The LA Times published a comment by Kansas St. Coach Frank Martin recently about super freshman, Michael Beasley. Basically he said he couldn't say anything to Beasley about staying in school another year because the kid would be turning down so much money. Well, if I'm the AD at K-State, I would be calling Mr. Martin into my office for a little chat. I would chew his BLEEP out in no uncertain terms. What he said might not be enough to get him fired, but I would definitely reprimand his BLEEP!
Would not want him coaching my kid. He is a man without imagination or a quitter. Here are some reasons to stay in school, so listen up Love, Mayo, and Beasley.
1) J. Noah came back to Florida when he could have taken the money and won another title.
2) That money ain't going nowhere. You'll be just as rich in another year as you would be this year. So, what's the rush?
3) You never get to be a kid again once you go pro. Ask Michael Jackson. Enjoy the life.
4) Look at all the other college kids who came out early and did nothing in the pros. Let's not even talk about the high school players ... they stink ... (see Livingston and K. Brown)
5) Dudes, you rule in college. You will be just another dope in the pros. (see Mike Dunleavy)
6) Money is not everything. Improve your mind. Improve your soul. (See Kobe)
7) You got a better shot at improving your game in college than you do in the pros. (See Andrew Bynum)
8) Injury is not a factor in basketball. Football is another story. (see K-Mart)
9) Why be in a hurry to play for a perennial loser? (See the LA Clippers)
10) The New England Patriots have more college grads than any other NFL team. Does that tell you anything? It's not just book smarts. It's the experience of life that college offers you. Besides, college girls are a lot cuter and saner than the skanks you will see in the pros.
PLEASE READ ALL POSTS BEFORE COMMENTING!! IF NOT, U GET DELETED AS I WILL NOT ENTERTAIN THE SAME ARGUMENTS.
Injury not an issue in basketball? Are you kidding me? A blown out knee can end a career or badly hamper one for years to come, as well as lower your value when you are drafted. and blown out knees happen all the time.
And what do you tell him if after you talk him into staying in college, he sustains a career ending injury?
I imagine that he will take all those things into consideration without the coach having to tell him.
I do not argue your being right or wrong on most of your points, just that the coach should try to talk him into staying. How can a coach be objective about keeping a star player on his team?
If it looks like you're going to go #1, you should (because you can always go back to school). I believe Noah would have gotten more money if he had gone pro after the 1st championship, although I doubt he would have traded it for the rare repeat.
Point is, anything can happen with regard to injury if he stays in school.
It could hamper his development to go after just one year in college, but for example regardless of Kwame's lack of a top-line career, if he doesn't waste his money he's set for life!
First off, this is basketball...not football.....so the Patriots are irrelavant. And If I was guaranted to be # 1 or at least in the top 3, I would definitly leave. Injury is a big factor. You think if Oden stayed another year, then had his surgery,.......that he would be # 1 this year. Don't think so. Not to mention the surgery he had could really kill a career. But guess what, even if it does kill his career, he is rich. I'd rather be regretful about not staying in college and rich,.....than to be regretful about not going to the NBA and making way less than that.
And David Stern is G @ Y!!! You should remove that photo!!!!
How can you call Durant a dope after his first year on a totally destroyed Seattle team....That totally blows away your entire argument give the kid a chance to do play before writing him off. What did you expect Durant to come in and lead Seattle to the play offs after they had gotten rid of thier best players?
Other faulty arguments are the when you claim the money isn't going anywhere, if Beasley stays in college and has a huge injury at his side he stands to lose quite a bit of money whereas if he goes pro he can get a huge guaranteed sum of money and then go back to school.
All-in-all the coach at K-State is absolutely right there is nothing he can say to Beasley other than by staying he has a shot a National Title, and thats only a shot. If Beasley goes pro thats as much of a sure #1 overall pick as I have ever seen.
we have no right to tell a kid what he should or should not do. college will ALWAYS be there, the nba wont. we're talking about a contract that will secure his family for life, who are you to tell him to wait another year? you dont know his familys financial situation.
every student uses college as a stepping stone to get a job. when hes 35 and retired he'll have plenty of time to go back and get his degree, right now the nba #1 pick is staring him in the face, he wont turn it down.
and your point for playing for a bad team is irrelavant. look at the cavs before lebron, the hornets last year, look at miami, get drafted and get to play with marion and wade? teams can turn things around so quick
Injury not a factor in Basketball?? How good was C-Webb after his injury? How about Grant Hill? Kevin Durant a dope????? Man I dont know what you have been watching, but for a 19yr old holding his own against the best, to be called a dope is crazy.(And dont throw out his fg% at me cause Adam Morrison, who stayed in college, shot worse his rookie yr) Noah should have came out after first NCAA championship, he would have been a top 3pick. Nothing in life is guaranteed, take advantage of the opportunities presented to you. Beasley and the others should go pro depending on their financial situations and confidence in their skill level.
As I recall the clause for early entry in to the draft used to be based on finacial hardship. The guys from Florida are not a good example because of growing up in a financially privileged environment. The McDonalds high school game this week was another reason to leave early. The ability of the young player leaves me to ponder if the game itself can cope with the skill level of todays player. p.s. you lost me with the skank comment.
i didnt mention the money part. But this isnt the NFL. If he was a first overall pick in the NFL thats like 35 million guranteed. But he isnt going to see much more then the other players. he is going to have to prove himself. Just dont come out and be a bust. Playing with the College players isnt making him better at all. Come out early, even if he struggles his first year(every player that come into the NBA Struggles their first couple of years) he will have many opportunities cause everyone knows about his talent. Staying in College isnt going to make him better.
Most all of your arguments are about money and injury, but none of you attack my points. K-Mart, of the Denver Nuggets, broke his leg in his Senior year of college. That injury didn't hurt his pocket book or pro career. Go ask him
The fact that Noah would have gotten more money is trivial. What's the difference? He's set for life no matter what.
Yeah, Shaq is a big kid. There are exceptions to every rule.
Bass,
I agree and you make my point. NFL contracts for rookies are different.
On your other point I don't agree. The kid will get better playing in pressure situations and especially during March Madness. Remember Kobe's first few years?
Z,
I have every right to voice my opinion here. So, what the h ... are you talking about. The kid can take my advice or not. Also, LeBron is an exception to the rule. Miami again is an exception and so is Wade.
You are absolutley right Poetry....you are entitled to your opinion, but your basically saying everyone that came outta college early or straight from high school that entered the NBA and is good, is an exception to the rule. It goes both ways......some are gonna be great......some are going to BLEEP. And I can't respect how you don't believe Durant is good.
Look at the list of people who came out early and are outstanding:
Melo, Wade, Lebron, Kobe, KG, J. O'Neal, Shaq, and several others. They are all exceptions?
Now don't get me wrong, there is a lot more that shouldn't have came in so early, but you have to look at Beasley's situation.........he is young, which mean he can spend more years in the NBA and make money if he was to leave now than later. He's already proven to be the # 1 pick. He is nominated to be Player of the Year against T Physco. He will be great in the NBA. A lot of people disputed Melo coming out and look at him now. Theres gonna be greats....and theres gonna be flops.
I dont disagree with him staying in school, however...
1)...Woulda, coulda, shoulda... Hindsight is 20/20.
2) What if you get injured after your first good year? What then?
3) I agree.
4) You got a point. Livingston is not that bad tho... just needs a little muscle and a good year injury-free.
5) Durant???? Are you serious... yeah Durant is streaky but when he is on he cant be stopped. He will be a beast, one day!... You really lost credibility with that comment.
6) I agree with this one.
7) This is true.
8) You are dead wrong, ask penny hardaway.
9) Thats how you develop. (Ask Michael Jordan)
10) And the girls are shallow in college too. A lot of skanks were college girls too.
You shouldnt coach the wildcats because some of your judgments are unsound.
Beanz,
No, I'm not saying that all kids who come out early stink. Though stats would say that most do stink. Hardships should come out if they need the money. Have no problem with that. Hardships are rare. I'm not saying Durant stinks. Is he in the running for Rookie of the Year? I'm saying that he's nothing special. Of the people you have listed, only Kobe stunk in his first year and would have benefited GREATLY from 2 years of college. The list is much longer of the kids who stink. All the players u listed will be HallofFamers.
Money is not everything. Beasley will gain more than he loses if he stays.
Last edited by PoetryMan on March 28th at 1:24 PM.
Naked,
Your arguments are unsupported and unsound. "hindsight is 20/20", what does that mean exactly. Hardaway is a bad example. Give an example of a college player having a career ending injury.
MJ is bigtime exception.
Was a little harsh on Durant, but as a pro he is nothing special. He will be someday. Had he stayed in college he may have come out special.
Please try to recognize a joke when u see it and laugh or disregard it.
Finally, career-ending injuries in college hoops are beyond rare. All examples given here are of veterans having career-ending injuries.
Last edited by PoetryMan on March 28th at 1:39 PM.
Poetryman what are you thinking! This is the chance of a lifetime for Beasley. #1 pick 4 million. He can instantly secure his future. Most players with NBA dreams need all 4 years to even be mentioned as a top pick. Im not against staying school, but what if he gets hurt really bad during his 2nd year, No more NBA. Unless he wants to be the #1 D-League Pick. (See Penny)
Last edited by Shonthehustla on March 28th at 2:58 PM.
Now this is intelligent and inspiring. Unfortunately there will be two people who wont read this and they need to see it the most.....See Michael Beasley and Frank Martin. Well Said
You should do m ore homework before posting a blog!
Noah is already set...is father is worth millions...remember he was a damn good tennis player for years who amassed millions. Most college players don't have the same financial stability. Also trying to rip on Kobe doesn't help your argument much at all. Hmm, his career looks pretty good to me. what would college have done for him?..What about LaBron? Answer=nothing! positive...these guys needed competition. Kobe was playing pickup ball at 14 with pro's, and Labron was a man at like 5. College is great for some ..like Jordan..but not for all. Beasley has nothing to gain by playing against kids. And if YOU THINK INJURY MAKES NO DIFFERENCE..THINK AGAIN..EVEN IF HE STAYED GOT INJURED...HE'D NEVER BE A TOP PICK AGAIN!..THAT WOULD COST HIS FAMILY MILLIONS!
You're free to voice your opinion (even as horrible as it is in this scenario) thats not whats troubling, what's really upsetting is that foxsports has this on there main NBA page. For shame, this is a childish article.
Here's what I think:
1- Joakim Noah came out as a junior and is playing for a perennial loser while being just another dope in the pro's so in a sense that contradicts your arguement. Either way though, there's always exceptions to every rule, see Magic Johnson, Carmelo Anthony..
2- Not true at all someone mention that Greg Oden wouldn't be the top pick this year after surgery, thats probably true. So yes, the money does go other places.
3- I'd rather be a rich kid with money than a kid without alot of money
4- Look at all the college players who came out early and did something...
5- This is such a horrible point to make
6- Another horrible point if someone stays in college because they realize money is not everything and they want to improve their mind and soul, they would still be conscious of this with money. But either way its a bad point.
7- Partially. You can only develop your skills so much against inferior competition
8- I can't believe you've said this it's a very off-base comment.
Poetry, your comments made some good points; however, I disagreed with alot of the things you said. J.Noah... you lost some points on that.... he and his draft buddies except Brewer came from priveledge families... Hortford's dad played in the NBA.. even Joakim's dad was a pro tennis player who did well for himself. I also think some of these kids should stay in school ( Love, Mayo, Rose to name a few) but Beaseley is NBA ready as Durant was last year. He'll have a better rookie year than Durant because he's built like a pro. The thing you didn't mention is the heart and desire these players have to have to succeed can only be measured in the time they take to perfect thier craft (see Kobe, see LeBron, see Carmelo... If I was fortunate enough to be a College standout with the opportunity to be the #1 draft pick after my freshman year I'd jump to the NBA.......
OK, one more time, these kids need to stay in school for two reasons:
one, they can hone the skills need to compete in the NBA (they may be outstanding playing high school hoops but think of how much better they could be if they got a few years of college hoops in), and two, they need to get an education so that if (God forbid) the unforseen should happen they will have a diploma to fall back on.
So basically, Poetryman has hit the nail on the head with this one (well done).
someone must had erased my first comment i did. that one was a contiuation. But anyway, you only get better in Basketball by players at the next level. any real hoopster knows this. And the Kobe situation is a bad example. It was clear to everyone that Kobe was better then Eddie Jones, Peeler but the lakers was a deep team at the SG spot. If Beasley wait four years and land on a team like the Jazz do you think he will be getting starting minutes over Boozer. No. Its all about where he lands. If he lands on a team in need of a Pf, he will be giving plenty of opportunity to be successful. Waiting in College will accomplish nothing. And pressure moments in College is nothing like pressure moments in the NBA.
Its never a rush for a player to come into the NBA and be successful once he comes into the league. Infact most players start off as losers their first few years. But during that time he will get the feel of the game and learn more. only player i remember coming in successful straight out the gate is Tim Duncan(he won a Title his second year) Magic and Bird before Tim. It takes years for players to be successful. Beasley stay in college he is just going to be wasting more years.
Bass,
I believe Magic and Bird came out as Sophs. Also, it's hard to use them as an example ... 2 of the greatest ever!
The NBA don't have tournaments. One and done tourneys are awesome pressure situations.
Kobe was not better than EJ in his first year ... you are dreaming.
Beasley should not wait 4 years, one year will do.
Yeah, I know about Noah's Dad. Slipping from first to ninth is a big drop. Still, once you have so much money, what's a few hundred thousand dollars gonna do? By him another house in the Hamptons? How many Hummers can a kid drive at one time?
Rev,
OK, I take it back. Durant is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I'm the dope!
You're also a dope for calling one of my arguments horrible without supporting your claim. Why is it horrible, sir?
Though you do support your argument on #6, I have no idea what you're talking about.
As for injuries, not one of you has posted a convincing argument. Please give me one example of a college hoops player having a career ending injury. Such injuries are so rare that they are a non-factor in the decision to go pro and the people who use such an excuse are just repeating a bromide as they have no imagination.
Last edited by PoetryMan on March 29th at 9:58 AM.
I have to question your argument about playing for a perennial loser. On one hand you argue that he will improve his game by staying in college and on the other you argue that if he comes out early he will be playing for a loser.
If the kid was going to be first round draft choice now and he is going to improve by staying in college, then what makes you think he will not still be drafted by a loser? Somehow I don't think the drafting procedures are going to change. Bad teams get the best players.
The whole point of being the best player is to go to a losing team and turn it into a winning team. And if it is going to be a losing team forever then the sooner you get there, the sooner you can play out your rookie contract and move on to greener pastures.
I am certainly not against a kid staying in college if that is what he wants to do. It certainly made Tim Duncan a much better and more mature player. But I would certainly not say it is what he should do. That is his choice. He has to do what he thinks is right for him and his family.
He can always go back and finish his degree, if he wants it badly enough. Several of them have. To stay with the Spurs example, Bruce Bowen finished his degree just last year.
Are you friggen kidding me?
"As for injuries, not one of you has posted a convincing argument. Please give me one example of a college hoops player having a career ending injury. Such injuries are so rare that they are a non-factor in the decision to go pro and the people who use such an excuse are just repeating a bromide as they have no imagination."
What if Shawn Livingston got hat injury in college?...Hmm...We would never have known who he was......clearly you haven't played ball..basketball IS A DANGEROUS SPORT FOR KNEES AND ANKLES...you don't hear about the guys who get hurt in college...CAUSE THEY'RE NO LONGER WANTED!
FURTHER MORE...You must think Roy Hibbard will end up better than that guy in Orlando..who didnt go to college...in fact..you take your team of 4 year guys against my team of 1 year college and no college guys and lets see who wins..You've got Duncan.. Brandon Roy and...
I'll roll with Kobe, Labron, Carter, D Howard, J kidd, KG, ...you get the picture...and last time i checked...shawn Livington was a millionaire i'd rather just have a HS diploma and Millions..than a college degree and broke...thats just me.
Stank,
Sorry, but you haven't made a new point. And, even at my age, I still can take you to the hoop.
Basketball aint' dangerous, what a joke. Women play basketball. They don't play football.
Finally, the world has enough ignorant illiterate millionaires.
Last edited by PoetryMan on March 29th at 2:00 PM.
Spurcse,
My argument was 'why be in a hurry to play for a perennial loser'. Yeah, I know he will likely play for a loser no matter what.
Getting a degree during his pro career is fine. That's not part of my argument. My point is enjoy college for one more year as an amateur. Once you go pro ... that's it.
It's not just about improving his basketball skills if he stays for one more year. He will continue to mature as a man. I will not use Kobe as an example again, but you should get my point.
I agree that Beasley would probably be better off staying another year. So many of the new players in the NBA are not learning enough actual basketball knowledge. In high school, the players destined for greatness don't even pay attention in practice because it's "beneath them." And it is. But they don't learn enough fundamentals for their teams. How many championships has Tim Duncan won? How many championships has Jordan won? Going to college makes players more coachable, and therefore more inclined to succeed. There are exceptions to this, but for sure a vast majority of players would do well to learn more (Kwame Brown would have, because then he would have gotten hurt in college and the Wizards wouldn't have wasted a pick on him)
Good blog Poetry, and I respect the way you handle other people's aggressive arguments with level-headed answers.
Wow...Poetry Man...maybe you should have stayed in college. I suggest majoring in economics. If I were a college phenom reading this I would go pro immediately. Your counter points to going pro weren't exactly compelling.
1) Joakim Noah could have just as easily had blown out his knee that would have ended his career before it started.
2) See number 1.
3)That's right you'll never be a kid again. Go get a Ferrari and take your kid friends for a spin.
4) For the kids who did come out early it behooves the organization they are part of to tell these guys to watch and learn a deeper understanding of the game and get paid while doing it versus accruing college debt and drink beer.
5)Durant is a dope? Its not his fault he's with a bad team but he can and will be great and be a part of something great as he and the team matures.
6)Money is not everything but it sure does get you a lot of things. Your youth and your hops won't always be there but learning is lifelong. The schools will always be there...heck go pay for your own teachers or when you retire from basketball you can go back to college and check out the college honeys. Take your money and go see the world and enrich your soul. To suggest that Kobe has no soul is ignorant. To be the best of anything, to be the best among the best and be part of the pantheon of the best to have ever touched a basketball takes an extraordinary amount of will, desire and spiritual strength.
7) NBDL...Andrew Bynum has Kareem Abdul Jabbar as a teacher and a life mentor.
8) Whaaat?!
9) Imagine turning a losing franchise around? That would be a testament to your greatness. The Clippers had turned it around up until injuries derailed their progress.
10) Uhhh we are talking about basketball and last time I looked those NBA cheerleaders were looking pretty hot.
You have got to be bleeping kidding me you don't know this mans physical or financial situation(see A.I.'s reason to leave G.town) He would not be as rich next year his stock could drop. He is not a kid once you can vote/fight you are not a kid. Most kids who leave collage early do fine as for the high shcool kids there succes depends on the team that drafts them(see J. O'neal G. wallace and Hedo) When you go pro you get to run with the big dogs in that city. You tell the people losing there home(because of bad financial moves) and active military familes the have to get food stamps those lies. You get better by playing people better than you. Nba strengh and condtioning coaches are better that the college guys. Injury is a factor look at T-mac sam bowie ect. If you are good enought you can turn a loser around. All lottery teams are not losers ask dallas about that when the playoffs start. There are life coaches for nba newbie college girls get pregnate on purpose FAR more often than the women on the nba circuit.(circuit women only want to be taken care of those demented college girls want twenty year commitmants you dig) in short you have no idea what you are talking about do more research....ONE
it all depends on his family situation, to be able to take care of your parents & family maybe too much to pass up.. everyone is always talking about wait for more money whatever it is there going to be set for life and as far as finishing school the nba should mandate that if someone wants to leave early that they have to continue school.. or they don't get as big of a contract if they don't.
I agree the topic is trivial but that's why the article is 1/3rd of a page long. I saw the coach on a 30+ dating site called meetwealthyboomer.com*****
er0s,
Please read all the posts before you respond ... you really have said nothing new.
Please go back to school and pay attention this time. I never said or implied that Kobe has no soul.
Son, a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Last edited by PoetryMan on March 30th at 11:39 AM.
JimmyC,
My little brother got the size in the family and he had something else I didn't have; a big brother who had played the game and inspired him. Even though he went thru 4 years at Purdue, once he got a multi-million dollar contract from the Chargers ... you couldn't talk to him. He knew everything. Later, he became estranged from our father who is now deceased and the entire family.
I'll repeat this; the world has enough ignorant illiterate millionaires.
i didnt say nothing about Magic or Bird coming out in their sophmore year. Actually have nothing to do with what i said. And When Magic and Bird came into the game, they were already the best players in the game. The competion got better five years after they were drafted.(Michael Jordans draft) My point is Bird and Magic was sucessful and won championship right out of college while they was the best players on their teams.(wouldnt care if they left after their senoir season). D-wade won a ring too i cant forget him. But even he won in his third or fourth year.(look at his team now)
And if you really think Eddie Jones was better then Kobe back think, you really dont have a clue. Yes Kobe was out of controll(and eddie jones was an allstar type player), but his potental was always higher then Eddie Jones. Notice how when the lakers traded him and made Kobe the starter they won three championships.(and mind you eddie jones isnt much older then Kobe), and eddie jones was drafted not to long before Kobe.
If I misspoke on the Kobe item then I take back what I had written but I think if you were to go back and read what you had written you could see how it could be misunderstood.
Don't call me son.
Quote:
"I'll repeat this; the world has enough ignorant illiterate millionaires."
That would seem to have a lot more to do with their upbringing.
There are also a lot of philanthropic millionaires.
For these players to get in early and earn a lot of money gives them a chance to bring up their quality of life and for those around them as well as contribute to the community.
I honestly think players who stay longer might be more coachable. But thats not really a good reason to stay.(from what i seen he might be the best character on and off the court in a while, SO HE IS VERY COACHABLE) Out of all the good reason for him to leave and go pro, staying most of us(the ones who actually step on the hardwood before) knows that Beasley isnt getting any better staying at the college level. Maybe he can work on somethings, but he needs to work on them things at the next level to really improve.
Poetry Man.....you absolutley right.......he would have more to gain if he stayed....probably more knowledge of the game.......but if he got injured.....in college......he wouldn't gain a thing.
The knock on K.D. being a bust is retarded. He has no team around him and the other rookie b/c the owners are trying to ship the team off. The college girls statement shows that the author probably gets no play now.
As far as him staying in college, the only real advantage he has is to hone his skills and improve his mindset when it comes to great coaches with good teams. Look at Patino and Louisville. The teams aren't rreally all that good, but thier coach is great and helps develop a winning attitude. From what the reports say about Beasley, he already has an attitude problem. If he stays and hones his skills, maybe he will avoid some of the pitfalls that comes with a big ego and average skills. Average as in a league full of the worlds best. Mike may be one of the best in college, but in the pros, he's just another rookie. The reason I say he isn't at the top of his game is that as the best player on a decent college team, he couldn't lead his squad to the final four, how can he lead his bottom barrel Heat, Knicks, Grizz, or Clips to the playoffs? King James put the whole team on his back and still doesn't really have any help. Can Beasley pull that off yet?
Ok let's start at the top. Kenyon Martin suffered from that broken leg if you recall it took him about a year and a half to get back any of the prebreak explosion. Furthermore he's never been the same since, he's had back issues, another leg injury, and knee trouble. Since the Nets were last closed out by the Lakers we've hardly seen the guy on the court, much less for a full season. That break was detrimental whether you know it or not.
In addition Joakim Noah screwed himself also, had he come out he would have had the luxury of being the focal point of someone's draft process. Instead he became another on the list, behind Oden, Durant and a handful of others. He missed his mark, and ended up on a team in a horrible flux. Now granted they moved Ben Wallace and so now the kid's got a chance to play, but this is the exception to your rule about ending up on a lottery team. This kid would have been better off on a lottery team, than a middle of the road team which at this point will not make the playoffs or contend next year. Durant may make it to the playoffs first. Oden may get a ring before Lebron, imagine that, there goes a piece of your lottery team argument. Portland certainly didn't look to be this good this soon, but that's the beauty of it all, if it was so cut and dry guys like you would be NBA GM's instead of bloggers. Ok there's so much more to rip apart. Andrew Bynum was drafted out of high school genius, you have to do research before you write stuff. Look it up it's not hard. Anyway that would mean he developed in THE NBA, as a pro, just as all pro's must do,
You are correct in saying that to really improve his game, Beasley would need to go to the next level. The best way to challenge yourself and to get better is to play guys that are better than you. I agree with that. But I do think that to really understand what the NBA coaches are asking of you, to really be able to develop as a player, college would be a good decision. Everyone is saying that he could come back to college after, but what I am trying to say is that even if he did, it would be too late to learn the things that college ball teaches the players.
I think this is a very difficult decision, and it's one thing for a bunch of us to be choosing for the kid (and yes kreillen, he is a kid still. Just because you can choose the next president doesn't mean you are mature enough. Some people are, some people aren't.) what he should do with his career. There is a possibility of losing money if he stays, there is a possibility of getting hurt if he stays, but the benefits if that doesn't happen would be huge; having stayed, he would have understood more of the depth of the game, he would have learned how to respond to high-pressure situations better, and he would be even more attractive to the league.
So we have a toss-up here. It's a good thing that he doesn't have us deciding for him.
In high school and college I led my teams as a middle line backer, running back, and point guard. Now, I'm known for my poetry and other arts. Still like to talk sports on any level.
