Adam's Voicemail Bag: Blakeney reaction

Welcome to the second installment of the Voicemail Bag. For the unfamiliar: Readers leave great voicemails on my office phone at (502) 582-4372, and then I share them with you. I also mix in emails, because we at The Courier-Journal do love the written word. Now let's get to it, because there's a lot to filter through, from Antonio Blakeney to Charlie Strong to Teddy Bridgewater to Reggie Bonnafon.

Most of the discussion centered on Blakeney, the five-star guard who recently decommitted from the University of Louisville. Several sources indicated the Blakeney's decision was due, at least in part, to the fact that UofL is an Adidas school and that Blakeney played for a Nike-sponsored AAU program. If you missed it, Steve Jones and I covered the story from several angles. You can take a look here.

Column:http://cjky.it/1v0z4jn

Analyst reaction:http://cjky.it/1v0z5Uo

News story:http://cjky.it/1qYOnXi

Our first voicemail on this topic is…interesting. Listen for yourself, and then we'll deconstruct it together:

OK, where to begin? Well, let's focus on the main point of the voicemail: that Nike sponsoring AAU programs such as Blakeney's is against NCAA rules. Given the blurry lines regarding what's allowed and what's not, it's a valid question. But no, there is no rule against a summer basketball program receiving apparel and sponsorship money from a shoe company.

The voicemail kind of veers off from there, and I'm not sure how this relates to the SEC controlling the world. And if the caller is reading this, I genuinely hope he keeps his subscription. We love our subscribers. We love you.

I also received some interesting emails about Blakeney. Here are excerpts from a few:

At the very least, someone should investigate Nike on anti-trust grounds. They have an undisputed stranglehold on college basketball and apparently, have the ability to influence these high school kids (and their families) on where they should attend and play college basketball. I understand at the end of the day it's all about the Benjamins. But, let's at least make a good faith effort to control the money aspect in amateur sports……or is it just too late. –Leo N.

(As I stated in the column, I don't think Nike played a direct role in this. I think those close to Blakeney urged him to consider Nike schools because Nike had helped him reach this point. But yes, right now, Nike is king.)

The crazy part of the whole system is while Nike wants players it works with to go to Nike schools, many of those same kids after they go to the NBA throw the loyalty to Nike out the window and sign the best deal. Look at all the UK/Nike players who signed with other shoe companies. –John V

(It's a fair point. To name a few: John Wall and Brandon Knight (Adidas), Nerlens Noel (Reebok). Of course there are plenty of Nike names in there, too, like Anthony Davis, Julius Randle and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.)

I happen to agree with your sentiments about the loyalty to shoe companies. As you point out they give the opportunity for a kid to go many places and develop his talent. And, right or wrong, this is the current state of where the game is at present. –Bill S.

OK, let's close the book on the Blakeney story with another voicemail:

I'm not sure where the caller got the idea from my column that I was critical of Blakeney for changing his mind. For the record, I'm not. But I appreciate the feedback and agree that kids should make the decision that's best for them.

Moving on, the first Voicemail Bag was focused on reaction to my column about UofL fans who were rooting for Charlie Strong to fail. If you missed that VB, it hurts my feelings. But you can make up for it by catching up. Charlie Strong Voicemail bag:http://cjky.it/1uJUajX

Anyway, there are two more Strong-related emails that I think are worth sharing.

I am a Texas grad and lifelong Horns fan. Regardless of their record, I am and will remain a fan. I agree with you 100%. Texas needed a culture change. A few fans of UT Facebook pages already want to give up on Strong but you hit the nail on the head. I keep telling them Strong went 37-15 at Louisville, but 23-3 his last two years. When he gets his recruits to Austin it will be different. –Matt T.

Everyone should root for Coach Strong and here is why. Coach Strong took under his wing a former manager of mine for a year while coaching basketball at Shelby County and then was a football manager for Coach Lucas at Collins High School. Austin has cerebral palsy and almost didn't survive birth...Coach Strong allowed Austin to come be a part of the team and has always looked out for Austin through the years. Now Coach Petrino is doing the same! --Phillip C.

Last week I wrote a column about Louisville quarterback Reggie Bonnafon coping with the death of his father, Wallace, a 51-year-old Louisville native who died from a heart attack: http://cjky.it/1uMlqQS

Many readers were touched by Reggie's strength and connection to his father. This voicemail came from someone who knew Mr. Bonnafon:

Thanks to the caller for sharing that. And lastly, on Monday I wrote about former Louisville star Teddy Bridgewater becoming the Vikings' starting quarterback amid the turmoil surrounding Adrian Peterson.

This email came all the way from Minnesota, though in the electronic world, postage is free. If this is indicative of the general feeling in Minneapolis, fans there are happy to have Teddy.

As long suffering Vikings fans, your article about Teddy Bridgewater was just what we needed to see this week! Although we are both old enough to remember the "Purple People-eaters" and actual Super Bowl appearances by the team back in the 70's, we have not had a whole lot to cheer about in recent years (with the exception of when Brett Favre was here - who would ever have though we would someday cheer for him!)

But this year, what with the Adrian Peterson situation and all, has truly been a nightmare. We never thought we would miss the good old days when the scandals involved Randy Moss having a confrontation with a traffic cop or a bunch of rowdiness on a Lake Minnetonka boat cruise! At any rate, we will let the courts pass judgment on Adrian, but we agree that the Vikings had to deactivate him. That loss, coupled with an unusually high number of injuries, have resulted in some very grim faces around here, despite the gorgeous fall days.

We are excited for Teddy to come in and show us what he's got, but it is already apparent that good character is one of his attributes. It was great to read another confirmation of that. –Anne S., Minneapolis

Thanks for reading the C-J all the way out in Minneapolis, Anne. And thanks to everyone here for reading the Voicemail Bag. Be sure to leave a message next time!

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at 502-582-4372 by email ahimmelsbach@courier-journal.com and on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach