I've been noticing this all during the tournament, but it really hit home when watching the Bama/Duke game yesterday, and the studio panel discussion after it.
The on-site and studio people want to talk about everything EXCEPT the biggest factor affecting the competition - NIL. It got to be comical when they were talking about the improvement that Duke has made in the last year, how much tougher they are mentally, blah blah blah, how their coach addressed that their supposed lack of mental toughness by instituting meditation, etc..
HELLO - the biggest difference between last year's team and this year's Duke team isn't due to meditation sessions - it's because they have Flagg, Knueppel, Maluach, etc., all freshman, and all receiving significant NIL $'s, no doubt. Duh.
Then after the game they go to the studio, and after continuing to avoid the NIL topic with respect to Duke, they discuss how the state of Alabama has become a center of basketball excellence, how incredible it is that Bama and Auburn are as good as they are, especially when the biggest airport in Alabama is in Birmingham, not particularly convenient to Auburn or Tuscaloosa. Gee - I wonder how those schools attract talent, then? What could it be? How mysterious. I guess it's the magnetic personalities of their coaches, right? That must be it.
Hello - NIL, you idiots. Are you avoiding this topic on purpose? Or are you that stupid?
The on-site and studio people want to talk about everything EXCEPT the biggest factor affecting the competition - NIL. It got to be comical when they were talking about the improvement that Duke has made in the last year, how much tougher they are mentally, blah blah blah, how their coach addressed that their supposed lack of mental toughness by instituting meditation, etc..
HELLO - the biggest difference between last year's team and this year's Duke team isn't due to meditation sessions - it's because they have Flagg, Knueppel, Maluach, etc., all freshman, and all receiving significant NIL $'s, no doubt. Duh.
Then after the game they go to the studio, and after continuing to avoid the NIL topic with respect to Duke, they discuss how the state of Alabama has become a center of basketball excellence, how incredible it is that Bama and Auburn are as good as they are, especially when the biggest airport in Alabama is in Birmingham, not particularly convenient to Auburn or Tuscaloosa. Gee - I wonder how those schools attract talent, then? What could it be? How mysterious. I guess it's the magnetic personalities of their coaches, right? That must be it.
Hello - NIL, you idiots. Are you avoiding this topic on purpose? Or are you that stupid?
