Stop the Madness!

Steve Ruis

March 1

No, not the March Madness, I am ignore that this year. Steve

The 24-hour news cycle has made sports commentary idiotic. (I know, I know, it is not as if the standards were very high in the first place, but c'mon!) Currently there are, for example, only two players in the NBA being considered for the Rookie of the Year award: Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. Part of that discussion revolves around the claim that Holmgren is not a true rookie, he was drafted last year but did not play as he was injured prior to the first game of the season. And some argue that Holmgren is not a "True Rookie™" as he had all that NBA experience last year, not playing, not refining his skills, sitting on the bench, etc. They argue that since he is not a True Rookie™ he should not be considered for that award.

Hello?

So, ask the old Internet a simple question: "Where did Victor Wembanyama play before the NBA?" and this is what you receive.

Wembanyama played the past three seasons in France's LNB Pro A, the country's highest pro level, with the Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92. He led the league in scoring, rebounding, and blocks on his way to becoming the youngest regular-season MVP in Pro A history.

So Wembanyama was playing professional basketball, honing his skills, receiving high quality coaching, etc. in France. You know France, the country that beat the U.S in basketball in the last Olympics?

Idiots.

Do none of them remember when Ichiro Suzuki was voted MLB Rookie of the Year in 2001? Before being drafted by the Seattle Mariners, Ichiro had racked up 1,278 hits over nine seasons with the Orix Blue Wave in Nippon Professional Baseball. He was a star, a big star, in professional baseball. But the MLB considered him a rookie his first year in MLB, a rookie who won Rookie of the Year and American League MVP honors while leading all of baseball in batting average (.350), hits (242) and stolen bases (56). This was the greatest performance ever turned in by a rookie. Don't expect anyone else to come close because most rookies aren't nine-year veterans at the same time. (Although Shohei Otani came close as a four year vet (also in Japan) earning AL Rookie of the Year.)

Postscript I know, I know, I can't help it . . . it is simultaneously basketball and baseball seasons for Pete's sake . . . and always open season on idiocy.