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“I had my moment on the stage. The trick in life is to know when to leave.”—Al McGuire

Kick it!

The Chicago Tribune reported yesterday and CNN shared it this morning:

“The National Labor Relations Board in Chicago has ruled that football players at Northwestern University are employees and can unionize, the board said Wednesday.”

The school, of course, plans to appeal but the ruling essentially puts the writing on the wall. Northwestern University’s president emeritus Henry Bienen indicated he could see the university giving up Division I football.

“If we got into collective bargaining situations, I would not take for granted that the Northwesterns of the world would continue to play Division I sports,” Bienen is quoted in the CNN piece.

Disaster. The funny thing is the NCAA finally had somebody take a big dump on them, instead of the other way around.

What do you think?

 

“The Jim Brownfield Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament”  The scholarship fundraiser will be held on Friday, May 30th at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena. (Sponsored by the National Football Foundation’s Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley Chapter)  For more information contact NFF President Tony Ortega at (562) 458-8895

 

Note to “VikingFan”: Thanks for the update on Downey’s Jacob Cook. I stand with you in saying that if anyone thinks the fiesta is over for the Vikes they need to think again.

My concern for Downey, the San Gabriel Valley League, and the Suburban League is possible tinkering by CIF that would move either of the two leagues out of the Southeast.

I’m not really good at making new friends…I’m better with the ones I have.

Former El Monte quarterback Brandon Martinez is supposed to get some playing time at Pasadena City College this fall.

What do you think of Steve Masiello not getting the job at South Florida because he lied about having earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Kentucky? Masiello has a 61-39 record in three seasons at Manhattan, but now his employment at Manhattan is going to be reviewed.

That is the right of any school, they set their own requirements…as does any place of employment. I’m good with that.

It’s obvious Masiello can coach, he’s proven that, but will the completion of a few more units for a framed piece of paper make him a better one? Will it make him a better teacher for his players. Will a degree in English, Math, or History have any effect on whether or not he gets a team to the Final Four?

I doubt it…However, for the lying he should probably be fired and/or not hired.

But (if I can be allowed to start a sentence/paragraph with “but”) isn’t there a tinge of hypocrisy by the universities that allow coaches to bring in athletes for one season, knowing they will never complete their schooling, just to be successful? Now they’re going to use lines like “it’s not the example we want set for our student athletes” when they bring the hammer down on Masiello.

For the record, I believe the X’s & O’s of a college education are overrated. With the exception of some of the heavy sciences and tech fields, personal discipline, study, desire easily attain an equivalence with a bachelors.

With that said the experience of college cannot be underestimated. The 18 to 22 years of your life are the most formative. It’s where you discover and often times solidify your beliefs, it’s where the rubber meets the road in going from adolescence to adulthood. Everyone should get away from home, learn to cut their own meat, do their own laundry, and discover the unique talent of waking themselves up in the morning…Instead of Mom telling them it’s time to get out of bed.

After my first year on the college newspaper, my advisor (a former beat writer for the Angels in the 1960’s) encouraged me to give a local paper a call. He said they were looking to hire somebody during the summer (yes this was a long time ago) and that it would be a good experience for me.

“Joe, you’ve got the talent,” he said. “But you need to get more newsroom experience.”

So he told me who to call, gave me the number, I called and got this response: “I only hire college graduates. I know you’ve got a great recommendation and ability but I feel it’s only fair that since I had to finish school you should too before getting a job.”

(Yes, I have a memory like an elephant when I get slighted.)

Going back to my advisor he exploded, apologized to me, and then told me that so and so was full of BLANK. Then he said some of the most insecure people he knew were people who had finished their schooling only to realize that their degree didn’t give them talent. Then because of what they lacked internally, they put the degree/schooling thing on other people.

With a 61-39 record I’d hire Masiello just like that…but I’d probably fire him for lying even though his record and achievement more than proved he could do the job. I’d hire Masiello to coach my basketball team with no degree, before I hired Paul Hackett with all of his degrees to coach my football team.

Last Add College Experience: A former ministry student, who got his degree in music, and was hired by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory gave a different perspective. He said the most important thing his music degree did for him in getting the job at JPL was show he could start and finish something. It sure wasn’t because of his abilities as a tenor.

Two gentlemen who attended my church and worked for high end electronics companies (one of which is a millionaire)…said if they saw the person applying for a job with them was an “Eagle Scout”, it trumped the college education (the exception being science/tech specific degrees) because it showed the maturity of starting and finishing something.

Really Last Add College Experience: I’ve told my daughters, as two of them have reached adulthood, the most important thing (even before the degree with their name on it) is the accumulation of skills.

Regards:

In regards to Joe Blanton: Why did it take so long for the Angels to release him?

In regards to Lindsay on “Survivor”: You don’t quit. You don’t ever quit.

In regards to Dennis Miller on Bill Clinton: “The San Antonio Spurs hit more 3’s than Bill Clinton when there were no 4’s available.”

In regards to Jared Allen: I did not believe he would sign with the Bears.

In regards to Maranatha Football Opening:….Of course, Steve Bogan.

The Dude abides…

531

Joshua 7: 10

Contact Joe at joe@midvalleysports.com

“Joe T.’s Scoreboard” is found at www.midvalleynews.com every Wednesday & in the hard copy of the Mid Valley News, published every Wednesday

Follow Joe on twitter @joet13b

Listen to “The Joe Show” every Wednesday (6 & 6:30 P.M.) at www.midvalleyradio.net