Alabama sold its soul by allowing Miller to play
THE FACT that it doesn’t make minimal sense gives it a modern sense of incredulity, legitimacy for a world gone nuts.
After all, what’s the big deal if a fully suspected accessory to a recent murder is the star player, Brandon Miller, on the No. 1-seeded college basketball team as the NCAA Tournament opens? Is there nothing more important to the University of Alabama, its president, board of trustees, faculty, administration, student body and legacy than a basketball game fronted by the school?
At least two other Bama players have been implicated, one dumped by the college (and is in jail on capital murder charges), the other still on board. A fourth player, freshman walk-on Kai Spears, was allegedly at the scene according to a report in the New York Times. Spears and Alabama have denied that report.
And we’re left to debate the school’s proper approach to this issue: 1) innocent until proven guilty, or, 2) a matter of right from wrong, a matter of serving civility until justice is determined.
Put it this way: a 23-yearold woman and mother was shot and murdered by people inextricably attached to the current Bama basketball team that’s off to win it all on the hull of a freshman star who police have determined helped deliver the gun to the murder scene and the murderer.
Bama’s dignity — any school’s dignity — wouldn’t allow that, not even consider it for half-a-moment.
None would further place the school in greater and more lasting ill repute.
But too late. The school has sold every last fiber of its soul to win basketball games on behalf of NCAA and TV money and the cheers of desensitized yahoos proudly eager to indulge bloody near-campus murder in exchange for the best chance to win a basketball title. Roll Tide, Roll!
➤ May not matter as much after Thursday night’s late game, but watching Penn St. come on late to make the NCAA Tournament was a good story given the perceptions of better senses: good young men playing for a friendly, modest, he-gets-it coach, Micah Shrewsbury.
And if there’s a stat that points to practically applied devotion, it’s free throws. PSU in its last two games, when teams tend to make hard from easy, shot 37-for-41 (90 percent).
➤ NBC’s new on-course Q&A man Damon Hack has to stop asking questions as if he’s a reporter on the staff of the Daily Dull. He inspires flat answers to questions not worth asking.
Saturday, after Englishman Aaron Rai made an ace on 17 to go six back at the Players Championship, Hack went with snoozers such as, “What does this mean to you going into Sunday’s final round?”
The guy just made an ace! The place went wild! He went wild! At least ask how many holes-in-one he’d previous made in competition, anything better than nothing.