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Very ugly college basketball story, here in the days leading up to the Final Four. Rutgers has fired Mike Rice after video tape of his practice sessions were taken to University officials and subsequently made public. He cursed at his players and used gay slurs, shoved them, slapped them on the back of the head and threw balls at them from close range. AWFUL! There had been previous complaints about his “coaching tactics” and he had been suspended for three games in December 2012. He is fired and the University is horribly embarrassed and ashamed as well they should be. He has been on ESPN today, teary eyed and offering an apology, one hopes it is in fact sincere. Very ugly story.
Unfortunately, another ugly story regarding former Georgia Tech guard, Javaris Crittenton. He was one of many “one and doners’ under former coach Paul Hewitt. He is officially indicted on charges of murder and gang activity. Crittenton was drafted by the Lakers out of GT and played with the Wizards and the Grizzlies. He was suspended for 38 games in 2009-10 for pulling a gun in the Wizards’ locker room. He was involved in a dispute with Gilbert Arenas over a card game and Arenas brought four guns into the locker room and put them in front of Crittenton’s locker with a sign that said “Pick 1”. There is of course no place for any of this nonsense in the NBA. More recently, Crittenton is accused in the murder of a young mother of two in Atlanta with the belief being there was retaliation involved over some $50,000 worth of jewelry that was stolen from him. This is just a horrible and heartbreaking story, what a tragic state of affairs for a once very talented and promising young man and basketball player. As a GT fan, I am so sad and disappointed. Of course, he is innocent until proven guilty and his defense counsel has released a statement that he will plead not guilty and that a vigorous defense of his client will take place when they have their day in court. Moving on…
Very moving interview with Kevin Ware, the Louisville guard who suffered the gruesome broken leg injury this past Sunday. He is from Atlanta and is looking forward to traveling with the team for this weekend’s Final Four in the Georgia Dome. He has a wonderful attitude and it was uplifting and heartwarming to hear him speak. Much brighter light shinning on him and his story than the two ugly stories noted above!
