The agent featured in the story has been shut down, but the money will continue to flow. Problem is, this starts when the best players are young, as in AAU young. That’s why you won’t see any big-name coaches brought down in this case. These guys are like mafia bosses; there’s always plausible deniability. And maybe they didn’t know. But they really didn’t want to know, either.
A handful of players will be held out the rest of the season and some teams will take big hits. Wins will be vacated because that’s all the NCAA can do. That means we might have an NCAA Tournament champion whose official record will be changed to 8-31 in a couple years.
The population of Norway is 5.3 million – less than half the size of Ohio. Most Americans couldn't find the Scandinavian country on the map if you offered them a free smartphone. The United States has about 323 million people, but that doesn't mean anything when it comes to the Winter Olympics.
Heading into the weekend, Norway led the medals count with 37. The United States was in fourth place with 21, and I swear most of them came in made-up snowboarding events designed to fill time on television.
I tried to stay up late Wednesday to watch the U.S.-Canada women’s hockey gold medal game. I hit the sack with Canada leading 2-1, but the Americans rallied to win in a shootout. Not a big fan of shootouts. If you need a second overtime, or a third, keep going. That said, the winning goal by Jocelyne Lamoureaux-Davidson was one for the ages.
It's good to hear Mark Schlemmer back on the air. Schlemmer is the opinionated curmudgeon alongside host Justin Kinner at 4 p.m. weekdays on WING 1410-AM. Part of Schlemmer's appeal is that he's a loose cannon and employs a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor. While talking about UD's chances of winning five games in five days at the Atlantic 10 tournament, Schlemmer said, "I have a better chance of getting a date."
Dayton is big enough to support local sports talk radio, and the Kinner & Schlemmer Show is, well, the only drive-time sports option in town. Schlemmer makes it work because he knows the local sports scene and isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers. Hope things work out this time.
Trending up: Drexel, Michael Porter Jr., Austin Dillon. The Drexel Dragons set an NCAA Division I record Thursday by erasing a 34-point deficit to defeat Delaware 85-83. The Blue Hens led 53-19 late in the first half. That score looks like something you'd see in the first round of the high school state tourney. Strange thing is, both teams are 12-18. Evenly matched. Maybe we'll see Drexel in the First Four.
Trending down: Allonzo Trier, Mark Cuban, Fergie. As if Arizona doesn't have enough problems (FBI investigation) it now has lost one of its best basketball players. Trier tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug for the second time and has been suspended. His attorney says the positive test was from a residual trace of a steroid he unknowingly ingested in 2016, triggering that first positive. What?
Knucklehead of the Week
Andy Cannizaro was the baseball coach at Mississippi State, a collegiate power that plays in the baseball-crazy SEC. As a bonus, the university is set to unveil a $50 million stadium renovation. Cannizaro, 39, won’t be there to enjoy the facility. Once a rising star in his field, he resigned last week after word leaked out about his extramarital affair with an MSU employee. Cannizaro is married with two kids … and his wife reportedly is pregnant with No. 3. Cannizaro said in a statement that he “made some poor decisions.” Yes, certainly worse than refusing to bunt a runner to third with nobody out in a tie game.
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