From the pickled Splinter to Chad Brinker, the sporting world had its share of the good, the bad and the ugly this summer.
The Good: Chad Brinker and Brandon Hunter
Without a doubt, the good for anyone in Athens should be the success of two Bobcats turned professionals in running back Chad Brinker and forward Brandon Hunter.
Both athletes, still wearing green and white as pros, enjoyed some success early in their careers. Hunter took the Reebok summer league by storm and earned himself a two-year contract from the Boston Celtics.
Brinker crashed through the Cincinnati Bengals defense for a touchdown in the New York Jets second preseason game. For now, Brinker is no longer with the Jets, but no one in Athens would be surprised if he sticks with another team.
The Bad: American Prep Basketball
As the resident hoops junkie of the staff, I took in the Nike All-America camp for the second straight summer. I left the camp realizing why the NBA is reaching outside the United States for talent.
The skill level of players at the camp was so low that more coaches were rolling their eyes in disappointment than dropping their jaws in awe. One Big East coach I spoke with said it was the worst group he had ever seen.
Even Nike reached outside the country to find talent, bringing in a camp-high four foreign players. So much for the grassroots program Nike was developing.
The Ugly: Too Many To Mention
Where does one even begin this summer?
Lets start with the pickled Splinter, also known as Teddy Popsicle. As if the story of former Boston Red Sox great Ted Williams' frozen body was not sad enough, now we hear that his head is separated from his body.
The Splendid Splinter's son, John Henry Williams, also might have forged documents giving approval for the cryogenic freezing, according to Star News Services. John Henry is catching up to Erik and Lyle Menendez as one of the worst sons ever.
Then there is the sad tale of former Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehey. The improprieties of former Baylor head coach Dave Bliss are making the fact this young man was shot in the head an afterthought.
Bliss allegedly was caught on tape saying that a story needed to be orchestrated where Dennehey was actually dealing drugs to pay his tuition, diverting some of the fire away from the Baylor program. Bliss and John Henry should exchange phone numbers; they could start a club for the soulless.
This summer has had so many scandals that Kobe Bryant could simply not be mentioned. You'll have to excuse my jadedness these days.
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Chris Littmann
