Hart Surgery: Taking the Plunge

By: Micah Hart

It’s been almost a month since the end of the college basketball season, which means it’s now time for every fan’s worst nightmare - the approach of the deadline to apply for the NBA draft. I don’t dread a single other time of year nearly as much as I do this one - even the dentist.It has gotten to the point, as a fan, where you can only root for your team in between the first and last games of the season. There is no way to carry it over into the offseason; you can never be sure which players you are going to have back. If a player has even a remotely good season, chances are he will have “friends” and agents bending his ear saying he’s ready for The League.

Every year there are twenty, maybe even thirty players who even the most casual of fans know have not a snowball’s chance in hell to get drafted. I see Washington’s Doug Wrenn has declared. Doug Wrenn? Here’s a tip Dougie: most players who average twelve points in college go on to fabulous careers in their local men’s league, or perhaps Mozambique.

The list of NBA wanna-bes is long, and will only get longer. Scotty Thurman, Kenny Satterfield, Omar Cook; all are sacking groceries today because of poor advice and poor decisions. My sister probably can’t tell you the names of 5 teams in the NBA, but even she looked at this list and said, “Jeez, what were they thinking?” (Ok, she didn’t really do that. But she would if she could read.)

Every player is brimming with self-confidence, which is great. I have self-confidence too. Someday I hope to be a great sportscaster or play-by-play man, but if I quit my grad program, the St. Louis Cardinals are not coming after me to be their radio guy. Someday maybe, but for now I still need seasoning.

Of course, the only things worse than the players leaving are the fans that scream and moan when it happens. Just once, I wish people could trade places with these athletes, to really see what it’s like to make this decision. To us, the answers are always so easy:

  • Get your degree, you may need it later.
  • College is the best four years of your life, why would you give that up?
  • Your team needs you.The last answer is always the kicker. When fans say the team needs you, what they really mean is we need you. Every fan that says they are looking out for the player’s best interest is shoveling a giant pile of bullcrap. People only care about their team and school, and their own personal goal of taunting their friends by wearing championship apparel every day of the week (someday…).The players aren’t blameless of course. They love to play the game of pretending they might stay. Players will drop out of classes, move home, and then say “I’m still weighing my options.” This year T.J. Ford announced he was “110%” sure he was coming back to Austin next year for his junior year. Tomorrow he will host a press conference, wherein he is expected to declare himself NBA-eligible. He has to, right? No one ever calls a press conference to say they are staying, do they?

    As you know, I am a Texas fan, so this announcement hurts pretty badly. We are justthisclose to winning a title next year with him, no sure bet to make the tournament without. Speaking for Longhorn fans out there, we figured a combination of knowing they will be the favorites to win it all and a lousy performance at the Final Four would be all the motivation TJ would need to come back for another season. Doesn’t anyone want to win a title anymore? I would give five years of my life to play on a championship team. TJ is his own man though, and he has decided to take the money and run.

    You can’t really blame him, nor can you blame LeBron, Carmelo, and a few select others. But count on the fact that in the next couple weeks you will see some real head-scratchers. There are only 58 draft picks in the whole thing, and with more and more attention being given to international players…well, let’s just say the cashier at your local McDonald’s may look very familiar in the near future.

    TJ, I wish you well. If you see Maurice Evans, tell him I prefer paper, not plastic.

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    Micah Hart is an original contributor to the CSR, and works in sports media in Atlanta. Micah can be reached at micahbhart@yahoo.com. He reminds you to Hook 'em Horns.

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