Rick Reilly, Random Wallet Testing, & the Fab Five

Submitted by StephenRKass on

I'm not a big fan of Rick Reilly, but I'm intrigued by his Aug. 16 column on "Random Wallet Testing."  The Fab Five (along with Nick Saban, Pete Carroll, Steve Fisher John Calipari, Reggie Bush, et. al.,) come in for Reilly Bashing. In brief, he suggests that if coaches had the cajons to ask for receipts for expensive items (diamond studs, wheels, living quarters, etc.,) they could protect themselves and their programs from disgrace and NCAA sanctions. The article is at http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=5468374.

Honestly, I've often wondered the same thing. I remember the Mercedes that Rich Rellford was driving his senior year, and it sure wasn't paid for with per diem money. It doesn't seem like it takes a rocket scientist to figure out something's wrong when one or more of your players is sporting expensive toys like that. It just takes balls that many coaches don't have. I can't imagine Bo turning the other way if one of the guys on his team was cruising in a Hummer or wearing $1,000 threads. Too many coaches (and fans, for that matter) figure, if I don't ask about it, and pretend I don't see it, then it doesn't exist.

Search4Meaning

August 17th, 2010 at 12:13 AM ^

1.  Bobby Knight

Ok... at least one.

You make a good point.  When it's your stud player flashing the bling, do you step up to the plate?  I would like to think Michigan coaches today would. 

SKIP TO MY BLUE

August 17th, 2010 at 9:55 AM ^

John Thompson stood up to Rayful Edmonds (a big drug dealer in DC) who was trying to influence Alonzo Mourning his Freshman year. He would not allow a bad influence to derail a bright future. It was nice to see and I am sure Zo learned a lot by that meeting with JT. Maybe basketball is easier with the number of players on teh team, but some coaches still do care about the kids and their programs.

Geaux_Blue

August 17th, 2010 at 12:39 AM ^

how much are these luxuries flashed in public versus bar receipts, family advances, etc.  while everyone has a sneaking suspicion (and a certain other Big Ten school's football team rolled out en masse in SUVs during my college visit), there are legal factors involved that, frankly, would make this impossible/improbable/wouldn't it be great if unicorns existed?

Zone Left

August 17th, 2010 at 12:55 AM ^

From the article: "For instance, in 2005, when Bush was a junior at USC, I interviewed him in Carroll's office. He had a diamond stud in his ear the size of a Frisbee. It was real. Anybody with a cerebrum had to be going, "Hmmmmmm. Wonder how a college kid bought that?"

Why didn't you ask Rick? You're a hard-hitting fluffer.

I think:

1. Coaches don't own their players. They're human beings and deserve to be treated as such. Put yourself in their shoes. Let's award your boss search privileges over you and your belongings. Shit like this infuriates me.

2. Rick Reilly is a sanctimonious ass whose best work was done a decade ago.

Matt

August 17th, 2010 at 12:53 AM ^

It's pretty depressing that a team with Chris Webber, Maurice Taylor, Robert Traylor, Louis Bullock, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson couldn't win an NCAA title. 

Tacopants

August 17th, 2010 at 1:40 AM ^

To be fair, if I had a full ride scholarship + room/board for 4 years and saved $100k getting my degree, my parents would have probably bought me a sweet car (maybe something like a used Impala with rims?) during my time in college.  They could also probably afford to maybe move to a nicer house with all the money in the college fund that doesn't need to be used on me anymore.

I mean, you can't go around interrogating players on where they get their money.  For all you know the player's family won the lottery.

BlockM

August 17th, 2010 at 8:07 AM ^

You absolutely could go around asking for receipts. Employers already have mandatory drug testing, background checks, etc. If the player's family won the lottery it shouldn't be hard for them to show that.

I'm not saying that it's a great idea, or that the players would like it, but you definitely could. 

CRex

August 17th, 2010 at 10:26 AM ^

So if i'm a player, I just put everything in the name of my father or my uncle.  I can't really see the courts saying Michigan can go riffle through my father's checkbook and Quickbooks accounts to audit him.  Or if for whatever reason the the courts legalize auditing my dad, I just go put it all in my cousin's name.  You just keep your money one jump out from what the schools could look at.

mvp

August 17th, 2010 at 4:58 PM ^

I love him with all my heart.  But don't assume he was perfect.  I never knew the circumstances, or the details (nor did I want to ask out loud), but Tripp Wellborne drove a brand new Nissan 300ZX with a personalized license plate "U TRIPPIN" back in 1989...