Goodbye Greenspan

This post is somewhat overdue, especially because of my previous post ripping Rick Greenspan. However, the post was not as overdue as his resignation. The Indiana AD responsible for the worst (Kelvin Sampson) and potentially best (Tom Crean) hirings in the history of IU athletics has said his goodbyes (although I guess he will say them again when he officially steps down in December) and announced his resignation on Thursday.

I know what you are asking, do I feel like my post explaining his wrongdoings as the head of the Hoosier athletic department led to his resignation? Of course not. Yes, I am sure it had an impact and I think Greenspan and the IU administration are avid readers of Rantastic (especially the long lived Hoosier Gamecock Era), but I think this resignation was inevitable to happen before the Hoosiers hit the hardwood again in October.

The resignation comes on the heels of an additional Failure to Monitor charge by the NCAA towards Greenspan and the IU compliance department. Hopefully the fact that both Sampson and Greenspan are now gone from Bloomington will help IU avoid punishments so severe that Crean has no chance to succeed. The situation is already bleak, but numerous years of probation/scholarship restrictions may mean Crean is not around to see this thing through, and who could blame him if he ran and hid.

Yes, the rumors are true, my name has been tossed around as a possible replacement for Greenspan. I knew I would have my dream job someday, I just didnt know it would be so soon. I have worked hard though in my two years working in Division II athletics, and by December I will be midway through a master's program to get my degree in Intercollegiate Athletics Administration. It seems to me I am perfectly qualified to lead an athletic department in the Big Ten.

NBA Draft Thoughts:
- IU's Eric Gordon was selected seventh in the Draft, becoming the next player to average 20 points and lead the Clippers to the basement in the NBA's Pacific Division, joining the likes of Danny Manning, Ron Harper, Lamar Odom, Elton Brand, and Corey Maggete. Poor guy, I thought he had a chance to be something special in the league, but not with that franchise.
- WKU's and Indiana native Courtney Lee went 22nd to the Magic. On a team with Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Darko, and Jameer Nelson, Lee could find a niche and be a nice piece on an up and coming Eastern Conference contender.
- IU's D.J. White, picked 29th by Detroit and traded to Seattle, went to a young team with a chance to improve tremendously in the next few years, although probably not in the Pacific NW. If he continues to focus on defense and rebounding (and stay injury free) like he did in a solid senior season as the Big Ten Player of the Year, White will be a role player in the NBA for a decade or so.
- UK's Joe Crawford went 58th to the Lakers. With no guaranteed contracts issued to second round picks, do not expect Crawford to be getting torched by Kobe for too long in Lakers' training camp. I wish him luck, but his best bet will probably be to land on another squad.
- Not a Pacers' fan, but they had a good draft by trading for a solid point guard in T.J. Ford and drafting two experienced college players in Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert. They still lack a superstar and legitimate scorer (sorry Mike Dunleavy), but I look for them to be a lower seeded playoff team in the East next season.