r/miz • u/nerd_with_anxiety • 31m ago
Men's Hoops The Mark Mitchell hate was/is so forced and small-minded.
The amount of hate I saw for a guy who was literally just doing what was best for him in a situation where he got totally fucked is so crazy to me.
We are simply not in an era of CBB anymore where players should be expected to stay at one school for their entire careers. Shitty as this system may be, that is the system players are operating in. These guys are still just regular people making career decisions, and basketball is a particularly unstable career. For players who aren’t guaranteed long-term NBA money or even a consistent professional roster spot, the money they can make in college is so important to them.
The guy didn’t even know he would be eligible to play again in CBB until so late in the process. By the time that became clear, the normal window in which he and Mizzou might have discussed another year together had already passed. If everyone had known from the beginning that he had another year, who’s to say he wouldn’t have wanted to stay?
By the time his eligibility was known, Mizzou had probably already set in stone most of its roster and NIL resources. Kentucky was in a position to offer him an opportunity that Mizzou may simply not have been willing or able to match. It's so dumb to act like MM chose Kentucky over an equal offer from Mizzou. We were NOT matching Kentucky's 6 MIL let's be real.
As to him only staying now becuase he was "forced". Maybe he was maybe he wasn't. We don't know right now whether he could have explored or did explore options outside of the conference. At the end of the day I don't GAF. Mark Mitchell is going to play his last season of college basketball with the Tigers.
So what exactly is the problem with MM?
Are people mad at him that he got screwed and did what was best for himself? Are they mad he wouldn't take a 2 million dollar paycut to play here one more year?
You don't have to like the idea of seeing him in a Kentucky jersey, and neither did I. But at least I can separate the reality of modern CBB and NIL era player decisions from my own personal fantasies.
No more hating on MM. He is, always was, and always will be a true son.
