Anywho, the point is that I went to Indiana University. That's not the point but it's a start that will get me to the point. Indiana and Memphis (where Calipari coached at the time) were often targeting the same basketball recruits. That's fine, everyone enjoys a competition except for the fact that Memphis always seemed to get their guy. Whether it was Rodney Carney declining to stay in state to play at IU or Derrick Rose deciding to go to Memphis instead of playing with his AAU teammate Eric Gordon, Memphis ended up with their player. IU ended up with Kelvin Sampson, but that's an entirely different post for an entirely different blog.
I might not be trying to hide the fact (or possible fact) but I'm also not trying to say that Calipari is a cheater. What I am saying is that for whatever reason (maybe it's World Wide Wes) when a recruit is deciding between Calipari and someone else, Calipari wins.*
*Ben's baseball basketball bias could be playing a role here but it was a trend worth watching then, and it remains a trend worth watching now especially as Calipari reloads with the top freshman players every year. However, at Kentucky the script has kind of changed. It's harder to sell someone on UMASS or Memphis - Kentucky can sell itself to the top recruits. It also doesn't hurt to have the best salesperson in the world working for ya in Calipari. Whatever fishy exercises he might have used in the past, Calipari doesn't have to use at Kentucky. But even though the script has changed the results remain the same for his recruits.
And this might be happening with the Dodgers.
Zack Greinke is "going through the process" off his free agent tour but is there any doubt where he will sign? With the way the Dodgers are running things at this point, are they really going to let a few million bucks get in the way of signing their target?
I'm sure Jabari Parker will go through his recruiting process but I'd also bet on him going to Kentucky. There is a great joke here talking about how Kentucky also won't let a few million bucks get in the way of signing their target, but I won't take that low hanging fruit. Sometimes fruit tastes delicious though.
The Angels want Greinke. The Rangers want Greinke. The Dodgers want Greinke. The Dodgers might make $280 million per year on TV revenue alone. The Dodgers are signing Greinke.
It's easy to hate Calipari and the Dodgers for how they conduct their business but the two are just playing by the rules...for the most part. I don't particularly like Stuart Scott but sometimes you can't hate the playa, you have to hate the game.
John Calipari and Kentucky always get their guy. It seems as though the Dodgers for the foreseeable future will too. Damn.
UPDATE 3:40 PM I forgot to mention how I'm a Yankee fan and as a Yankee fan, I understand why some (or all) fans would hate them, or us in this case. That doesn't preclude me from being a baseball fan who is feeling slightly disappointed that Greinke will probably play in Los Angeles instead of the Anaheim section of Los Angeles.
UPDATE: 1/16 3:30PM So Greinke signed with the Dodgers and Parker signed with Duke. I can't say this makes me happy as Parker went to Duke, but it's nice to know that Calipari can't always get what Calipari wants. Oh wait, new #1 prospect Andrew Wiggins is still available, and Cal is interested? Oy vey!
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