San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Portal pasture not always greener
Sez Me … The NCAA’S “Transfer Portal” has been a horror movie, a lot of young people making a lot of bad choices. What made Janet Leigh check into the Bates Motel? Did she really need a shower?
Alas, college athletes want to hear the Siren’s Song, with the promise of more playing time and NIL money. But most of them (and those in their orbit) refuse to pay attention to what Ulysses ordered his men to do — rather than succumb to her lure, put wax in their ears.
There is something to “the grass isn’t always greener in the other man’s yard.”
In that regard, the Portal has exceeded my expectations ... in being worse than I thought it would be.
It is not the Ellis Island of collegiate athletes as advertised. Most are not sailing past Lady Liberty to the great life, although they may be yearning to breathe free.
I have nothing against the Portal, per se. I do have something against bad advice — from the players’ agents, families, “friends” and in their dreams.
Doing research, The Athletic’s Max Olson has found that, among the scholarship G5-P5 football transfers in 2023, 72 percent of them saw fewer snaps on their new teams than they did with their previous schools, and 23 percent didn’t start a game.
That leaves, what, 5 percent? The Caleb Williamses and Michael Pennixes and those big shots who transferred for NIL dough, matter.
Williams, who transferred from Oklahoma (where he already was a star), followed Sooners coach Lincoln Riley to USC, sure. But he’s a multimillionaire, doing national TV commercials.
So how many other Caleb celebs are there among the 2,000 Portal goers? How many others do you see hawking burgers?
I’m not against transferring, especially when the coach who recruited you and made promises to your family leaves. Nick Saban is retiring at Alabama, and so now Carlsbad’s Julian Sayin, the nation’s top QB recruit, has decommitted and entered the Portal.
But some kids, somehow, move willy-nilly. Should a youngster really have a chance to Blutarsky? Seven years of eligibility? Or more? Players years older than many NFL athletes going against teenagers?
Blutarsky? Hell, Miami tight end Cam Mccormick this fall will enter his ninth season of college football. He was in the same high school recruiting class as Nick Bosa.
College football, in a chaotic state, needs a Godfather, a nonviolent Michael Corleone, a capo di tutti capi, to consolidate all the families … uh … conferences.
After all, Sonny, it’s strictly business. …
John Harbaugh says his brother, Jim, is the best team builder in sports. Correct. …
The quarterback slide stinks. A runner is a runner, and some of these QBS are better backs than their backs. But it’s not going away. What should be is the fake slide, which puts already limited defenders at such a disadvantage. It has to be outlawed. …
Coaches and players: “Nobody expected us to be here.” Nobody? That means you, too. …
I’ve never understood this win-the-toss-and-defer-macho“we’re-gonna-set-the-tonewith-our-defense” crap. If the weather is OK and I win the toss, I want the ball. Can’t score without the ball. And most defenses couldn’t stop a paper cut. …
The Packers have three playoff wins at 15-year-old AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys, ESPN’S team? Two. …
Last Monday morning, after three playoff games, ESPN’S “Get Up” spent its entire time on one team. The Cowboys. …
A Cowboys fan tweeted/xed that he’s dropping his long allegiance to Dallas and is becoming an L.A. Judases fan. Fredo Spanos finally coming
Jerry Jones is retaining Mike Mccarthy, who actually said: “We have established a championship program.” So Jerry really doesn’t care about his Cowboys winning a Super Bowl so much as he does winning 12 games. …
I’ve never seen a playoff team with multiple Pro Bowlers more unprepared than the Cowboys vs. Green Bay. …
They say Mccarthy has to improve clock management. Might as well ask him to win the Olympic 100 meters. …
My favorite Southern college? Mason Rudolph .…
Sorry, I’m in favor of the coach’s challenges. But not for more of them. What I want to see is officials upstairs with the power — with help from New York, if necessary — to correct egregious officiating mistakes. The zebras continue to stomp on outcomes. …
They’re doing a film on The Stooges, starring the three officials who did the Aztecs-new Mexico basketball game. …
My profession: A reporter asked Todd Bowles what he thought about playing in the Detroit weather. Was Todd planning to golf? …
Cris Collinsworth makes
$12.5 million per season. Or, to be more precise, $1 a word. …
The best TV football broadcaster was Ray Scott .“Starr, Dowler, touchdown.” “This is
Hornung, for seven.” They don’t have to be verbal Tolstoys . ...
Amon-ra St. Brown, Detroit’s fine receiver, gets snubbed by Pro Bowl (which no longer carries the weight it once did) voters, and makes first team All-pro (which does). Please explain. …
Dan Quinn is the greatest defensive coordinator who can’t spell A-D-J-U-S-T-M-E-N-T-S. Six DBS on 48 of 54 plays? …
The best coaches adjust on the fly. …
Mr. Jedd Fisch turns around Arizona and goes to Washington. He was 2023’s best college football coach. …
But Jedd is no economist. During his opening address, he said: “Nobody can offer a better financial opportunity than the University of Washington.” What? …
Baseball America has six members of the Padres Puppet Regime among its top 100 prospects. We need an article predicting which major league teams they get traded to. …
Rogers Hornsby said any ballplayer who doesn’t sign an autograph for kids “is a communist.” I’ve always wondered if Rogers went to Johns Hopkins .…
The Aztecs battle. But battling doesn’t necessarily help shooting percentages. I recall the line from “El Dorado” — “Faith can move mountains, but it can’t beat a faster draw.” …
“He was like the easiest guy to pitch to. If it mattered, you just walked him.” — Greg Maddux on Barry Bonds .…
Happy birthdays to Cary Grant and David Ruffin .My favorite leading actor and lead singer. …
Sports Illustrated has fired just about every staffer. So let’s see how AI matches Dan Jenkins. Do we buy it with counterfeit money? …
My favorite SI covers: Backto-back issues featuring Bill Walton’s UCLA sophomore
season. “Slaughterhouse 5.” And “The Walton Gang.” Best college basketball team. That’s it. …
Which AI bot will be the first to win a Pulitzer or Nobel? …
Victor Cruz is doing Captain Morgan rum commercials? Victor Cruz? Does he own the company? Did a Manning turn it down? …
The Feds are putting the kibosh on those highway safety signs meant to be humorous (which they’re not), saying humor can be a distraction. Guess I have to stop giving David Letterman a ride. …
Must Siriusxm drop its eight comedy channels? …
Do we really need a survey to tell us the quality of our streets is declining? Ham & Eggers? I have one solution. More bike lanes. They don’t get used much, so they’re always in great shape. …
“America’s Most Wanted” is back. Who wants to see a show about and