It's awesome, baby!!!!!

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Vitale: It's Mr. Obama!

With the 2008 United States presidential race heating up by the hour, YCS is doing its best to stay on top of every twist and turn. As part of our coverage, we're seeking out the top analysts in the world of sports to share their unique perspectives on the most recent developments in the race. In the third installment of our series, colorful college basketball analyst Dick Vitale takes a moment out of his offseason to weigh in on Senator Barack Obama's clinch of the Democratic presidential nomination.

Wow, what an exciting presidential primary season! After all the anticipation, we finally have a Democratic nominee, and his name is Barack Hussein Obama!

Hillary Clinton fought hard all the way, but in the end, Mr. Obama was just too tough. Now only one more opponent stands between Obama and becoming the first ever black American president. What a remarkable accomplishment! Just think--Five years ago, Barack was an unknown state senator from Illinois, and now he's one step away from the most powerful position in the world.

Wow.

Wowwww.

...

...Wooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

I remember the first time I saw Barack Obama when he gave the key-note speech at the 2004 Democratic convention. I was watching it with Digger, and I said, "This kid is going to be special. The charisma, the poise--This kid is SPECIAL. His stock is going way up. I'd like to buy some stock in Mr. Obama!"

When I heard last year that Barack would run for president, it didn't surprise me at all. I said to Mike Patrick, "I think this kid can go all the way. He has all the tools to do it, and he has so much momentum right now.

"But if there's one person who could beat him in the general election, that man is Robert Montgomery Knight. But if he doesn't run this term, I think only one other candidate could match up with Obama. And his name is John Sidney McCain III."

Wow--What an incredible battle this is going to be. The two powerhouses head-to-head in November: Jonathan Sidney McCain and Barackary Hussein Obama. I've got goosebumps! Feel my arms, Dan Schulman! I've got goosebumps!

I can't wait until the fall! 2008 should go down as one of the all-time great elections in the history of politics! It'll be awesome baby!!!!!

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"But onto the game..."

...says Reece Davis.

As much as I like to rag on old coaches and their war stories and 1970s philosophies, I wish ESPN had given some airtime to let the Digger-General-DickieV 700 Club Roundable Hour hash out this topic. (And I'm not even ragging on ESPN.... because the sitation warranted the move-on. Hence, the tragedy of limited time.)

That topic being: the NBA rule that encourages one-and-done 6-credit-hour athletes to play NCAA ball for a year.

It's grotesque, ugly, shady, unseemly, and then some. And it undeniably undermines the modern college game--not to mention the way it undermines a libertarian philosophy of "elevate yourself and make some money doing it."

The three former coaches were in the midst of a meaningful discussion on this topic during Gameday a few minutes ago, in which they made some excellent points. But sadly, the producers gave Reece the "move on" signal. Yet this is the most important topic facing the NCAA (at least in terms of major-conference basketball) today.

The point being: let the kids take on the NBA if that's what they want. Don't make them feign school spirit and ameteur-game ideals for a year if their heart's not in it and if they never intend to join the blue-collar world.

Don't rob NBA fans of a rookie year like LeBron or Amare had for a stupid rule that--ostensibly--encourages superior athletes to give "higher" education a chance but--more accurately--intends to create a deeper 12-man NBA roster. (And I'll save the fact that LeBron strikes me as one of the short list of the most intelligent and amazing personalities in sports, despite his lack of a college education, for another post.)

Stern!: You greedy bitch: Don't turn the NCAA into a farm league even more than it is.

I love Dickie V's idea of creating a committee of NBA execs and NCAA officials to give an unbiased, non-agent-driven evaluation of gifted 18/19 year-olds to separate the corrupted from the Real Deals.

Sadly, this discussion was cut short. Which is not to say that the ESPN college hoops panel is the Mensa of the unpaid-paid sports issues dynamic, but I'm disappointed to see that this discussion couldn't get its fair due on a forum that more people will see than all the "alternative" sports media outlets combined.

Basically, Beasley, Mayo, and Rose should be millionares because it's within their abilities... and they'd be successful doing it. And college basketball--and its devotees like me--shouldn't pretend that they're one of "ours," when these studs forcibly held themselves back to set their footprint in this cult.

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Dick Vitale: Not latently racist

Hey! Here's a video for you to watch. Hey! It's really good.

...Hey!

As if I were ever anything but completely impressed by Dick Vitale, I must say I'm even more so today after seeing this video. It's well-known that almost every arbitrary list of "unsung heroes" or "glue guys" finds itself disproportionately loaded with white players--particularly slow, short, or genarally untalented white players.

But Dickie V. doesn't take the bait. In fact, he goes the complete opposite direction, offering a list of exclusively black players, and in a few cases, putting their contributions alongside those of white stars (Aaron Gray, Tyler Hansbrough, Kevin Kruger). Most shockingly, the Delivery Man delivers with props for Wayne Chism, selecting him as Tennessee's standout role player over every announcer's boyfriend Dane Bradshaw.

Maybe Dick Vitale is just way more insightful than the usual lot of old blowhards. Or maybe this is a case of that "reverse racism" you always hear crazy people talking about.

Hey!

Hey!

...Hey!

... ... ...Hey!

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