alamo50
04-28-2009, 10:12 AM
April 27, 2009
By Gary Parrish
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
Sonny Vaccaro was back in the news last week -- raising hell, shaking the establishment, aiding a 17-year-old basketball prodigy named Jeremy Tyler in his attempt to drop out of high school to pursue a professional career in Europe until he can legally enter the 2011 NBA Draft.
Mostly, the reaction has been positive, with advocates suggesting Tyler is merely doing what elite golfers, soccer players, actors and musicians (among others) do all the time, i.e., taking advantage of his very specific and obvious talent and becoming a well-compensated professional as early as possible.
Still, others believe it's too much too soon, that there's no reason for a high school junior to not be a high school senior, that even Brandon Jennings finished high school before spending what would've been his freshman year of college playing professionally in Europe. If one of America's best prospects is now leaving after his junior year, skeptics ask, how long will it be before a sophomore does it?
Or a freshman?
And is removing the NBA's age-limit the only way to stop it?
On Sunday, I took a lot of these questions (and many more) to Vaccaro in a 45-minute phone call.
The following is a transcript of some of our conversation.
Q: You enjoying all the attention?
A: I'm enjoying it because I believe there is a nerve struck in America and other places that so many of the things I've been saying for a long time are being accepted more easily by the masses. I think the resounding effect is that the people who are writing and talking about it are less skeptical than they were two years ago.
Q: Sure, but there is still some backlash. Why do you think that is?
A: I believe the backlash is from people who are just ignorant and who have basically defined their lives by either being a fan of the universities or colleges they are accustomed to, or by people in the media who are deeply involved with the universities we're talking about. I just think it's hard for some to realize that individuals have the right to do what they want. But I also think it's a very, very biased and prejudicial way to go at it. I think they have their own agendas.
Q: One of the biggest criticisms of Jeremy's move is that he is dropping out of a conventional high school to be home-schooled before getting his GED. Is that a fair criticism?
A: He wasn't going to go back to high school no matter what. That was a foregone conclusion. In fact, some schools that were recruiting him were trying to get him to finish this year and graduate and enroll in college early, like some of the football prospects do, like Daniel Hackett did (at Southern California). They used Daniel Hackett as a model, and they wanted Jeremy to go to college next year. And that's the part of the story nobody wants to admit, that colleges were telling Jeremy to get high school out of the way now and go to college next year.
Q: So what you're saying is that colleges were trying to get Jeremy to skip a traditional senior year of high school, too?
A: Yes sir. And you can print that. That's a fact. There were colleges encouraging him to do it [via] online [classes]. And it would've been fine with the American public if Jeremy Tyler would've given up his senior year of high school to go to college. But instead, his family came to me.
Q: OK, but why drop out now? Couldn't Jeremy have at least finished his junior year normally, then dropped out and got his GED?
A: If he would not have dropped out when he did it would've been a circus. Since we knew we were doing this and we knew he was going to get his GED, I just said, 'Listen, if you're going to do this, then just get home-schooled [for the rest of this year].' See, another thing people don't know is that he's been home-schooled before, and it's a practice in today's America that even our most affluent families do. Once I knew he was going to do this, I just told them to do it right. So now he's out of high school, and he's working out every day, and we have a game plan.
Q: When do you plan to select a team for Jeremy?
A: We can do it anytime. We can do it the day before the season if we want. But in the past few days, I've talked to four or five of the leading agents in Europe, and I feel very comfortable that Jeremy Tyler is going to get a nice deal. And he's going to have options.
Q: Initially Spain was the likely destination. But if I'm understanding you correctly, you're now saying it could be anywhere?
A: It can be anywhere. There is no definitive thing. Now you're right that when I first started this the Spanish people were the most aggressive, absolutely. Teams in Spain -- and not team, but teams -- have been the most aggressive as a whole. But over the past week there has been more interest, and we are looking at all options.
Q: The NBA and NCAA have been mostly quiet about this development. How do you think they'll handle the situation?
A: I think the NBA will be very supportive because, first and foremost, [NBA commissioner] David Stern wants a finished product on the court. So I think the NBA will support this, but I don't think the NCAA has a clue. They don't know what they've caused with the rules they've imposed on these kids. I don't think they have a clue. They've always stated that they don't need [certain players], that they just want to have the games, and I believe that will always work.
But I'll tell you one thing: As much as they don't want to admit it, they gain by having a Mike Conley or Daequan Cook. They gain by having those kids. But do you know what they've just lost if this all goes through? They've lost one of those guys that you would've been writing about. People in the NBA and the owners and presidents of foreign teams acknowledge what this kid is.
I'm not saying he's LeBron James or Dwight Howard; that's not what I'm saying. But what if he is, and he was going to college? His team would be a favorite [to win the title], just like Greg Oden's team was supposed to be a favorite, and Greg came one win from [winning the title]. So the NCAA can pretend all it wants, but do you think CBS wants this? Do you think ESPN wants this? They want these kids to play in college.
Q: You've always been tight with college coaches, and some of them remain your close friends. What has been the reaction from them?
A: I was probably once the closest man in America to all the college coaches, and I believe if I walked into a room today they'd all come over and shake my hand and hug me and all that. But let me say this for the record: Not one college coach has called me about this. I've talked to presidents, I've talked to everybody else. But not one college coach has called to say anything, one way or another. And you know what? That's fine with me, because it goes to show that the world we are in now is in the present, and the present is about them getting these players that they might not get now.
Q: So you haven't talked to Rick Pitino? You have essentially aided a prospect who was committed to play for Rick at Louisville in his attempt to play in Europe, or to not play for Rick. Did you reach out to him at all?
A: I don't know if it's my place to reach out, but I would respond to anybody. I have no qualms. In my mind, I still consider [many college coaches] friends. It's just that we see two different sides of the coin here. What I've learned since I've gotten out of that side of the world is that the college game and the pro game are two different games, and the people who are attracted to the things I'm saying are the kids who want to be professionals. Remember, I've never said academics and college degrees aren't good. All I've ever said is that if you can be a professional basketball player, you really should think about it.
Q: There are those who claim this is an example of you pushing your own agenda. That if it's good for Jeremy Tyler, that's a bonus, but that your primary objective is to stick it to the NCAA and NBA, that you're more concerned with doing that than in doing what is in Jeremy's best interests. How do you respond?
A: I wouldn't use the phrase 'stick it.' But I am very happy to make these entities aware that there are other options available to some kids, and I'm very proud to facilitate it. And going one step further, my [complaint] has never been with the NBA or any professional league. We know who they are and what they do, and they are supposed to protect their own interests. I understand why they do the things they do, and they do pay these individuals. My [complaint] has always been with the NCAA and how they treat these individuals. I don't think they've ever given them a fair shake. Ever.
Q: You could find a lot of people to agree with that, but do prospects need to be dropping out of high school? I think that's where you lose some people.
A: Why aren't those people interested in the other 30 percent of kids in the state of California who don't graduate high school? Why are they so concerned with one individual who won't graduate right now, but who will be financially secure for the rest of his life.
And let me take it a step farther. What if Shaun Livingston [who turned pro out of high school] would've gotten hurt at Duke and would've never been able to play again? By the grace of God, he got hurt when he was in the NBA, and so even if he hadn't ever played again, he would've been financially secure for the rest of his life.
People always talk about what happens if the players get hurt [in the pros without a college degree to fall back on]. I ask, what happens if they get hurt in college [and don't have the pro contract to fall back on]? We are so shortsighted that we forget the basic things in our existence are to be a good person and to financially take care of you and your family. Those are the two things. I don't know what else there is, really. Be good and be self-sufficient.
Q: So what's next?
A: I have no idea. But I always said when they made the age limit that some kid would go to Europe; you were a part of those conversations. And remember, Brandon Jennings said he wanted to go to Europe. I didn't make him. I didn't have a gun. And this is where the public beats me up, and it's fine, because I'm easy to beat up. But do they think I put guns to these kids' heads? I don't. They or their families tell me what they want, and I try to help them if I can.
So you ask what's next? I don't know. But I can say this: I think there will be somebody else next year. And then I think there will be somebody else. Until the rule is changed, I really believe we'll see these kids have opportunities and take advantage of them.
Q: Obviously, Brandon didn't choose to go to Europe until last July, so there is still plenty of time for a high school senior to follow his lead this year. Do you suspect there will be one?
A: I can say to you honestly that since Jeremy announced that he's going to Europe [last week], I've had two calls from parents saying, 'I have to talk to you.' I can't tell you who they are. But they are parents of kids who are seniors right now, and they want to know, 'Why not my son?' And I can also say to you that I've had three calls from kids who aren't seniors or juniors in high school right now, three calls from people who said, 'Mr. Vaccaro, can I see you this summer?'
Q: You're talking about freshmen and sophomores in high school who have called to inquire about Europe?
A: Yes. Kids who are freshmen and sophomores right now. They want to know what's possible for them.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11683826
By Gary Parrish
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
Sonny Vaccaro was back in the news last week -- raising hell, shaking the establishment, aiding a 17-year-old basketball prodigy named Jeremy Tyler in his attempt to drop out of high school to pursue a professional career in Europe until he can legally enter the 2011 NBA Draft.
Mostly, the reaction has been positive, with advocates suggesting Tyler is merely doing what elite golfers, soccer players, actors and musicians (among others) do all the time, i.e., taking advantage of his very specific and obvious talent and becoming a well-compensated professional as early as possible.
Still, others believe it's too much too soon, that there's no reason for a high school junior to not be a high school senior, that even Brandon Jennings finished high school before spending what would've been his freshman year of college playing professionally in Europe. If one of America's best prospects is now leaving after his junior year, skeptics ask, how long will it be before a sophomore does it?
Or a freshman?
And is removing the NBA's age-limit the only way to stop it?
On Sunday, I took a lot of these questions (and many more) to Vaccaro in a 45-minute phone call.
The following is a transcript of some of our conversation.
Q: You enjoying all the attention?
A: I'm enjoying it because I believe there is a nerve struck in America and other places that so many of the things I've been saying for a long time are being accepted more easily by the masses. I think the resounding effect is that the people who are writing and talking about it are less skeptical than they were two years ago.
Q: Sure, but there is still some backlash. Why do you think that is?
A: I believe the backlash is from people who are just ignorant and who have basically defined their lives by either being a fan of the universities or colleges they are accustomed to, or by people in the media who are deeply involved with the universities we're talking about. I just think it's hard for some to realize that individuals have the right to do what they want. But I also think it's a very, very biased and prejudicial way to go at it. I think they have their own agendas.
Q: One of the biggest criticisms of Jeremy's move is that he is dropping out of a conventional high school to be home-schooled before getting his GED. Is that a fair criticism?
A: He wasn't going to go back to high school no matter what. That was a foregone conclusion. In fact, some schools that were recruiting him were trying to get him to finish this year and graduate and enroll in college early, like some of the football prospects do, like Daniel Hackett did (at Southern California). They used Daniel Hackett as a model, and they wanted Jeremy to go to college next year. And that's the part of the story nobody wants to admit, that colleges were telling Jeremy to get high school out of the way now and go to college next year.
Q: So what you're saying is that colleges were trying to get Jeremy to skip a traditional senior year of high school, too?
A: Yes sir. And you can print that. That's a fact. There were colleges encouraging him to do it [via] online [classes]. And it would've been fine with the American public if Jeremy Tyler would've given up his senior year of high school to go to college. But instead, his family came to me.
Q: OK, but why drop out now? Couldn't Jeremy have at least finished his junior year normally, then dropped out and got his GED?
A: If he would not have dropped out when he did it would've been a circus. Since we knew we were doing this and we knew he was going to get his GED, I just said, 'Listen, if you're going to do this, then just get home-schooled [for the rest of this year].' See, another thing people don't know is that he's been home-schooled before, and it's a practice in today's America that even our most affluent families do. Once I knew he was going to do this, I just told them to do it right. So now he's out of high school, and he's working out every day, and we have a game plan.
Q: When do you plan to select a team for Jeremy?
A: We can do it anytime. We can do it the day before the season if we want. But in the past few days, I've talked to four or five of the leading agents in Europe, and I feel very comfortable that Jeremy Tyler is going to get a nice deal. And he's going to have options.
Q: Initially Spain was the likely destination. But if I'm understanding you correctly, you're now saying it could be anywhere?
A: It can be anywhere. There is no definitive thing. Now you're right that when I first started this the Spanish people were the most aggressive, absolutely. Teams in Spain -- and not team, but teams -- have been the most aggressive as a whole. But over the past week there has been more interest, and we are looking at all options.
Q: The NBA and NCAA have been mostly quiet about this development. How do you think they'll handle the situation?
A: I think the NBA will be very supportive because, first and foremost, [NBA commissioner] David Stern wants a finished product on the court. So I think the NBA will support this, but I don't think the NCAA has a clue. They don't know what they've caused with the rules they've imposed on these kids. I don't think they have a clue. They've always stated that they don't need [certain players], that they just want to have the games, and I believe that will always work.
But I'll tell you one thing: As much as they don't want to admit it, they gain by having a Mike Conley or Daequan Cook. They gain by having those kids. But do you know what they've just lost if this all goes through? They've lost one of those guys that you would've been writing about. People in the NBA and the owners and presidents of foreign teams acknowledge what this kid is.
I'm not saying he's LeBron James or Dwight Howard; that's not what I'm saying. But what if he is, and he was going to college? His team would be a favorite [to win the title], just like Greg Oden's team was supposed to be a favorite, and Greg came one win from [winning the title]. So the NCAA can pretend all it wants, but do you think CBS wants this? Do you think ESPN wants this? They want these kids to play in college.
Q: You've always been tight with college coaches, and some of them remain your close friends. What has been the reaction from them?
A: I was probably once the closest man in America to all the college coaches, and I believe if I walked into a room today they'd all come over and shake my hand and hug me and all that. But let me say this for the record: Not one college coach has called me about this. I've talked to presidents, I've talked to everybody else. But not one college coach has called to say anything, one way or another. And you know what? That's fine with me, because it goes to show that the world we are in now is in the present, and the present is about them getting these players that they might not get now.
Q: So you haven't talked to Rick Pitino? You have essentially aided a prospect who was committed to play for Rick at Louisville in his attempt to play in Europe, or to not play for Rick. Did you reach out to him at all?
A: I don't know if it's my place to reach out, but I would respond to anybody. I have no qualms. In my mind, I still consider [many college coaches] friends. It's just that we see two different sides of the coin here. What I've learned since I've gotten out of that side of the world is that the college game and the pro game are two different games, and the people who are attracted to the things I'm saying are the kids who want to be professionals. Remember, I've never said academics and college degrees aren't good. All I've ever said is that if you can be a professional basketball player, you really should think about it.
Q: There are those who claim this is an example of you pushing your own agenda. That if it's good for Jeremy Tyler, that's a bonus, but that your primary objective is to stick it to the NCAA and NBA, that you're more concerned with doing that than in doing what is in Jeremy's best interests. How do you respond?
A: I wouldn't use the phrase 'stick it.' But I am very happy to make these entities aware that there are other options available to some kids, and I'm very proud to facilitate it. And going one step further, my [complaint] has never been with the NBA or any professional league. We know who they are and what they do, and they are supposed to protect their own interests. I understand why they do the things they do, and they do pay these individuals. My [complaint] has always been with the NCAA and how they treat these individuals. I don't think they've ever given them a fair shake. Ever.
Q: You could find a lot of people to agree with that, but do prospects need to be dropping out of high school? I think that's where you lose some people.
A: Why aren't those people interested in the other 30 percent of kids in the state of California who don't graduate high school? Why are they so concerned with one individual who won't graduate right now, but who will be financially secure for the rest of his life.
And let me take it a step farther. What if Shaun Livingston [who turned pro out of high school] would've gotten hurt at Duke and would've never been able to play again? By the grace of God, he got hurt when he was in the NBA, and so even if he hadn't ever played again, he would've been financially secure for the rest of his life.
People always talk about what happens if the players get hurt [in the pros without a college degree to fall back on]. I ask, what happens if they get hurt in college [and don't have the pro contract to fall back on]? We are so shortsighted that we forget the basic things in our existence are to be a good person and to financially take care of you and your family. Those are the two things. I don't know what else there is, really. Be good and be self-sufficient.
Q: So what's next?
A: I have no idea. But I always said when they made the age limit that some kid would go to Europe; you were a part of those conversations. And remember, Brandon Jennings said he wanted to go to Europe. I didn't make him. I didn't have a gun. And this is where the public beats me up, and it's fine, because I'm easy to beat up. But do they think I put guns to these kids' heads? I don't. They or their families tell me what they want, and I try to help them if I can.
So you ask what's next? I don't know. But I can say this: I think there will be somebody else next year. And then I think there will be somebody else. Until the rule is changed, I really believe we'll see these kids have opportunities and take advantage of them.
Q: Obviously, Brandon didn't choose to go to Europe until last July, so there is still plenty of time for a high school senior to follow his lead this year. Do you suspect there will be one?
A: I can say to you honestly that since Jeremy announced that he's going to Europe [last week], I've had two calls from parents saying, 'I have to talk to you.' I can't tell you who they are. But they are parents of kids who are seniors right now, and they want to know, 'Why not my son?' And I can also say to you that I've had three calls from kids who aren't seniors or juniors in high school right now, three calls from people who said, 'Mr. Vaccaro, can I see you this summer?'
Q: You're talking about freshmen and sophomores in high school who have called to inquire about Europe?
A: Yes. Kids who are freshmen and sophomores right now. They want to know what's possible for them.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11683826