Let’s just hope in time this smelly cloud of garbage blows over here in Chi-town and begins to head in the direction it was meant to be, and that of course is the Blue-grass state of Kentucky .
Hey, Calipari watch out…I smell a storm coming!!!!!!!!!
Comments (5)
If Derrick Rose took the SAT's, don't you think he would have told you about it by now? Put it this way - if you took the SAT's and the entire world of sports was talking about how you didn't, wouldn't you come out and simply say, "Hey, I took the SAT's. I don't know what happened after that. But I took them."
Well, I guess I know where you stand on this issue. You're more likely to cook up some crazy scheme like this:
"My guess is that someone connected to the high school may have found an unsuspected envelope on the floor near their desk right before the test was administered, or perhaps something in the mailbox or on the windshield of their car."
What the heck are you talking about? Coming up with outlandish scenarios out of nowhere? It's sound to me like somebody needs to go and retake the "journalism" section of the SAT's, or at least some sort of college course on how to be an intelligent columnist.
Posted by wow | June 3, 2009 3:31 PM
Posted on June 3, 2009 15:31
"My guess is someone in the department felt betrayed, spilled the beans, and now wants to watch how Calipari squirm his way out of this one."
The NCAA began investigating Memphis late last year, long before Calipari left Memphis...which kind of invalidates your entire point, doesn't it?
Posted by S Graham | May 30, 2009 2:59 PM
Posted on May 30, 2009 14:59
So you have no idea that his brother was his handler thru all of this, automatically you just assume has to be the college, this is really funny
Also was a very interesting article until you had to throw race into this, and this is why this country is still divided, articles like this
Posted by Angie | May 30, 2009 12:50 PM
Posted on May 30, 2009 12:50
lol ... this may be the dumbest article ever written.
How does this guy have a job? lol
Posted by Jason | May 30, 2009 12:31 PM
Posted on May 30, 2009 12:31
Just a bit over the top I think. You talk about "friends of the program" and they do exist. But there are also "friends of the athlete". Bloodsuckers looking to make a few dimes by riding their "friend's" coat tails. I'm sure Rose has had his share and any one of them could have been involved in the "allegations". All these HUGE future stars have their entourage or handlers and our coaches are forced to deal with these thugs in order to sign their meal ticket. It is a shame our sport has dipped to this level and you have to feel for the coaches that rely on these "stars" to feed their families. If you are going to portray a story...portray it all. No one is innocent...no one.
Posted by AJ | May 30, 2009 12:16 PM
Posted on May 30, 2009 12:16