Marcus Smart Reminds Us Fans are Entitled

Saturday night, I watched the reaction to Marcus Smart pushing a Texas Tech fan. Naturally my first thought was what did the fan say? Obviously Smart will be suspended for perhaps the first major blemish on his college career but more important is what provoked it.

Smart was told "Go Back to Africa" by Jeff Orr. Where I come from, you say that to somebody it's hurtful. I was told "Go Back to Compton" as an adult at Newport Beach - a lillywhite area in SoCal - and even though it was silly, I was hurt that it came at a beach. Orr knew what he was doing reaching for a racial insult and deserved what he got.

Also naturally, folks were quick to say "But he shouldn't have done it" or whatever excuse they needed to justify being thrown a racially coded insult. In 2014, why are we still doing this? Have we not evolved to think deeper? Is it all knee-jerk reaction without any analysis?

Let's call it what it is. Media and other sports fans are quick to judge athletes when they don't judge fans for their behavior that's gotten worse and worse over time. Don't believe me, consider the recent evidence.

Farewell to the BCS: A Symptom of Bigger NCAA problems

Props to Jameis Winston becoming the second freshman QB (and 1st redshirt) to win a national title. Props to Florida State's defense coming alive in the second half and special teams changing the game. Props to Tre "Lil Maseo" Mason for balling out once again for Auburn in defeat.

Now that Florida State can celebrate a national title after one of the best national title games I've seen, it calls for us to throw the BCS into a coffin and quickly bury that monster. Yet not before we take one more look at why it resembles the best of college football (and the NCAA's) and its hypocrisy.

I vented my personal beef with the BCS earlier this season and this week, I helped bid farewell looking at the highs and lows of the era. As we lower it into the grave, let me provide some last words.

The BCS started out with good intentions. Yes, it got a few games right here and there and for the most part, the national champion was deserving. However, let's not forget what it revealed as it devolved into a mess.

Brett Hundley Returns: A Smart Decision UCLA's Celebrating

As I said above, Brett Hundley made the right business decision staying at UCLA. You can praise him for his loyalty but Hundley isn't risking his career for that alone. He's doing it to grow as a quarterback and a leader. Applaud him for realizing that he could improve his skill set as well as contribute to something special at UCLA.

For every Matt Leinart, Jake Locker, Matt Barkley or others who come back to get burned, there’s guys like Johnny Manziel and Vince Young who improved their stock by getting better on the field. So what does this mean for the Bruins? Let's break it down.

Andrew Wiggins: Hype and Patience

The story of college basketball this year? A kid who has yet to play his first game. The latest in the line of freshmen blessed to have the spotlight on him and given all the praise. Andrew Wiggins. The Golden Child who makes his debut tonight for Kansas.

He's also set up to be the latest in the Hype Machine. You know that machine right? Where 24/7 media can amplify the noise and shape the conversation whether it's fair or not. Where legend transcends fact and facts become enhanced like plastic surgery. Where patience is sacrificed for the right now.

I knew about Wiggins last year but you know who I knew about more? Jabari Parker. In case you forgot, Parker was the SI cover boy about 18 months ago as the clear cut best basketball player in his class. He was the latest Chicago product following the line of greats like Derrick Rose, Nick Anderson, Ronnie Fields, Ben Wilson and others.

All a sudden, he became an afterthought due to him getting hurt his senior year. But to me, he's every bit as good as Wiggins. I've also spoken to colleagues who also say Julius Randle, the best freshman in Kentucky's new stable, is just as good as both too. And don't sleep on Arizona's Aaron Gordon either, who I've seen tear up Cali since he was a sophomore. Case in point, we have a very good freshman class where Wiggins is the star.

Goodbye Lane Kiffin (And What Lies Ahead for USC)

Now that the dust has settled a bit on Lane Kiffin's departure, I'll pass along my thoughts from Bro Jackson on his firing. I've said plenty about him already this year so I'll just bring this point up.

People have mentioned how USC has suffered from scholarship reductions. While that has hurt depth issues, the bigger problem isn't how deep they are. It's how unprepared the current Trojans are. It's how USC has slowly lost its luster with recruits in the area. This is according to 24/7 Sports ranking kids out of California who committed to USC

2011: 5 Top 10, 3 more in Top 20, Antuan Woods at 25 (Marqise Lee's year)
2012: 6 Top 20, Jordan Simmons at 23
2013: 3 Top 10, plus current freshman phenom Justin Davis at 21. As a non-Cali bonus, they snagged the No. 1 QB in the country.
2014 class: 1 Top 20. ZERO Five star commits. Several four stars.

The numbers declined sharply. That's where USC's problem was. Local kids didn't want to go there anymore because the program was getting toxic and as much as losing the fans hurt, losing relevance among recruits hurt. Nobody wanted to play for Kiffin similar to how local basketball talent didn't want to play for Ben Howland at UCLA after a while.

So as I did my current video on where they go from here, that's where they have to start. Re-endear themselves to the public and to the kids. Lane Kiffin's damage can be easily reversed but it might not happen this year. It's like solving pollution - you can't get rid of it right away but every step helps.

#APU: The Latest Movement vs. the NCAA

If you missed this, several football players at Georgia, Georgia Tech and Northwestern wrote APU on their gear. Not to be confused with Azusa Pacific University out here in California, it stands for All Players United – a sign of solidarity for athletes fighting against what they consider unfair treatment by the NCAA.

I’m glad this was a slow week for college football games because this is the real story of the weekend. For one of the first times, we’ve seen current, active athletes step up and make a statement against the NCAA on the field of play.

All thanks to the NCPA, who organized this idea and laid out their vision for this movement over the weekend.

It’s a pretty huge deal because it’s a sign that the NCAA’s fake empire is under more attack from within. The life-blood of the NCAA is the athletes and if they start to speak up while currently students, then the dominoes are falling hard.

Oklahoma State Scandal - Why Should I Care?

Why should I care indeed? This story could be written about any school in the country. Just so happened Oklahoma State caught the glare for some reason.

In the post-Penn State era, these scandals seem almost ho-hum and very low on my radar. Paying players vs. a school covering up pedophilia. Abusing drugs vs. administrators turning a blind eye to child abuse when told about it. What really matters in the grand scheme? Low-level incidents or true institutional failure and criminal behavior.

Nothing will compare to Penn State obviously but my point is that guys taking money and having folks pass their classes is nothing new. Where's the shock in that? Where's the newsworthiness in reporting something that happens seemingly every year? Are reporters playing Catch a Criminal or are we actually trying to change a system in the process. 

It's like police officers catching weed sellers and low-level guys while the bigger empire just replaces them with other folks. I’m not shocked by these things anymore. It's all a byproduct of a crooked empire where winning is always prevalent and more money is at stake, coaches, AD’s and boosters will do whatever it takes to win.

College Football Wrap (Pac-12 Notes and Videos)

I have more thoughts over at UCLA 24/7 where I did my weekly notebook but safe to say there were a lot of positives to take from a great win. Looks like the Bruins are back where they left off and if that offensive line can force their will, expect to see Brett Hundley in the Heisman chatter.

There's no doubt in my mind who the more confident, best team is in Los Angeles right now. Now for a few Pac-12 notes.

As I wrote in my Bro Jackson piece, beware the underrated backfield of Keith Price/Bishop Sankey of Washington. They torched Boise State without All-American tight end Austin Sefarian-Jenkins so imagine what they'll do with him.

Nice to Oregon State crap the bed against Eastern Washington but props to QB Vernon Adams, who almost singlehandedly whipped the Beavers. Several of my colleagues remember him as a dual-threat QB out here at Mission Hills Alemany so I'm happy he got payback against a conference that didn't recruit him.

My biggest concern was seeing how De'Anthony Thomas would handle a bigger load, something he hasn't done since high school. Well Saturday, the Black Momba showed he could (18 carries) that he's improved running between the tackles and he can make the small runs as well as the explosive ones.

Johnny Manziel and the NCAA's Crumbling Empire

How many of these and other signed memorabilia are floating around for crazy loot.

I’ve been quiet on this Johnny Manziel autograph story because I needed to gather my thoughts. Not about him, but on the NCAA and their current state.

If Manziel accepted money for those autographs, so be it. I don’t care either way. What I care about is why this is a crime when colleges use player autographs for promotions and such? When autograph seekers can take gear signed and get crazy money for it while the athletes get punished for pennies.

When AJ Green sells his own gear, he was suspended several games. When Terrelle Pryor and his teammates traded their trinkets for tattoos –  currency – and got forced into playing in the Sugar Bowl, they barely got sympathy. Pryor’s name was dragged through the mud during his eventual suspension and I barely heard folks share any sympathy for him.

But let the school make far more money off their jerseys and those programs? It’s for the good of the institution. That's same lie that Wal-Mart sells when they ask you to overlook their unfair labor practices to spend their money.

Likewise, the NCAA cares less about protecting their players (workers) and more about witch-hunts and their own pockets. Why else do you explain Jay Bilas’ brilliant takedown of that site where the NCAA sold player jerseys? And their apology means they know their time is coming soon.

Celebrate Good Times (But Not Too Much or Else)

The first thing I learned when I played sports in elementary school with my friends? Celebrate when you do something well. Score a touchdown? Spike the ball or do a little dance. Have a great day on the court? Celebrate.

We weren't being cocky. We were just kids at 8-11 years old having fun. Somewhere between kids having fun and being adults, you learn to check your emotions a bit but not altogether. That style is just as important as perfecting your craft. But you learned to only celebrate after doing something big, not just something regular.

Sports over the last 10 years or so has gone overboard to limit self-expression. Any type of celebration deemed excessive is automatically penalized without considering the context of it. Case in point? This Texas relay squad is banned from the state meet because some kid showed off too much after a win.

His crime? Pointing his finger in the sky. The same egregious thing that some kid in Boston did in 2011 after a game winning touchdown. Some nerve huh? How dare they show up the opponent by not even pointing at them!!!

Thank you Michigan and Louisville: A Fitting Finale

There's only two words I can say after Monday night's national championship. Thank you.

Thank you Michigan and Louisville for giving us the best national title game in five years and one of the most thrilling games of this lackluster college season. It's what the game should be - letting guys play, heart and hustle all over, and guys stepping up in great ways.

Thank you Spike Albrecht for a great 1st half performance. 17 points and doing what players train to do: Be ready when your number's called.

Thank you to Florida Gulf Coast being a shot of adrenaline in this tournament with one of the best Cinderella runs ever.

Louisville vs. Michigan Preview

And then there were two. Louisville survived a tougher than expected Wichita State. Michigan overwhelmed Syracuse with excellent shooting/passing/youth. I'm ready for an exciting title game tonight.

I've been a fan of watching the Cardinals set up their full court press and execute it masterfully. I've a fan of Russ Smith and Michigan's Trey Burke. I love Gorgui Dieng protects the hoop and alters shots. I love Mitch McGary blossoming and showing his energy/post presence.

Michigan was a team I really liked at the beginning of the season and Louisville's replaced them at this point in the season. In a year where parity has reigned and no team really distinguished themselves, it's great to see two teams that play exciting both ways instead of teams who show why college basketball was way down this year.

Not to pat myself on the back either, but I predicted Louisville getting to the finals and Michigan in the Final Four. It's why I'm in shape to win 2 of my brackets. Not that you readers care or anything but it's cool to me.

Here are my keys.

The Cost of Leadership (Louisville Inspires, Rutgers Deflates)

Louisville guard Kevin Ware's leg injury remains one of the most horrifying thing I've never seen. I enjoyed hearing his interview on ESPN Wednesday as he described his emotions as well as how he felt the love from all over the country.

Former Rutgers head coach Mike Rice was shown on camera showing some of the worst abuse I've seen on camera. The language didn't bother me as much because I find it part of a bigger problem with coaches in general, but the kicking, grabbing and throwing balls? That should've cost him his job right away.

One case is a freak incident. The other case is a freakout of ridiculous and terrible nature. Both symbolize where leadership can elevate a situation or make it worse.

A Few Words on Ben Howland's Firing

To nobody's surprise, Ben Howland got his walking papers barely 48 hours after seeing UCLA lose by 20 to Minnesota in the first second round of the NCAA Tournament. It's a long time coming.

First things first, I give Howland credit as the most successful coach since John Wooden in terms of getting to 3 Final Fours. He also made critical adjustments to turn this season around and open up the offense to benefit his personnel. I also believe that if Jordan Adams didn't break his foot against Arizona, we might be having a different conversation.

That said, I grew up in the Steve Lavin era where Sweet 16's and great recruiting classes were an annual occurrence in Westwood. I watched Baron Davis fly around, Earl Watson drop dimes and Jason Kapono light up the court. So my standards aren't Wooden-esque, it's about creating a program where people want to add to the legacy, not just come on reputation.

I admitted before the season that Howland's job was at stake depending on how this season went. Once Tyler Lamb and Josh Smith transferred, it was only a matter of time. 12 players in total. transferred under his watch and it appeared that the most promising season in 5 years was heading into the drain before he changed it up.