T*W*I*S: Transfers Need a Reality Wake-up Call

Facing True Life Can Be Too Much for the Overindulged

Every day our local newspaper posts digest versions of college athletic department press releases.  These little ditties, about a sentence in length, throw news out to us freakish sports nuts who want to know a little bit about everything going on without being bothered with all the minutia.  In fact, I’ll often go to that tiny feature before delving into the next story about why Carmelo doesn’t want to tarnish his image or how Roy Williams will right the Tarheel ship with no talent to speak of on the roster.  Enough already.  The thing is, have you noticed all the transfers at big time college programs around the country in the major sports?  It’s alarming.  Nearly every day another kid is transferring.  This is the middle of the year for crying out loud and most of the transfers are freshmen and sophomores!  From this end of the keyboard, all this coming and going smacks of bad decisions, recruiting smoke and mirrors as well as damaged egos.  Kids who were stars in high school get to the premier stage and discover they are no longer the big dog with the coach, teammates and around campus.  Earning those stripes all over again just doesn’t appeal to some, so off they run to wherever hoping to recapture bygone glory while momma, daddy and Aunt Tom pack the minivan.  Okay, personality conflicts and coaching changes can and do occur, but all that should have been dealt with during the recruiting process before ink ever had a chance to hit the NLI.  Well, I’ve got breaking news  — you ain’t in high school no more.  It’s time to line up and do all the sprints, carry the upper classmen’s duffle bags, get your bad self out of bed, go to class, and be responsible.