“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” - "Animal Farm" by George Orwell
“It is much harder to struggle against irrelevance than against exploitation.” - Yuval Harari in “21 Lessons for the 21st Century”
Sport reflects society. Will gladiatorial spectacle return?
The basketball parallel to Harari’s postulate is exploitation of college athletes by colleges and the NCAA. The status quo was scholarships in return for athletic indentured servitude. Colleges promised the carrot of “free education” while players became full time employees. Try practicing 30 hours a week (it happened) against the pushback of "how can you take those classes if you’re a serious player?" Yes, I got that at Harvard as an end of the roster baseball guy.
As players won the right for additional compensation, colleges and Congress fought to swing the pendulum back with regulation, in effect a “salary cap.” The “gravy train” aims to ensure colleges and politicians get the most gravy. Some animals ARE more equal.
Colleges can now pay players directly. We’ll see how that plays out. That does not exclude other income.
How is NIL affecting the decisions of players to remain in college or enter the NBA Draft?@OldManAndThree pic.twitter.com/zWDt90rsvx
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) June 2, 2025
Lagniappe. This is not a 'rip' screen but reminds me of it. Excellent players make others better.
Here’s a difficult switch-beating concept that showcases pro-level basketball IQ. Strus screens his own defender to prevent the switch, then screens Merrill’s man when the defender realizes he can’t switch, creating space for the shot. pic.twitter.com/rP2vAyhulf
— Drew Munley (@Drew_Munley14) June 24, 2025
Lagniappe 2. Sometimes it pays to be patient. Other times it pays to be quick.
Houston Basketball on Closeouts, Two huge Keys:
— JIM BOONE 🏀 (@CoachJimBoone) June 24, 2025
1) Stay Down on Shot Fakes, Be Second!
2) No Straight Line Drives, Win the First Bounce. pic.twitter.com/GnYxf4JPCD
