Jerry Tipton wrote a good blog* about John Wall's recruitment and the small portion of the Kentucky fanbase that is growing impatient with the long, drawn out decision. He makes some very good points about why Wall might be taking his time and I agree with, well, all of them. Still, Tipton ignores the aspect of the recruitment that is probably upsetting those fans the most.
A number of people who have followed Wall's recruitment have pointed out that at least part of the reason for the delayed decision is simple: the young man enjoys the spotlight. He likes the attention.
This rubs some fans (and media, apparently) the wrong way.
Well, stop being rubbed the wrong way.
This is a weird thing about our society. Most people aspire for fame and notoriety in this country, but for some reason we recoil whenever we see someone else actively seeking the same thing for themselves. A country whose very engine runs on self-interest can't stand it when it sees others wear their self-interest on their sleeves. It's a strange phenomenon.
This is even more pronounced in sports, or at least team sports. A collectivist pulse courses through the veins of the sports world. Players are constantly talking about doing "whatever I can do to help my team". Coaches talk about sacrifice for the team and hail "team players" who embrace what benefits the whole, even if it's at the expense of themselves, the "part" to the whole. Sports commentators echo these sentiments, and I don't have a problem with any of this. I agree that the team spirit is one of the great things about team sports.
The problem some make is applying this collectivist attitude towards recruiting.
I think the implicit argument embedded within people's frustration with Wall's recruitment goes something like this: John Wall is a "diva". He loves attention, and therefore he's selfish. If he's selfish, then we don't want him on the team because selfish players don't make for good teammates. He will put himself before the team. Therefore, "we" (aka UK) should move on.
This is fallacious thinking.
To start, there is no reason to infer that a player is going to be a bad teammate because he likes and seeks attention during his recruiting process. These basketball players have been star athletes for a while and I'm willing to bet that all of them enjoy the attention, including the ones who are regarded as great teammates. Michael Jordan wasn't exactly low profile, and yet he was a great teammate. You can love media attention and still love your team and be a great teammate. They are not mutually exclusive.
Wall is a stratospherically talented star athlete and thus enjoys even more attention than the average star athlete (how about that oxymoron?). He and the people around him aren't stupid. Because of his potential for stardom, my assumption is that he and the people around him are building the John Wall brand as soon as possible, using the media attention that comes with his recruitment as a starting point. Good for them, I say.
This is not our, the fans, recruitment. This is not the University of Kentucky's recruitment. This is John Wall's recruitment; the one and only college recruitment in his life. If he wants to use it to raise his profile before he steps foot on a college campus or puts on the hat of an NBA team, isn't that smart? If he wants to milk it for as long as possible, he should . It's his recruitment, his decision, his time, and his life. Just because we have an emotional share in his life stock right now doesn't mean he should give up something he enjoys.
Furthermore, Wall should enjoy the spotlight. I know I would if I was in his position, and I'm not someone who generally likes a lot of attention.
I want players who enjoy the spotlight playing basketball at the University of Kentucky. There isn't a spotlight any brighter than UK's in the college game, especially now with Coach Calipari in the fold and the national media following in lockstep. Let's embrace a player who wants that attention, not get annoyed just because he's smart enough to get the attention on his own without putting on a college uniform.
I, like most of you, want Wall's recruitment to end as soon as possible, and in favor of UK. However, as it drags out I'm not going to get so frustrated that I start whining about selfishness, diva-like behavior, and how things have become a "circus". UK's chances with Wall weren't serious until Calipari signed his contract and held a press conference on April 1. It's been barely a month since then and some of us are already getting impatient? Give me a break. Who is being immature and selfish in this situation?
Afterall, why am I so concerned about where he goes to college anyways? Maybe it's because I want him to play for UK, so that my favorite team can have a chance to win a national championship, so that I can see UK lift another banner into the rafters.
How selfish of me!
* I can't help but find it strange that journalists actively blog on the websites of their newspapers. It's like if horses had started driving automobiles in the early 1900's or telegraph manufacturers started selling their telegraph machines by phone. It's kind of sad.
Trackback(0)
TrackBack URI for this entryComments (7)
Subscribe to this comment's feedExcellent post
-
- +1
-
-
...
-
- +1
-
-
...
-
- -1
-
-
...
-
- +0
-
-
...
There is nothing wrong with a point guard who craves the spotlight. The only time it's wrong is if it conflicts with the team concept. My point is that you can crave the spotlight and still be a good teammate. They aren't mutually exclusive.
-
- +2
-
-
