Sonny Vaccaro = the definition of disingenuous

[OkayPlayer]

Sonny has his own sleazy reasons for all of this, no doubt. And the sneaker companies are sleazy, no doubt.

But as bad as they are and as bad as Sonny perhaps is, the truth is Sonny and the environment he created has helped a lot of kids during the past two decades. There's a lot of kids who got college scholarships because of the camps Sonny organizes. These kids otherwise would be stuck in obscurity in tiny towns across the country. Sonny's no angel. But he's also not some villian like people think he is.

Bullshirt. If you can play coaches will find you.

Not necessarly. If you're a marginal D-I player in Idaho, I sincerly doubt many college coaches will be making trips to see you during the season. AAU tourneys and camps give these kids chancs.
Sonny's disengenous, no doubt. But these camps help a lot of kids.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Question: Could you see the sleaze oozing from your radio speakers while he was on air?

Read Wetzel's "Sole Influence" and you'll be so disgusted with the shoe companies you'll want to avoid their products.

It's why Moddy wears Birks... no one with a bit of athletic ability ever wears them  ;D ;D ;D

That's not true. I wear Birks and am a pretty good frolf and Ultimate Frisbee player.

Sincere apologies dude... I forgot the importance of frolf (whatever TF that is) and ultimate Frisbee.
You may, as soon as you appear in an ad endorsing either, point me in the direction of a store carrying Birks so I can buy my first pair...

I can't appear in any ads. I'd lose my amateur status.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Sonny has his own sleazy reasons for all of this, no doubt. And the sneaker companies are sleazy, no doubt.

But as bad as they are and as bad as Sonny perhaps is, the truth is Sonny and the environment he created has helped a lot of kids during the past two decades. There's a lot of kids who got college scholarships because of the camps Sonny organizes. These kids otherwise would be stuck in obscurity in tiny towns across the country. Sonny's no angel. But he's also not some villian like people think he is.

He's more villain than angel, to be sure. And what are these kids "helped" to? The college hoops environment with dropping graduation rates, kids used up and spit out by these universities, kids used by their high schools to make money on traveling tours and TV games, and the corruption of big money?

Mr. Vaccaro helped create this environment. And he has helped keep the cycle going. Sure, some kids get oportunties that are not wasted. In fact, many do. But Mr. Vaccaro is a large reason the system is broken.