Jeff Goodman: Nike is helping Kentucky get players

[Dwight Schrute]

In an interview with Nick Coffey on “The Red Zone” on 790 KRD, Goodman said that if NCAA deems shoe companies boosters moving forward, it will open up a “can of worms” because it’s a well-known fact that Nike helps Kentucky get players, lumping the Cats with Oregon, which allegedly offered an “astronomical amount of money” for Brian Bowen before Bowen’s family decided to take the $100,000 deal to go to Louisville.

“It’s a completely different world if that happens. Obviously, the difference here is you’ve got actual proof of money going from shoe companies to parents of recruits, whether it’s Brian Bowen’s father in one case, or Billy Preston’s mother at Kansas and thus deeming them boosters. That’s kind of the way the NCAA is trying to operate here to try to get them.

“If they do that, I just don’t understand how that’s going to go going forward because let’s face it, Nike is helping Kentucky. We know that. Nike is helping Oregon. We know that. Now, I don’t know if we can prove the money going, again, from a Nike individual to the parent of a recruit going to whether it’s Oregon or Kentucky or Under Armour, Maryland, again, other Adidas schools. There’s so much that goes on. So, I don’t know if they really want to open that can of worms, but it looks like that’s what they’re doing here.”

Coffey shared Goodman’s quote about Kentucky on Twitter, which drew exactly the response you’d expect from Kentucky fans. When a Kentucky fan asked if Nike was helping Duke too, Goodman said “of course”:


https://kentuckysportsradio.com/bask...-we-know-that/

the full quote is less inflammatory and more of a ‘how the sausage is made’ issue, but still rankled a lot of Kentucky fans. Still, the question has to be asked if this is true, why has recruiting fallen off over the last 5 years?

[Blue Heaven]

Goodman is a tool and a third rate sports reporter. That turd is just looking for clicks.

[Catsrock]

Thanks Nike. I like having players.

[Spiritof96]

Jeff Goodman also hates Cal and is incredibly unprofessional when it comes to him and all things KY. He can suck a bag of bricks for all I care.

[Joneslab]

Jeff Goodman also hates Cal and is incredibly unprofessional when it comes to him and all things KY. He can suck a bag of bricks for all I care.

Goodman claims Cal tried to get him fired at one of his old jobs.

As for the claim itself, I don't doubt it but I'd say there are operators all over the place working with the shoe companies on behalf of a multitude of schools. As for why recruiting has fallen off at Kentucky it could be that: Kentucky might be one of a bunch of schools who have people leaning on the players on its behalf.

I'm not saying that's definitely the case, but I've always believed the game is far dirtier than we'd like to admit.

Neither here nor there but my son was slated to play for an Under Amour team this summer. That team was not allowed to wear anything but Under Armour gear. No Nike socks, no adidas gear. Nothing but Under Armour. If you were caught with another company's stuff on during a game, automatic ejection.

The shoe companies hold wild, almost absurd power in this sport.

[Spiritof96]

Goodman claims Cal tried to get him fired at one of his old jobs.

As for the claim itself, I don't doubt it but I'd say there are operators all over the place working with the shoe companies on behalf of a multitude of schools. As for why recruiting has fallen off at Kentucky it could be that: Kentucky might be one of a bunch of schools who have people leaning on the players on its behalf.

I'm not saying that's definitely the case, but I've always believed the game is far dirtier than we'd like to admit.

Neither here nor there but my son was slated to play for an Under Amour team this summer. That team was not allowed to wear anything but Under Armour gear. No Nike socks, no adidas gear. Nothing but Under Armour. If you were caught with another company's stuff on during a game, automatic ejection.

The shoe companies hold wild, almost absurd power in this sport.

I agree with you. Still, Goodman can keep the Kentucky name out of his mouth unless it is to say, "everyone in college basketball is dirty and Kentucky is the greatest program in history".

[TrueblueCATfan]

Of course Goodman is going to say that..he hates Cal and UK

[JFCats22]

Jeff Goodman used to be one of the best college basketball writers out there.

However, there's clearly a reason he has gone from Fox Sports to CBS to ESPN to whatever Stadium is.

[85 Fly]

Neither here nor there but my son was slated to play for an Under Amour team this summer. That team was not allowed to wear anything but Under Armour gear. No Nike socks, no adidas gear. Nothing but Under Armour. If you were caught with another company's stuff on during a game, automatic ejection.

The shoe companies hold wild, almost absurd power in this sport.

...its like that EYBL too Will. These shoe companies don't play!