God Help Us All

Here's a charming story describing the recruitment by Adidas of a 10-year-old basketball "phenom." Really, what is wrong with these people (both the parents and the shoe reps)? You know things are bad when people talk so openly about cash, free equipment (the kid has 20 pairs of sneakers!), and applying pressure to play on travel teams and develop "brand loyalty." Think about this kid the next time you hear some sanctimonious coach on the payroll of one of these shoe companies talking about how much they care about "student-athletes."