Prep Star Tyler Heading Overseas

San Diego High School basketball standout, Jeremy Tyler, is heading overseas to hone his basketball skills. In doing so, Tyler, a Junior, will be skipping his Senior year of high school, foregoing his college eligibility, and taking his game to the Euro league. This has raised many eyebrows and drawn much criticizm around the nation as Tyler is the first prep star to leave high school early for the opportunity to play professionally. I, on the other hand, don't have a problem with Tyler's decision.

If anyone should have a problem with Tyler's decision to forego the balance of his high school and college eligibility, it's me. Tyler was Rick Pitino's prized recruit for Louisville's 2010 recruiting class. Louisville is my team. Tyler's decison directly affects Louisville's future - seemingly in a negative way. Therefore, this is bad news for me and all Louisville fans. However, I think for a player of his caliber it makes sense.

Amateur athletes all over the world often dedicate their life, at the expense of a typical adolescent lifestyle and schooling, to become Olympians or future pros. It isn't at all uncommon for a teenage tennis player or golfer to commit to a rigorous regimine that includes intense training to achieve their ultimate goal. These athletes could work their way through the typical route to achieve the same success but the resources and competition are often not as adequate. The only difference between Tyler and these other athletes is the pay grade during the process.

Not only will Tyler make millions of dollars of the next two years, which never sucks, he will be able to learn and compete from and against a much higher level of competition that can't be replicated in high school or even at a high level Division I college like Louisville.

Once Tyler is eligible for the 2011 NBA draft his experience could be invaluable as it relates to being able to step into the league with a game ready-made for the suitor for his services. Might his game be exposed to a certain extent that would remove the "upside" tag that most NBA teams draft upon? Sure. There is a risk to going this route. But I like the balls he's showing in taking on that risk and the commitment it's going to take to prove what he's out to prove. If he ends up being a top-5 pick, he will have played his cards perfectly and cashed some nice checks in the meantime.

Spanish basketball sensation Ricky Rubio started playing professionly in Europe when he was just 14 years old. By all accounts he will be a top-3 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Don't seem to hear many people making too many disparaging remarks about his decision - and it came at an even more tender age. As it turns out, his decision ramped up his learning curve and ended up landing him on last years Spanish Olympic team playing alongside the likes of NBA'ers Pau Gasol, Rudy Fernandez, Jose Calderon and Juan Carlos Navarro as a 16 year-old!

Of course, my opinion of Tyler's decision does have a caveat. Given the fact that he's only 17 years old (from San Diego) there are some pitfalls that could be damaging to his future. After all, he will be in a foreign country forced to adjust to many other things beside the skill level of his competition. There will be homesickness, a language barrier to some extent, money issues that he's never had to deal with, increased scrutiny and press as well as the ego-related reality of not being coddled and hyped like he's surely become acustomed to. However, if handled properly, dealing with these things could be a good real-life lesson in what it takes to be a professional.

Obviously, we won't know how Tyler's decision ends up playing out for another two years. Maybe he falls flat on his face and never plays anywhere else BUT Europe. But if you're a sensation of his caliber why not cash in on the next two years and be better for it in the long-run?

How Tyler's decision plays out could lead to more high school players making a similar decision. However, I doubt it will be to the extent we saw high school players jumping directly to the NBA over the past 10 years. I think most players will see the college route as the better option despite the money opportunity in Europe. I think most kids still find playing for a college program, experiencing the college lifestyle, trying to carry their team to the Final Four or winning a national championship a dream they'd rather try and fulfill on their way to the NBA.

Furthermore, I think most players parent(s) will require that they finish high school so the European option would only be a one-year proposition. Therefore, the probabilityof gaining much more than money a year earlier won't be as valued as the opportunity to learn from a coach, like Pitino, for that one year, getting to play on national TV, in front of your family or being the poster-child for One Shining Moment.

We shall see.

So Long Big John

John Madden recently announced his retirement from broadcasting after 30 years in the booth. Madden was a stalwart in the booth for many of the NFL’s premier match-ups during his time as a color analyst. Hearing his voice typically meant you were watching a Monday night game, Sunday night game, playoff game or the Super Bowl. Not bad. However, while Madden’s presence over the game during his career was indisputable, his legacy is now a source for debate and talk-radio fodder.

John Madden had a perspective and a delivery that was unparalleled. This doesn’t necessarily mean it was entirely refreshing or likable for that matter. Generally speaking, he was a jovial, well-liked and well-respected color commentator. I never had a problem with his shtick they way I do, say, Dick Vitale, but to hail Madden as some mercenary or (cough) the best ever is a little too much for me to digest.

Madden certainly came to the booth with a great amount of credibility based upon his success as a coach for the Oakland Raiders. He brought an affectious style that seemed to speak to the common viewer and was able to gain popularity through knowledgeable insight but also through the timely rise of the NFL during the same time. His timing was perfect in this regard. Was he a cog in this uprising success? Sure. Was he the patriarch of this success? Hardly.

I don’t have a problem with Madden, per se. I was never overly annoyed by his style. Wasn’t overly impressed or intrigued by it either. He didn’t do anything for me that couldn’t otherwise be done by another solid professional (Troy Aikman). Those that are looking to label him as the best ever might need to step back and give pause before hanging their hat on that position.

Personally, I think if you want to start running down the best announcers ever, you start in baseball, not football. Think about filling the dead space of a baseball game with meaningful commentary as well as having the savvy and understanding to deliver to the average viewer the complex aspects that a baseball game entails.

In the latter years, I would argue that Madden basically became a caricature of himself. This wasn’t all his fault but, to me, listening to him talk in circles about the most inconsequential aspect got old and didn’t necessarily provide much useful analysis. It was as if he began to play into his own stereotype. There’s a difference between people laughing with you and laughing at you and it seemed in the twilight of his career there were some beginning to laugh at him.

I’m not hear to beat Madden up…I’m really not. He’s a likable guy that was good for football in many ways. I just can’t stomach the talk that a color commentator like Madden is being compared alongside the likes of true play-by-play announcers like Vin Scully, Harry Kalas, Jack Buck, Cawood Ledford or even Mike Tirico.

Play-by-play announcers have an infinitely harder job. By nature they carry a greater responsibility. They do the heavy lifting of bringing you the action. They’re the broadcasters that were many sports fans’ eyes and ears back when America used to gather around the radio to follow their team or listen to sporting events. A play-by-play announcer has to be quick, clear, concise, accurate and sharp. The real good ones are masters at setting up their color man to step in and provide, well, color analysis. They have to know just when to interject into the moment as well as when to shut up and let the moment speak for itself.

Nonetheless…

I’ll give Madden props for how he was able to capitalize on his cult like success and following. He put his name on a video game that has got to got to be the highest grossing video game in the history of video games. He parlayed his quirky evaluation into an hour long show to reveal his All-Madden team. He partnered his Madden Cruiser with Outback Steakhouse and had much commercial success pushing Miller Lite. He put himself in a well leveraged position and counted his money all the way to the bank. Well done my man. More power to you. Nothing wrong with being rich!

All-in-all, Madden’s timing for announcing his retirement was generally well played. Others tend to hang on way too long and die a slow death or fade off into obscurity. Madden, on the other hand, played his hand perfectly. Kudos…and thank you. We’ll miss you Big John, but I’m hoping we don’t get carried away either.

Hang In There Kenny

Kenny Perry had a golden opportunity to exorcise the demons of the '96 PGA Championship this past weekend at Augusta National golf course. He literally walked off the 16th green with one arm in the green jacket. Unfortunately, fate reared it's ugly head and Kenny's date with destiny quickly faded away.

Back in 1996 Kenny had a similar date with destiny wiped away on the last hole of the PGA Championship in his home state. Back then, Perry was merely riding an emotional wave of good fortune and solid play when he put himself in position to win his first major at Valhalla. Many considered his opportunity at the time a bit of a surprise. This past weekend at the Masters it came as no surprise that he was once again on the doorstep of major success.

Outside of guys named Mickelson, Tiger and Padraig Harrington, Perry has been the most dominant golfer on the PGA Tour over the past three years. His recent renaissance has earned him such prestigious wins like the Memorial and the Colonial, not to mention his success in the 2008 Ryder Cup. However, the golf God's have a crule way of showing up at the most inopportune times.

Nobody seems to be more of a geniunely good guy than Perry. If anyone deserves success for being humble and likable it's Perry. Unfortunately, likability and humbleness won't par a hole for you when you most need it.

Perry faltering on the final two holes at the Masters was, no doubt, a tough pill to swallow. But for someone that considers everything at this point in his career "gravy" it somehow makes you want it for him that much more. Perry's obviously not a pretentious up-and-comer that feels he's entitled to anything. He's remained grounded and taken his recent success in stride. However, at 48 years of age, his days to bring home the elusive major title that all touring pros covet are numbered.

I figure he's got 6 - 8 majors left in which he can legitimately contend. The numbers would suggest the odds are stacked against him to capitalize on one of those opportunities. However, if anyone can turn this recent negative into a positive, it's Perry. I'll be his biggest fan during his on-going quest to capture the ultimate pinnacle of his profession. I'm sure I won't be the only one to want such good things for Perry as he plays out the rest of his career. However, if the major championship that he so richly deserves manages to elude him during his final years I just hope that when it's all said and done, that career isn't defined by his monumental failures on golf's biggest stage, and more about the example he has set during those failures.

Hang in there Kenny. Although I'm sure it comes as little solace, and even though you've fallen a one hole short, you're finally gaining the respect and support that us Kentuckians have had for you all along...and it couldn't happen to a better, more deserving guy.

DVR v. Divorce

Being a father with kids that occupy the majority of my time away from work I am often relegated to recording shows or sporting events that I want to watch. My standard operating procedure is to head to the basement after the kids go to bed and settle in for the action that the rest of the world already knows the outcome of. Therein lies the rub. The fact that the rest of the free world knows about, commercializes, publishes, markets, advertises, discusses, debates and opines about leaves me in full defense mode from the time the event ends to the time I am able to start watching.

I take painstaking efforts to avoid gaining knowledge of the outcome of the sporting event that I have recorded since I don't want my small sacrifice of not getting to watch the event live ruin the drama that all others get to enjoy as they play out second by second. This approach might seem rather easy but some unpredictable and, therefore, unavoidable circumstances have played themselves out in some frustrating ways in the past few months.

Take for instance the NCAA's Final Four semi-final games. I was too busy laboring in the yard to catch the beginning of the first game so I recorded the game(s) and planned on starting from the opening tip of the UConn/Michigan State game once I've had a chance to get cleaned up and eat dinner. However, this proved a little more difficult than I had thought. I mean seriously, what the hell could possibly happen between the 20 minutes that it takes for me to hop in the shower and grab a sandwich and head to the basement that would reveal the results that I'm trying to avoid? Well, typically, not much. Unless, that is, your wife has a stake in the office pool and is now interested in the action.

My wife was tied for the lead heading into the semi-final games. The only chance she had a raking in any of the cash was for Michigan State and Villanova to win. So my wife, who couldn't otherwise care less about anything to do with sports, is now checking in on the action to see where she stands. Nonetheless, by the time I get out of the shower the first game is now finished. As I dart from the bathroom to the kitchen to begin watching my recording, my wife boastfully states: "I'm halfway there!" Thanks. Didn't see that one coming.

Another instance was theis weekend's Masters. Since I was (a) driving back from Atlanta and (b) it was was Easter, I recorded the final round. My kids wanted to call my parents to tell them about their Easter basket surprises so as my daughter is talking to my mom, I hear my mom scream (through the phone) about "Kenny Perry's putt." I look at the clock and it was 6:50 so I figured it was whatever was happening on the final hole. Because she seemed so excited I figured it was because Perry had made a putt to win the tournament.

My dad then gets on the phone and wants to talk to me about the finale. I told him that I had recorded the action so I wasn't watching. This further suggested to me that Perry had won because, being a Kentuckian, he's our boy.

After the kids went to bed I began watching the action. About halfway through the final round I decide to go send a quick e-mail. I would typically not have run the risk of seeing something on the computer that would ruin the result for me but figuring my mom had already spilled the beans, I didn't think I'd be finding anything out that I didn't already know. The home page that comes up is msnbc.com and wouldn't you know it, it has Angel Cabrera on the front wearing a green jacket. Although it ran contrary to what I had originally thought, it was yet another unexpected way to get the news.

A part of me wanted to convince myself it wasn't right. I especially thought it was an error when I saw the leaders walking to the 17th tee and Perry still holding a two-stroke lead. I had to wonder for a second if the picture I saw was, in fact, correct and, in fact, Cabrerra.

While both of these are recent examples, my parents and wife have been sources of my frustration in the past as well. In a previous Masters recording (which was won by Phil Mickelson - one of my favorite golfers) I asked my dad not to say anything regarding the tournament because I was planning on watching it later. He said, "Okay, I won't...but you're going to be happy." Wonderful dad. For a second there I thought you were going to ruin it for me.

I also recorded the NCAA Championship Game. As I hit the couch to begin the action I get a text from a friend of mine that simply says, "not worth watching."

I guess I just have to (a.) come to accept the fact that confidentiality is impossible for my viewing protocol or (b.) become a couch potato that ignors his kids and family responsibilities and watch it real time while warding off 10,000 distractions. I'm thinking the latter ain't gonna happen short of divorce.

Kelly, sit down, we need to talk...

Anyone know the number for Winters, Yonker and Rousell?

My Ideal of Diplomacy For Somali Pirates

A recent issue that is all over the news in the past few days is that of Somali pirates. A few days ago these pirates were able to overtake a US cargo ship, capture its captain (Richard Phillips) and take him hostage and have demanded $2 million dollars in exchange for the safe return of the US captain. Ransoms have been requested in previous hijacking efforts and many foreign countries that have dealt with these pirates have opted to pay millions of dollars in ransom money in order to resolve the ordeal safely without involving alternative negotiating strategies or some sort of alternative confrontation. It is speculated that the total of the ransoms that have been paid are in the neighborhood of $30 - $80 million dollars!

I'd like to offer up a different strategy.

My approach, I'm sure, lacks the diplomacy that our goverment would prefer to exercise but when you're dealing with a country and people that have no concept or respect for such, I think you deal in terms everyone understands - highly equipped armed force!

Our first order of business is to rescue Captain Phillips without the risk of having him harmed in the process. How you might ask? Negotiating is not the answer. Nor is meeting any monetary demands the pirates might suggest. Above the water tactics are proving to be a bit tricky without putting Captain Phillips in harms way.

Short of sending in Jason Bourne, here's my idea: dial in the coordinates of whatever lifeboat these captors are on and have a US submarine surface directly underneath the vessel and capsize it. All occupants of the boat are thrown overboard. A Navy Seal team swoops in and secures Captain Phillips while the pirates are left to either drown or get sucked through the propeller of the submarine.

While the current state of the situation is requiring our military forces, I think future endevours could be every bit as effective without the expense of our most kick-ass resources.

In order to appreciate the nature of the situation you have to understand who we are dealing with here. Somalia has lacked structured government since 1991 and has thus, been in anarchy for the last 18 years. Therefore, the inmates are running the asylum which means druglords are very influential people that have access to resources that are typically very hard to come by. These druglords are recruiting and equipping desparate Somali people with the promise of part of the cut of any ransom money that might be received from these heists. As I understand it, the Somali coast is littered with people of many trades trying to earn a living - most notably fishermen. The pirates involved in these heists appear as typical fisherman when they approach these cargo ships and eventually brandish weapons as they take over these highly valued ships.

Nonetheless, the pictures of these ships and their pirates would hardly seem tough to ward off for the types of liners that are sailing the seas off the African coast - especially if each liner was equipped with a US Marshal in change of "negotiating" with these "fishermen".

Here are the details of my suggestion: For the immediate future (and I don't think it would take long to get this point across) I would like to see these ocean liners be equipped with multiple touret guns and a US Marshal that is also armed with a couple of rocket launchers, hand grenades and a few other assault type weaponry. Any lifeboat, dingy or upside-down car hood that comes within 200 yards of any commercial liner will be fired upon. I think that language translates whether you're from Somalia, Mogudishu or Rwanda - back the "F" off! You looking for some ransom money? You're barking up the wrong tree.

I'd venture to say that after maybe three of four dingy's get blown into smitherines it might start to get a little tough for those druglords to recruit the next wave of brave souls looking to score some cash on the high-seas. But maybe not since there's always other liners out there whose countries are evidently more willing to cooperate.

UConn Women v. High School Boys

The UConn women’s basketball team just completed a perfect season by beating Louisville in the National Championship game Tuesday night. This is the second UConn team under Geno Auriema to go 39-0. This year’s team not only went undefeated but was, essentially, unchallenged. The Lady Huskies won every single game by at least 12 points and their average margin of victory was 31 points per game. These are obviously impressive, jaw-dropping stats. I commend them for their dominance and excellence.

As I watched the game the other night I asked myself how this dominant UConn team would fare against a average or decent high school boys team. It was an intriguing thought to try and process because I think there are several factors to consider which I will get to in a second. My answer, however, I arrived at almost immediately: It wouldn’t be close.

First of all, the women’s ball is smaller than the men’s ball. This is a bigger factor than you might think. I played high school basketball and could not palm a men’s ball. This may sound inconsequential but for ball control, dribbling and shooting it is a huge factor. As for ball control and dribbling, it would basically allow most guys to handle the ball like Michael Jordan. You know what I’m talking about - palming the ball, arm extended away from the defense while you warded off pressure and surveying the defense. A smaller ball also gives you more control while dribbling in traffic and gives you the ability to go stronger to the basket and even more readily alter your shot in a split second if need-be. These factors would instantly make high school boys tougher to defend for the women.

The smaller ball also provides a wider margin of error when shooting since the ball is smaller yet the rim size is the same. Because the boys are used to shooting with a bigger ball, this is an advantage that would only be realized by the boys. Given this fact, accuracy would obviously increase in shooting for the boys. Shooting range would increase for the high school boys as well, again, another aspect that would make them tougher to defend for the women.

Another immediate factor that would play to the boys’ advantage is physical size. Height would be the first noticeable aspect of the size comparison. A tall girl is anywhere from 6’1 - 6’4”. A tall high school boys player might be 6’3” - 6’6” (or taller). This general size discrepancy would make it especially harder for the women to play toe-to-toe with the boys in the post. Even point-blank shots would be tough to make for the girls given the fact that the defense they would have to navigate would be a challenge under these circumstances. This size advantage would, for the most part, be evident at all positions, therefore, the women would be challenged in a way that they are not accustomed to as it relates to getting good looks at the basket.

Another aspect of the size difference would be strength. Strength would be a component that would allow the boys to better dictate the action on both the offensive and defensive end. Stronger players would hold the advantage in posting up, boxing out, defending, rebounding and penetrating the defense on the offensive end. These types of advantages are key elements to the success, efficiency and effectiveness in which players and teams are able to out-perform their counterparts.

The last characteristic I bring up as a key element of this breakdown would be general athletic ability which I would characterize into such aspects as quickness, jumping ability , speed and lateral movement. The boys in high school would dominate each of these components as well. This would, yet again, give the boys a decided advantage in the many key elements of gaining an advantage on the opponent.

The only advantage that I can see the UConn girls would have is coaching. However, because the boys are better prepared to dictate all other aspects of the game, I don’t think any amount of coaching could off-set the other advantages that the boys hold.

I admire the girls game and can appreciate the exceptional skill that the UConn women’s team has over their female competition. I actually think the boys, or men for that matter, could learn quite a bit from some of the fundamentals that the girls exhibit. I even think watching the girls play live, in person, would give most people a newfound respect for their skills. However, I think the physical aspects that even high school boys have would be too difficult for the women to deal with.

To give you a quick example, in college I played one-on-one against a girl from the Western Kentucky basketball team that was Ms. Basketball in the state of Kentucky and broke Rex Chapman’s scoring record at Apollo high school. She was an All-American candidate her senior year, was a two-time all-conference performer for the Lady Toppers and, at the time of her graduation, held the single season record at Western for points in a season (736), scoring average (22.3) and set a single-game record for points (41). Therefore, she was no slouch! I’d love to have had the same success that she enjoyed. However, during our one-on-one game, it was no contest. She had to settle for outside shots because she lacked the strength to drive or post up with any great success. Rebounds were also tough for her to come by. Nonetheless, we played to 20 and I beat her 20 - 8.

Now for my prediction of the outcome between a decent boys high school team and the 39-0 UConn women’s team: 30 points!

Hello Me

Since this if my first blog entry on a blog that has no followers, I say, "Hello Me." Hopefully, over time my friends, family and, God willing, someone from ESPN will feel compelled to check in from time to time to see some of my thoughts and insights about sports, current events, family related things, friends, opinions, etc.

As some of you may know I would love to be a sports columnist. Until that happens (probably never), I figure writing my own blog is the next best thing. Therefore, I am anxious to use this forum as an outlet for my passion for writing.

Now, what to "blog" about first?