Greg Oden - The Ohio State University college student

[Blue Hen]

...on the prospect of being drafted by Seattle and what he knows about the area :

" I know it rains a lot. I know it's close to L.A., and I love that. I want to go to L.A. and go to the beach."


--from 6/18 edition of SI

[TommyTrojan]

Yeah just a mere, 1136 miles away Greg.

The only beach he'll be seeing is Rainer

[jeff4bucks]

not sure what Hen's point was, although I'm guessing its something to do with the mentality of the dumbth college football/basketball player at big U's like Ohio State. Heck, there are general student/athletes that know little in the way of US geography...

Anyway, I think he was being a bit tongue-in-cheeck about seattle being close to LA. Although relative to Ohio, it is close. he was right about the rain though...

[Blue Hen]

I don't think it was 'tongue in cheek', Jeff..............just plain dumbth, and very common to D1 football and basketball players these days. It's why I'm always hammering on massive academic reform. But, I agree, there are general college students that don't know any basic geography. Steve Allen wrote a great book about the dumbing down of America in the early 80s entitled 'DUMBTH.....that's where I got the phrase. Anyway, he cited some survey of University of Miami(Fl) geography students that couldn't find Coral Gables, Florida on a map

[Bucky]

It's a more imperative now for our young students to learn the cultures and religions from other parts of the world than to understand the basics of American geography and history.

Also, these school "systems" are being thrown ridiculous amounts of money to "pass" students....not educate future contributors to society.

[jeff4bucks]

yes, Hen, I know you're hammering about academic reform, especially for football and basketballers, but your criteria was a bit overboard. You said something like 1200 on SAT and 3.4 GPA for student/athletes...sh$t, you wouldn't have any players!! But, in general, I agree that there needs to be reform and we need to do away with the myth of 'student/athlete'. I hate when coaches at football factories use that term anyway.

[Blue Hen]

Not quite that stiff, Jeff. I suggested a bare minimum of 1100 SAT and a core HS gpa of 3.00. Considering that these student athletes have to spend 30 hours plus per week on their sport and also be full time college students, I think they should be academically and cerebrally very well prepared ....not barely literate as is the case now for about half of 'em.

[buckeyejim]

Come on. It's obvious he meant to say L.C. and not L.A. L.C. meaning the beautiful coastal city of Lincoln City, Oregon. All you have to do is click the link I've provided and I'm sure you'll all agree that Lincoln City, Oregon is where Greg Oden will spend his "down" time.

http://www.oregoncoast.org/home.html

[Seven]

They should be held to the same standards as the general university population, no more, no less.

[Doc]

that there is something that most would regard as common knowledge that any given one of us might not know. Should that reflect poorly on where you went to school? I don't think so.

[buckeyejim]

It should reflect where he went to elementary school more than high school or college. Knowing where places are located in the United States is taught more in grades 5 thru 8 than 9 thru 12 or in college. At least it was for me.

[Doc]

in a couple weeks I don't think he's going to need $1,000,000 anyway.

[jeff4bucks]

"that there is something that most would regard as common knowledge that any given one of us might not know. Should that reflect poorly on where you went to school? I don't think so."

it wasn't a knock on OSU in particular, Doc. don't be so sensitive ;)

[Bucky]

Here is a novel idea.....he was joking. If you've seen his press conferences of late he has been all smiles.