The Big Ball Theory

To illustrate how absurd this shit's gotten, take a glance at ESPN's college basketball page. They've essentially converted their college basketball space into the all day every day Lavar Watch.

This despite the fact that the only Ball currently associated with college basketball will likely be an insignificant mere benchwarmer this year.

 

I turned on Sports Center last night and ESPN had a reporter at an AAU tournament just to cover LaVar.

 

Like I always say when they pull shit like this: SportsCenter used to be a hell of a show, kids. You would have loved it.

 

And the next Ball, if big daddy's plan comes to fruition, will probably never play college BKB at all.

 

Sportscenter Los Angeles is unwatchable. Neil Everett is a tool. Everyone else except for SVP are doing their best Chris Berman impressions.

 

If people did not watch, they would not cover it. And now that they can tell how many times a LaBar Ball mention on the espn.com generates interest, they know what draws viewers.

 

Christ. I didn't even expect it to be that bad.

 

But they're losing audience. Ratings are in steep decline.

 

Tourney refs cut ties with Adidas after Ball flap

 

Cue the lawyers in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ...

 

Would have been better to make damn certain to tee LaVar up -- ding ding ding-- and throw his ass out of the gym.

Then, if you heard one peep of noise out of Adidas, all the refs walk off the court and out the door, right in the middle of the game.

 

It isn't that AAU hoops being a cesspool that is the problem - it's that so many "great leaders of young men" knowingly enable it because it is the cost of doing business as a college hoops coach.
Seriously - shoe companies sponsor amateur teams that fly all over the country - some players play on teams time zones away from where they live to play on the "right team" and determine their college choices by what shoes they wear (and hopefully won't stay for more than one year in any event).