12/21/24
March 06, 2008
Canadian university offers a life-saving escape from the 'hood: "In a million years, I never thought I'd have a white guy as a good friend", Edison said of Morrison. "But I've got friends for life from playing basketball, and these kids, Kiraan and Warren, have the same opportunity."
posted by tommytrump to culture at 11:28 PM - 5 comments
I guess what's weird about it is that its in Canada. Anyone know how Canadian University sports compares to the NCAA? Is it like the equivalent of D-III? If no one in the US wanted these kids, they had to have been pretty awful.
posted by Chargdres at 10:02 AM on March 07, 2008
Spitzy - I'd love to read that. I have a serious interest in that as a microcosm of society at large (whoops - sounding like an asshole). Nice dome. I'm a little folically challenged myself. The article does come across as somewhat dated. I guess what's weird about it is that its in Canada. Anyone know how Canadian University sports compares to the NCAA? Is it like the equivalent of D-III? If no one in the US wanted these kids, they had to have been pretty awful. Canadian Universities aren't allowed to hand out atheletic scholarships. While we all know that anyone in the world in their right mind wants to move to the US - shining beacon of light that it is - there are the occassional weirdos/maniacs that might just not want to. Additionally, sometimes scouts don't really come around everywhere. See Nash, Steve for an example. (Santa Clara was the only DI school to offer him a scholarship and it was based on a video tape that his high school coach sent to numerous schools.)
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:12 PM on March 07, 2008
Ivy League schools don't give scholarships either, but they often produce very competetive teams in a number of sports, uncluding D-I basketball and I-AA football. And if a player in the states is good in high school, there will be buzz around that player. Even if they are not good enough to play D-I, there are lots of D-II, D-III and Juco schools looking for players as well. If players in Baltimore and Washington (high profile basketball recruiting zones) were not noticed, chances are they were pretty weak players, or else had serious academic or behavioral issues. Again, not to say that there is anything wrong with Canada, and I certainly did not imply that everyone wants to come to the US, or whatever it was that you were getting at. I asked those questions because I am ignorant of the collegiate sports system in Canada and how it stacks up against the NCAA. When I was in Vancouver a while back I saw and article in the Sun that said that UBC had beaten Oklahoma (but got dismantled by Air Force and Boise St.) in a pre-season scrimmage, so obviously the top teams cant be that bad.
posted by Chargdres at 01:43 PM on March 07, 2008
Cool. Cheerfully withdrawn. To be honest - it doesn't compare much. Most Canadian Universities don't boast the best collection of atheletes within the age group. Private junior hockey teams are better - American universities are better and anything that doesn't fall within a league in Canada, usually means the atheletes go to the States (track and field, baseball, football, etc.), or are supported on a national level that operates outside of the school system. There are a few cases where Canadian University Football atheletes have made it to the professional level (CFL, NFL) but they're the exception rather than the rule. But no - the university teams are much less developed by comparison. We really don't produce great atheletes through the university system, but rather outside of it.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 03:18 PM on March 07, 2008
That's just wacky! No, not that blacks and whites can actually get along (in the context of sport no less), or that basketball has been an avenue away from thug life (the "hoop dream" has become a bit of a master narrative/exploitable myth in recent times), but that this story makes it sound like it's implausible. What is this, 1946 all over again? I should know better than to expect more from Maki. Thanks for the post though, tommy ... a good reminder of why I need to finish my dissertation soon.