4pointplay

Anniversary this week and the wife and I typically go to a really nice place to celebrate.

We hit a lot of the local Jeff Ruby establishments but are always looking for someplace different? Had a friend recommend Trottas?

Anyone been there recently? Worth a try?

I've never been there, but was curious as to where it is located. When I Googled the St. George Island one of the top results was this CNN video which states the island was hit pretty hard by the recent hurricane. You might want to look into that. Even if you find a home that wasn't damaged to rent, you might find a lot of the surrounding business closed for repair.

 

St. George Island in ruins after Michael - CNN Video

Checking into the rental properties we did see that some were still under repair and hoping to be available for the summer season. Most of the restaurants appear to be back open according to TripAdvisor and their websites.

We were looking for someplace for whole family to relax and chill so it seems like a good fit!

Looking to try a new vacation spot this summer and St George Island was recommended.

Checking out VRBO and can find some nice places and pricing is consistent with other vacation spots we have visited in the past. Drive is 11.5 hours from Northern Kentucky so that works.

Anybody been there? Thoughts, recommendations?

Any info would be much appreciated?

I think it helps with scheduling and gives schools an opportunity to compete for a title in addition to the districts and regionals. No problem with it's current format

Has anyone been to Kenton County this year? Completely repaved the parking lot. Put a ton of money into it. Rerouted cars, new islands and there must be 50 handicap parking places now. I now have to park at the very beginning of the lot.

Now for the rant part. They spent all of that money on the parking lot and failed to kill one dandelion, failed to cut any rough, but did put in a new set of stairs to the never used driving range.

Who is running that place now??

Davey Tree Service has been running the place for a couple of years and I use that term loosely.

Played the course earlier in the year and rough was really overgrown and place was a safe haven for dandelions! Hoping they start putting some money into the course now that they have a new parking lot.

I have played Hickory Sticks the past couple of weeks and course is in really good shape. Rough isn't too penal and greens were in really good shape.

Yes. You take the best players from your 10 best D2 schools, and I’ll take the best players from Georgetown, Campbellsville, Lindsey Wilson, Indiana Southeast, Cumberlands, UPike, Indiana Wesleyan, Union, Indiana East, Asbury. The NAIA schools I’ve listed probably have 15-20 guys that will play pro basketball overseas on them.

I would take that game in a heartbeat and go with the D2 schools. Very good basketball played in the NAIA but you are undervaluing the quality of D2. Would not need best players from top D2 schools just give me 10 best players from GLIAC or GLVC

I spent 5 years pretty heavily invested in watching D2 basketball and specifically the GLIAC prior to the split with some schools going to GMAC. We had some of the top NAIA programs on our schedule every year as did most of the other schools in the GLIAC and I don't recall too many losses to the NAIA schools from the GLIAC. I don't recall watching any of those games and thinking they were "more athletic" than any team in the GLIAC.

Davenport was a 30 win NAIA school and they just went 7-13 in their first year in the GLIAC as a D2 school and this was a weakened GLIAC with the schools leaving for the GMAC.

During our time in the GLIAC multiple schools had transfers from Power 5 conferences with some having a huge impact and others just being good players within the conference. GLIAC produced players on a regular basis who would go on to play overseas.

When SVSU made their run to the Elite 8 we had 5 players who would go on to play overseas. We had 2 D1 transfers from mid-major schools who played 15-20 minutes per game at the D1 level who did not start for SVSU.

Very good basketball played at the NAIA level and the state of Kentucky is fortunate to have so many of these programs. However to state that NAIA is a more athletic version of D2 is just not an accurate statement.

As much as I hope it doesn't, I think his playing time will decrease next year. His time started to decline when Stansbury's roster increased at mid year due to kids becoming eligible. Looks like he is reloaded for next year with one more scholarship to give.

 

Stansbury will add five new players to the fold, all of whom signed letters of intent in November: Guards Jeremiah Gambrell (Houston, Texas), Dalano Banton (Toronto) and Trevelin Queen (New Mexico Military Institute) and forwards Galen Smith (Bay St. Louis, Miss.) and Matthew Horton (Shelton State Community College).

 

Jared Savage, a forward who transferred from Austin Peay in 2017, will also be eligible for the upcoming season.

 

Western Kentucky will look to reload in 218-19

WKU has also been mentioned as in the running for a couple of grad transfer guards.

Once again, I wouldn’t hire Carr just based on his off the court issues. And from what I’m hearing we’ve only heard the tip of the iceberg.

I had two kids play for Coach Carr and that equates to close to 200 games I had a front row seat. Since you used the iceberg analogy here is what lies below the water.

Coach Carr regularly kept kids at Scott who needed basketball more than basketball needed them. He engaged these kids where it would have been easier to cut ties. The majority of these kids would have never made it to graduation without Coach Carr and the basketball program. More often than not these were kids who didn't make headlines on the court or blow up a boxscore.

Coach Carr regularly kept kids who would not have made the team at any other school in the area because they were really good kids and he felt they elevated the program in ways other than basketball.

What lies beneath the water is much more significant than the tip of the iceberg that you mentioned and not in the direction you are pointing.

If Coach Carr wants to coach again I would hope that whomever is looking at your iceberg looks below that waterline.

Thought it was outstanding! Great addition to Marvel Universe

We had to put down our beloved Shiba last February after 16 years. We went about 6 months before we decided it was time to get another dog. We went the rescue route and started researching available dogs thru multiple rescues. The amount of pit bulls and pit mixes that are available thru local rescue organizations is astounding.

I was determined to not get a pit or pit mix. I love the look of the breed and am a strong believer that 99% of the issue is on the owners not the dogs but with so many dogs available via rescue why take the risk.

We found a pup online that matched our criteria, something that was around 50 lbs as an adult, active and athletic enough to go hiking and backpacking with us and of course very cute. Rescue advertised the pup as a hound mix.

We adopted the pup and after about a month decided to do the DNA test just for giggles. DNA test came back as 50% American Staffordshire Terrier (pit bull), 12.5% Weimaraner, 12.5% Lab and 25% Unknown with majority of Hound markers.

So basically we adopted a pit bull even though that cute, fuzzy 5 month old pup did not look like a pit. However as he has matured that pup has developed that strong chest and physique of the the pit bull.

When we shared the DNA results with our vet along with our concerns for the pit reputation he said the AmStaff is the pit bull with 100 years of breeding the aggressiveness out and that he would be more concerned with the Weimaraner portion of the dog as they are nervous dogs known to bite without provocation.

My pup has never shown any inclination to bite or be aggressive but I must admit my antennae are up in any social settings due to the reputation of the breeds involved and the fact that he is a 50 lbs of sculpted muscle. WE have been thru 2 rounds of obedience class and are regulars at the dog parks and doggie day care for socialization. We do all introductions inside and outside of our home slowly and control the intro as much as possible.

We have boarded him at the same place we take him to doggie day care and the staff absolutely loves him. Immediately runs into the facility and jumps into their laps and starts covering them in doggie kisses. Not an easy task when you are 50 lbs of dog.

So the moral of my very long story is that I can see both sides.

And your son made it how far in the NCAA tourney his sr season?

As it turned out it was a bad news/good news situation. Tough at first when players he had been on campus with and forged relationships for two years were basically shown the door.

Good news as the next class that coach recruited formed the nucleus of the team that won the conference championship and advanced to the Elite 8 in the NCAA tourney.

I heard a story of a new hoops coach that came in and only kept one kid on the existing roster. @4pointplay?

After my sons redshirt year at SVSU there was a coaching change in May. New coach kept existing roster for first year. They had 4 senior starters and my son as a redshirt frosh.

After they went 13-14 in that year coach basically cleaned house. Take out the graduating seniors and he basically told 7 players not good enough to play here and scholarships would not be renewed. Only returned two players one of whom was a walk on and the other being my son.

FYI....also playing in the men's league at Griffin. Good league at the top with a lot of ex-college players and good high school players.

He had hip surgery earlier this summer and was going to be out the entire year (Redshirt), so basketball was not in his future this season anyway.

Realize that there is a whole lot of difference between playing in a men's league and competing at the college level but would think he has already been cleared to resume physical activity and it is only first week of September? They had already made decision to redshirt?

Wish the kid luck but the opportunity to play college sports is indeed a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Saw him playing in the men's league at Griffin Elite last night and was told he was no longer playing for Carson Newman? He started 20 games last year and looked like he was ready to be the full time starter at the PG spot?

College basketball or college sports in general isn't for everyone. Kids who are successful have to really embrace the process and understand the grind. Positives far outweigh the negatives for a scholarship athlete.

Thought it was well done and fairly close to the Wonder Woman canon from the comic books. Much better than most of the DC movies to date.

I actually did state your rule and everything you listed is absolutely true. So I appreciate you listing it for me.

 

Explain for me what happens when someone wants to complain about an official? Where do they go? I'm not talking about the assigning secretary because they have no authority. All they do is tell them where to go. You still haven't given me the name of the local organization umpires belong to? How does an umpire get held accountable when there is nobody to call? That's why altercations happen on the field. That's the only thing I've been attempting to say.

Assignor has way more power than you are giving credit. Ultimately determines who gets games. Games get pulled if officials screw up and it affects future assignments. They also play a large role in who works postseason.

Every coach at the high school level knows the chain of command if they have an issue with an official or their performance. I am confused when you say no one to call? Is that from a fans perspective? Why would any fan/parent feel they have the right to call local assignor or KHSAA regarding an officials performance?

As I mentioned earlier high school coaches and AD's are very aware of who they need to contact.

As far as organizations locally Northern Kentucky Baseball Umpires Association, Northern Kentucky Softball Umpires Association, Bluegrass Basketball & 9th Region Basketball Officials. Those are just off the top of my head for our area?

An official can make $120+ in one night doing varsity/JV. So if he works most nights and weekends during the season he is bringing in $800+ A week. Coaches make around $.50/hour when you average everything out and they still find time to go to conventions and trainings. They can organize those things the same way every organization does. Your attitude is why the officiating in this sport has gotten significantly worse over time. I'm also not sure where some of you guys got your information, but the officials in KY do not go to clinics or trainings and I challenge you to prove me otherwise. I have had several umpires tell me they haven't done anything since their initial test to become an umpire.

Pardon the pun but you are just lobbing up softballs here.....

Every official who is working a high school sport in Kentucky is required to belong to that sports association within that region. Each association holds a certain number of meetings/training that you are required to attend to stay in good standing. If you are not in good standing you are not getting games.

If you are not taking the Part 2 test annually you are probably not moving up with your organization within that sport and will definitely not be doing post season.

Even a first year official who has just taken the Part 1 test is required to join the local association and attend meetings/training before they are assigned games.

They need to put some effort into the ones they have. We need an oversight committee, and a way for these umpires to get better every year. They do that with coaches. An oversight committee will give coaches a place to voice concerns. Right now, all they have is an assigning secretary, which is pointless. Just "scratching" someone doesn't help the situation. A committee can hold these guys accountable, they can have a convention every year to find new ways to get better, and it will also cut down on "on-field" confrontation because coaches will know they have a place to go if something isn't right.

Officials are held accountable. The assignors go out and review the umpires work and constructive feedback is always welcome from the coaches to the assignor.

Officials in all HS sports are required to attend a certain number of training/meetings in the offseason. They are required to take the state provided tests regarding the rules and view mandatory online clinics from the state. Officials in most sports also have the opportunity to attend clinics in the off season on their own dime to continue to improve.

Coaches also have the opportunity to rank officials at the end of every season. Those rankings play a large part in who works postseason. The interesting part of that is how low the percentage of coaches actually send in their rankings. Different in every sport and every association but it is consistently a lower number than you would anticipate.

In addition to an officials real job and other family commitments where do you propose everyone finds the time for your additional training and conventions? I don't know of anyone who is getting rich officiating high school sports.

Easy to toss around words like "oversight committee" and "accountability" but what is a real life solution?

Any clue at all what kind of money he might be making. Obviously a great opportunity to see an interesting part of the world and not have to deal with a language barrier.

Pretty good insight on this one!

Currently playing in SA Premier League. This is one of the state leagues in Australia and considered a second tier league. Each club/team have players that have played in the NBL (top tier Australian League) along with players who have played collegiately in the US.

Proverbial foot in the door as far as playing professional basketball. First contract is hard and second contract is harder however if you get the second contract you start making a worthwhile living.

League allows two import players per team. Imports are paid more than the resident Australian players and are under more pressure to perform and put up numbers. Import players in the league are generally D1/D2 players from mid-majors to major conferences.

Kellen is making $300/game in addition to free housing, use of a car and food expense. They basically take him to the grocery every couple of weeks and provide him a list of restaurants he can go to and have the club billed. They also provide him employment with the club working with young players, camps, etc

Good news is that after his debut his agent has already had inquiries from teams for next season that would provide a significant increase in pay. Definitely not getting rich but still getting an opportunity to play the game.

Kellen Smith signs to play professionally in Australia - Saginaw Valley State

Opportunity to see another part of the world and keep on playing basketball!

Can someone compare the economics of a player in the D-league or Europe ($ + per diem less apartment, car, food, groceries, other expenses) v. a quality D1 program ($0 salary but free room, unlimited food, adidas/Nike/UA gear)?

 

Additionally, from both a development quality of life standpoint what is the comparison? D-league / Europe (buses & playing in front of 1,000 people in Erie, Canton, Greensboro, etc.) v. D1 (charters, playing on ESPN, CBS, etc.)

Here is what I can share from personal experience and I can't speak to the big time D1 experience. AS I am writing this my kid is on a plane flying to Australia to begin play. Should be landing in Sydney in two hours! lol

For the past 12 months he has been trying to find a place to continue playing basketball. He had to check that box or at least give it a great shot.

His college career was as a 4 year starter at the D2 level playing in a top conference on a team that was ranked in the top 25 his junior and senior year and played in the Elite 8 his senior year.

Our research and efforts working with his college coach and two agents has been frustrating, interesting and everything in between.

What we have found is that the type of financial security most people think of when playing professional sports is reserved only for the top tier leagues. Spots are limited in all leagues for import players so opportunities are extremely limited. It is extremely cutthroat as contracts for the most part are not guaranteed. If you do not perform up to expectations they cut you and send you back home and import players carry a higher expectation as they are generally paid more than the domestic players.

For example he is replacing a player 4 games into their season who was a starting PG in the Big 10 but was not playing up to the clubs expectations. This is on a second tier team in Australia.

Most import players will not start making decent money until they sign their 2-3 contract. The majority of import players are back home within 1-3 years and most do not see a second contract. In addition to the financial difficulties players struggle with the cultural differences. It is one thing to go away from home to attend college 7-10 hours away. Imagine being 15 hours away in a country with language, food and other cultural barriers.

When you see the number of players declaring for the draft and realize that most of them will not make the NBA or even the D-league it is a humbling thought. With the realization that spots are limited in all leagues and you factor in D2, D3 and NAIA players who all want the same chance? Tough, tough way to make a living.

I said the NCAA should change the rules .. meaning the future , Big IH wants to forgo his free education, skip the degree , and go play some Aussie ball for chump change .. have at it . signed , lazy guy on couch .

Makes the most sense for Humphrey to declare as he is a marginal NBA prospect at the very best. With the club system in Australia he can go back home and play in the NBL and make six figures for the next 15 years. He was on track to play in the NBL prior to coming over to UK and now with that on his resume I would imagine he would go directly into the top tier league.

I don't think a degree from UK and at best time in the D-League ($30,000) looks quite the same to a foreign born player. Of all of the borderline players to declare his actually makes the most sense to me.

Six figures out of college does not look like chump change to me. In addition the seasons are much shorter and less of a grind than the NBA in most countries and if he wanted to test the waters in the leagues that pay more (China, top tier Euro Leagues) two years at UK on his resume would not hurt.

While there are pro leagues across the world the odds are still stacked against the majority of these players making a "great" living or even finding the right opportunity. Most leagues across the globe limit the number of roster spots for import players to 2-3 spots. Limiting the number of roster spots for import players creates a buyers market. The success stories like Jimmer Fredette and Justin Doellman are the exceptions not the rule. A lot of import players get one contract and are back home within one to three years. Right situation financially and culturally is very difficult to find.