Everyone's reality is a little different from everyone else's, right? What I see when I look in the mirror in the morning is not necessarily the same as what the people I encounter on the street see, unless of course they too see Brad Pitt's better looking brother who is not so much aging as maturing gracefully.
Several people have been kind enough to dispel that image in comments on my blog, usually while at the same time noting the picture in the upper right side of my blog page is a study in contrasts - me playing the part of Frankenstein's monster and my granddaughter the role of Mona Lisa. Often these comments are accompanied by questions about my intelligence and occasionally even my manhood.
To put it another way, it's been said that everyone is the star of their own personal movie, and as such may feel the need to occasionally alter the script a little. But Kevin Hart, a senior offensive lineman for Fernley High School in Fernley, Nevada, has stepped up his game and taken his personal movie to a whole new level.
Last Friday, in a ceremony in front of a packed house in the Fernley High gym, as well as in front of two television stations and a local newspaper reporter, Hart announced he had decided to accept a scholarship to play football at Cal, choosing the Golden Bears over Oregon in part because of the personal interest shown in him by Cal Head Coach Jeff Tedford.
It's a heartwarming story of a small town kid making good that almost seems too good to be true. Well, as it turns out, it wasn't true. None of it. Not the offer of a scholarship from the University of California, not the personal interest of the head coach, who admitted to the Associated Press he didn't know Hart and certainly had never recruited him, and not the dumping of the poor Oregon Ducks, whose coach, Mike Bellotti, recovered from his disappointment in losing out on Kevin Hart to admit he had never heard of him either.
Under questioning less than a day after making his grand but false announcement, Hart claimed he had been duped by a shady, anonymous promoter named "Kevin Riley," possibly from Las Vegas, when the news came out that there was no scholarship offer.
Turns out "Kevin Riley" was just as fictional as the Cal scholarship and the interest in Hart from Division I schools. On Wednesday, Kevin Hart finally came clean, apologizing to the colleges involved, his high school, and the authorities who investigated the situation for the trouble he had caused. "I wanted to play D-I ball more than anything. When I realized that wasn't going to happen, I made up what I wanted to be reality."
There are plenty of questions to go around, and they can be directed at more than just this kid. Didn't Hart's parents wonder why they had never met Cal coach Jeff Tedford when he had supposedly shown such a personal interest in their son?
And what about the Fernley High football coach Mark Hodges? I was never good enough at any sport in high school to be recruited by a college, but isn't it customary for recruiters to contact the young man's coach? Why didn't any supposedly responsible adults ask a few pointed questions of Kevin Hart before the situation spiraled totally out of control?
It's a sad and unsettling story of a confused young man with no guidance, but personally I think Kevin Hart might be on to something. Why can't we create our own reality?
I'd like to expound on this subject a little more, but I'm swamped and just don't have time for this. I'm being recruited by both Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine, and I'm having a hell of a time trying to decide who to write for, so you'll excuse me if I cut this short. I'll announce my decision soon.
HB, I appreciate the way you presented this story. You were factual, but showed kindness also. When I first read it all I could think was what in the world is wrong in that young man's life. Compare this story to the one about DeAngelo Tyson. He signed with the Georgia Bulldogs. He has no idea where his father is. He was 11 the last time he saw his mother. His address has been Joseph Home for Boys in Statesboro. He is a good student and athlete. The admin. director of the home signed his papers with him as his legal rep. Even this young man had people in his life helping him each step of the way.
Half - while you raise many legitimate questions the one about a recruiter contacting the recruits high school coach doesn't really raise any red flags to me. Depending on the recruiter and the program it is not uncommon to have the high school coach be on the outside of the recruiting effort. I have always thought that to be a bit strange but it is what it is.
Hi Volfan, I don't know what Kevin Hart's home situation is, although I'm pretty sure he lives with his mom and dad based on what I read.
For his situation to go for so long (the sham started back in September) with no one stepping back and questioning any of it is truly unfortunate. I doubt if any charges will be filed, although the authorities are still investigating....hopefully Kevin Hart can go on and live a good life, with or without football....
Hi Gcoach, thanks for clarifying the recruitmest issue. I guess I just assumed it would be a courtesy for schools to at least notify the young man's high school coach if not actually involve him, but apparently that's not the case.
My understandingis that Fernley High is a pretty small school; it's too bad there aren't some resources available for coaches and AD's from small high schools to allow them to help kids who really are getting recruited and might be overwhelmed....
Hi Jag, I was going to bring that point up in my post and probably should have. It's total craziness, giving these eighteen year old kids the kind of fame and adulation they get in this 24-hour a day sports world....
From earliest memory there has been that level of seperation between the young local star athletes and their otherwise peer kids.
From casual observance the star kids are somehow more mature, more aware, more "star". Yet in most cases I ever knew of the Kid is still an unexperienced kid who is a pretty easy mark because their experience is that everyone idolizes them and would never think of punking them.
Thanks for dropping by the blog. I'm framing it.
Last edited by RafterRat on February 8th at 1:35 PM.
mr. baked; sound a lot like the runaway bride story, remember? she pretended to be kidnaped, had the fbi lookin for here and got a slap on the wrist. i think story tellers like this should be punished, especialy if our tax dollars are used to investigate.
hey, if i had known that my "epidermously chllenged comment was going to bring you this much pain, well, who my kiddin, i still would have wrote it.
your grand daughter, on the other hand, off limits, nothin but cutie pye there!!!
Hi Rat, I hate to have to be the one to make this public, but he's as bald as a cue ball. All that hair is nothing but a rug....
I've always felt that the star athletes have always been enabled from a very young age by adults who rationalize bad behavior and allow them to get away with things that wouldn't fly for other kids. I never thought about them maybe being more susceptible to scammers, etc because of it, but it does kind of make sense....thanks for the comment....
Hi Blue, I love the epidermously challenged thing, I'm considering putting on my tombstone, or at least my license plate....
It does seem like there should be some sort of consequence for this kid, especially since law enforcement had to use public resources to launch an investigation, but I think due to his age and the fact that he's suffered such a public humiliation, the authorities probably have no choice but to drop the matter....and now that I think about it, he probably has suffered enough....
Hah, even we overworked public servants get to take a break once a shift....I'll think about thname change for my blog, but I'm afraid people will think you have to be epidermously challenged to read....I'd hate to lose three of my four actual readers....
I say well played Mr. hart, well played. With Tim "PedoCoach" Loyd recruiting 8th graders, pro leagues signing 17 year olds hasn't this gotten way out of control?
Do high schoolers getting the luckiest break anybody could hope for, (a scholarship to college, allowing their family to have a nest egg instead of a sucking chest wound checkbook balance for the next half decade), need a press conference in a gymnasium, with press?
Where are the values of the supposed adults in this town?
I remember when I told my Mom about my best friend Ken Schlerman getting a Nobel Prize in Physics after figuring out how to create cold fusion as a junior in High School using a blender, 3 ounces of peat moss and a fork, she replied, "That's nice but you're still not going to his party if his parent's aren't going to be home..."
Being from Oregon and believe it or not, a Duck fan, I was totally shocked this young man chose Cal over Oregon. Imagine my disappointment losing another recruit to Tedford. This kid had a dream that wasn't going to happen. I feel bad for him but I did get a laugh at the whole thing. I hope he can hook up with someone.
Great stuff!!. I read your blog yesterday about the Clemens/MaNamee scandal and loved it too. I can see why you have persued writing novels. If your ability to formulate a story line and carry it through is any where near your "Blogging"...you should do just fine. I'll be back for more.
HalfBaked,
Nice post my friend. When I first read about this story I was wondering the same thing. Why didn't his parents question the fact that no recruiter or coach came to visit, make a phone call ask for a video tape etc. I played High School football and baseball as a matter of fact I played with Kordell Stewert and although I wasn't recruited for football he was and we were very good friends. So I know how the whole process works. It all seems rather strange but funny. Good job and keep it coming.
Hey everyone, I know it must seem like I've dropped off the face of the earth, but it's nothing like that.
I've been busy writing - two full-length novels so far, plus over a dozen short stories - and working hard to try to get an agent. If you are curious and have a few minutes, check out my website, www.allanleve rone.com.
If you're a literary agent or if you know one, by all means contact me! In the meantime, I'll be here when I can - love this forum - and as always, thank you for checking out my blog, especially considering how many great ones you could be reading instead....
