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There seems to be a misconception when it comes to me and my views on relationships. True, I have stated that dating outside my race is something I would love to do eventually. Another truth is, all my life I've been rejected by African American females. However, I'm well aware that there are treasures in every race. The problem is I have developed standards for myself when it comes to dealing with people especially females. If a female is one who drinks, smokes, clubs & parties, non-educated, independent, non judgmental, and is stuck-up then I defiantly don't deal with them. I hate the pretty girl types because to me they are the most likely to cheat and do guys dirty. It's a known fact that if you are used to attention and getting whatever you like out of a person then you won't respect anybody. You'll take advantage of people. They'll more than likely equal to gold diggers. I like the females who guys pay no attention to. The ones guys take for granted. I'm one of the realest guys. So I tend to notice these females. Like me, they don't stand out in a crowd. They basically don't have to do anything that degrades them for attention. They are most likely found studying, going to church or working hard to make a living. They're clothing is appropriate. Nothing is showing or hanging out. Even if they do have looks, they aren't falling for the cat calls and whistles guys throw at them. These women are appreciative and don't ask for nothing at all. You could do the simplest thing and she's happy. That's the type of woman I would like. The thing bothers me is the whole romance factor. I could be a romantic guy but as a far as sex goes I don't believe in it. According to most, that particular aspect is needed in a relationship. The real women save themselves for marriage but even still I wish there was a woman who shared my belief. A relationship in my eyes is based around friendship, truth, loyalty, the simple things and most of all the definition of love. I truly don't see why sexual activity would have anything to do with proving your love. Sex to my knowledge only causes issues in your relationship. I wish somebody would explain that whole thing to me. Truthfully, I don't know how it would be difference with the variations in races. I truly don't believe females from other races would judge things on the harsh level that my race does. If I did have sex with a female, I don't want to feel like I'm being rated or that I have to prove something to my gf/wife. Black females love dissing guys when it comes to sex and the size of his "package". Whenever I've heard that, I always wondered what gave females the right to judge that particular aspect. Like a guy can really determine what GOD provide him with. That is just the dumbest thing ever to me. Seriously speaking, I mean black females have been known to judge things like they have world knowledge of situations. Like guys can change how they look, they can change what life wasn't able to provide them and things like that. What bothers me is other races are always open and nice to everybody regardless. Some may value looks and whatever else but it's less of that going on. I can sit around the college I attend and actually have a conversation with other races without that female atomically assuming that I'm trying to get with them or a phone number. Real talk you get tired of black females grouping guys in a category and saying because you're a dude, then this and that is supposed to happen. Yet they always turn around and say why can't I find a good man?? Or they upset when the black guys date outside of their race. The whole situation is dumb to me. You can't even mention that around a black woman without her getting upset. Truth hurts. Overall what I wish for is a world without viewing color. I don't want to separate females by race and truthfully there shouldn't a difference. I hate that it's like that. I don't understand it. I don't even understand how I can get in trouble for speaking my mind about the whole process.

We live in a world where there is less peace, and more violence. A world where racism is still alive but mostly hidden. People of your own kind will rarely be with you, they'll always be against you. It seems at times they would rather see you fail then to see you succeed. Well at least in the African American world that is. Isn't it sad how a person who doesn't even share your skin color supports you more than somebody who does share it? Isn't it crazy how the biggest killer of blacks is another black person? It's like the world has stereotypical everything. When a drug bust happens, people quickly say they must be black or a Mexican. When a sniper is on the loose or fraud and tax evasion, people say that's defiantly a Caucasian person. People being cautious on the planes because of the events of 9/11 which means it's hard to be from Pakistan. That Taliban guy can be nicest person we know but yet life for him will never be easy anymore. Whose world is it really? Is it the Caucasian's, the black's, a man or even a woman? I personally always thought it was GOD property but if you let my fellow American's tell it, men rule the world. Funny though how a man such as myself was brought up around women and yet I am one of the more real men in the world. Yet at the same time, men such as me are always the ones being brought down and spit upon. People like to laugh and make jokes when they see me reading books studying hard. When I know the answers the teacher is asking during class. The females trust to say, I want a real man and most men are dogs. Yet their biggest concern and standards when it comes to a man is looks, financial status and sex. The interesting thing being that's mostly the African American females and a portion of the Caucasian. You wonder the ebony queens don't have ebony kings? Why their good "brothas" stray to other races? Because those same ebony queens always settle for guys that have less value. I come from a African American woman so on my part there is no disrespect. However, she'll be the first to say my son is more likely to end up with a woman outside of his race. That's coming from a strong black woman. Nobody really wants to see interracial relationships. Nobody really wants to see their race date or marry another. I'm not scared to admit though that I would mostly date someone outside my race rather than a person in my race. In that particular case, it's a matter of understanding why and how I came to feel that way rather saying oh your racist against your own kind. You get tired of going after women and hearing your not good enough. Or not even getting a chance at all to prove yourself but yet a none deserving guy does get a chance because of his looks. That's how we end up so many daddy less children in the world Everyday you hear a so called sad tale of women getting pregnant and children growing up without fathers. I feel sorry for nobody because sex appears to be on top of lists nationwide. People desire the experience. To be with the in crowd. Each yr the age for pregnant females becomes younger and younger. Sad, pathetic and all of the above. However, that's their life not mine. Truthfully it should start with the parents and who people see as role models. If there is no positive influence then I guess a lot of people will never grow up in a mature manner. Speaking of role models, I hear a lot of people classify the so called "black" president, celebrities and drug dealers/wannabe thugs as their inspiration. I got nothing against Obama. However, for him to be labeled black is beyond me. Yes, a part of him is indeed African American but there is another part of him that is Caucasian which in turn makes him bi-racial. I believe people got so caught up that they ignored the facts. Their only concern was making history. I don't even think people paid attention to his views and what he was bringing to America. All they saw was skin color. Now I'm hearing females say I want a real man like Barack. So just because he ran for president and won, he's a real man. A good role model, yes. A success story, yes. However, outside of Michelle Obama and his family who truly knows what type of man Obama is. Then there is the rappers people go crazy over. I know like hell they aren't considered role models. Then again I would expect that from people of my generation. They have no real morals or standards. It's all about the image and what sounds good. I've said before how females look rappers like T.I, Plies, and Lil Wayne like the greatest thing to walk the earth. Yet there is your ordinary guy going to school and working on a earning his degree. He is trying to make a honest living. He doesn't drink, smoke or anything of that nature. Goes to church. A type of guy who would take care of business in all aspects. A well rounded type of person. They don't get attention until it's too late. Oh no, women want you to be like the big money rappers. The one who says degrading things. Want you to be their bust it baby. The one who doesn't mind slapping you around and cheating while you sit around being Miss Faithful. Yet he does this because of love and in turn he doesn't mean it. He'll sex you good every time you want it and throw a couple of dollars your way for being the ride or die chick. I heard a chick say Plies was a real man. Algernod Washington is a real man???? So because all of his album titles say something about being real, you believe it? Or is it because he's "loving and kind" in his lyrics. I really and truly want a woman to explain to me what makes a guy like him real. From my understanding, this is a guy who did indeed have great grades in high school and went on to college. In similar fashion to me, women rarely gave him any attention. Then he dropped out of college and gave up on his dream to follow what his brother wanted. True, it did into a good career for him. However, just like all rappers he is a puppet. That means you'll never hear the true story. What you will hear is oh yes I was a true gangster growing up and sold those drugs too. I stayed getting arrested. Algernod only been arrested once and that was for assault. My point is, people are always looking in the wrong direction for somebody to follow. I grew up wanting nothing more than to be a positive influence on my family and kids in the neighborhood. To me, there is a far better life than risking the chance of being arrested or even killed. If people are going to talk about someone, you would rather them talk about the positive things than the bad things you do. Most of all you should be real rather than fake. Trying to be somebody your not defiantly puts you in line to being fake. I live in a world that has a bunch of people who will sell their sole for money and fame. Who will degrade and disrespect themselves to get ahead. What happened to the honest way? What happened to encouraging the next guy or female? Channels like VH1, MTV and even BET puts a unique spin on racism but most of all it's about ratings and putting on a show. On VH1, you have these so called dating reality shows where celebrities pretend to find "love". I bet America loves to see the African American females act how they are "supposed" to. Being ghetto, fighting, cussing, overly sexual and most of all like desperate gold digging hoes. The Caucasian females are portrayed like they are holier than thou. Like they are better than everybody and own the world. At the same time, VH1 tries to justify these actions with role reversals. So on the Caucasian celebrity's shows there is usually one black chick that gets picked on early and among the first voted out. On the African American show, there are more black chicks but a handful of other races. Somehow the black celebrities always keep at least one person from another race in the final four but never works that way on other show. On BET, they do absolutely nothing to shed the black race in a positive light. All of their shows show African Americans in a stereotypical light. BET wants so bad to be like MTV and VH1 that they lack originality. They basically have copy cat success. How are you the Black Entertainment channel and do your race worst than the more Caucasian based channels? That's exactly why I rarely watch that channel. On a more everyday level change has really occurred either. In fact, everything seems to still be the same as in the past. A high percent of black students flock to Historically Black Colleges and majority of Caucasians flock to the Ivy League schools. High schools are found in three separate ways. White, Black and mixed. Most of the time high schools are mixed because of small towns and for sports. This is my insane society though. I could go on and on about various things I see. However, there has to be somebody who shares an equal viewpoint. Sometimes you hate being different and having a deeper insight on life. That's apart of being real and mature though. Yes, I don't drink, smoke, go to clubs and parties, barely talk to females, and any other "male" things but that doesn't make me any less of one. I hate ignorance in life. I hate the judgments and stereotypes placed on us all. I'll always speak on it because nobody can stop me. I don't expect for people to understand. What I do expect is for them to learn and pay attention to the words/knowledge being displayed. It's not that I think I'm better than anybody or even consider myself high class. I am what I am. I am unique. I am different. I'm most of all I am a new breed of man. Respect My Greatness

If I had power in the world it would be to make things drama and problem free. To make it where stress was a minor issue not a major one. I would want people to be less judgmental and appreciate most things in life. GOD is noticeably missing in a lot of people's life or if his presence is there, they don't have the proper faith. I used to be a non believer but then again I'm picky about believing almost everything. That's just the way I am at times. I sit back and watch the world unfold. Don't really see a point in becoming involved with the things that go on. At most I attempt to lend a hand when needed. Although half the things I do aren't even appreciated. The way I get judged most would think that I'm a very bad guy. I don't get it but never waste time trying to figure it out neither. My grandmother and mom told me that people picked on them a lot during their younger days. Mostly because they didn't have the material things others had. I'm product of them so I guess its only fitting that my life turned out the same. Therefore I could grow to value and appreciate life the way they have. Truthfully, I would seriously not even like being into money. It tends to have one spoiled. For one to find themselves thinking they are better than most. The situation I'm in fits me most. Imagine that a young African American male working to get a degree and become successful. Whereas most do this type of thing to make it to create their own path, I do it for everybody who supported me. If I got LOTS of money then so does my family. However, even if I had just enough to get by I'd still find a way to share. I'm not a selfish person. My intention is to help anybody who looks deserving. I'm the type of guy who can have useless money in pocket and would be quick to share it with a homeless person. People are always quick to say those who gotten in that type of bad situation deserved absolutely nothing because it was there life choices not mine or anybody else. Those people I don't listen to. As a world we should all be united. Nobody should attempt to put down anybody regardless of their decision making. Mistakes are apart of life. There are those who continuously do get into these crazy spells where most just sit back and wait on them to reach their downfall. I don't know what kind of world I life in. What I do know is, if I can make a difference then that's my goal. I got the money to be able to donate then it's done. There are kids who have college dreams but feel they won't make it. I want to either inspire them and/or create scholarship funds so the chance can possibly be a reality. I've said that before. And I'll keep saying it because somebody has to step up. I'm not trying to imply that Jamaree' is the only one attempting to do things. I'm more so implying leaders can found in almost any place. Apparently some find that leaders need certain qualities. Like there is a rule book written somewhere? As I say, a leader doesn't necessarily have to stand out in the crowd or be the loudest one in a room but you know maybe I'm wrong. So as long as I can change a few lives here and there then to me everything is fine. My biggest drive is to make life for those I've grown up around. True, I've heard it said that material things shouldn't matter and to also let GOD handle everything out of your control. Things get so frustrating. To be 20 years old and see the things I do is ridiculous. However, again it's all apart of life. I still though can't help but want to the tools to fix certain issues. To be the one who can solve everything. Otherwise I find myself feeling so defenseless. For instance, my dad isn't in my little brother's life the way he should be. Therefore, I play the role of father in order to relieve my grandmother of all the work she has put in to raise him. What I fail to realize at times is, one doesn't talk about the things he does or accomplishes because GOD rewards those who do out of the goodness of their heart not ones who expect something in return for their services. That's simply not me at all. I just want to work until everything I've set to do is accomplished. Then I can rest and sit back to enjoy life how I want. However, until that time comes it's a fight I have to endure. A fight that I'll gladly participate in until the end. People don't understand and pretty they never will. Stop complaining about what's not going right, appreciate what is going right. Other things will work it self out later.

A lot of people have been asking me why exactly I have never had a true girlfriend. The answer I used to give has truth but I wasn't sure that is the exact reason. A lot females just don't find me attractive. There is nothing wrong with that if you ask me. Opinions are just that. However, I do find it so funny that I'm said to be my dad's twin. So if women find him to be so attractive, I guess you would think the same for me right? Nope been that way all my life. I've either been the ugly guy, too nerdy, too skinny, too quiet, too this and too that. That's a sob story though lol. Let's get serious. People might as well face the fact that I'm just different. I've always followed a different path and done things outside the ordinary. So with that said you can pretty much figure out that I only like a certain kind of woman and also I basically deal with a certain type of people. If that's being judgmental then I want to apologize right here because it's not my intention. I touched on most of my likes and dislikes in previous blogs such as the Real Man series and Roses. One thing that truly bothers me is how most guys go for looks and body. I look at personality and the way a woman carries herself. I hate how guys have given so much attention to these women that they basically develop stuck up ways and value looks so much. I don't need nor want a woman who is pretty and stands out in a crowd. What I look for is the woman who nobody really pays attention to. One who, like me, stays away from activities such as drinking and smoking. One who doesn't go to clubs and don't get involved in partying. Getting back to the looks thing, I truly, truly am disgusted by the things I see. Women dressing all inappropriate thinking they seriously look good. The sad thing is guys encourage it so therefore we see more and more of it. Women use this as their magnet to draw the guys in. That's pathetic man. Me personally, my perfect woman could be wearing a pair of jogging pants and a sweatshirt when we meet I'll still find some beauty. Even if women did think I was attractive, I wouldn't ever stoop to the level most guys do. Women have it where guys are always hitting up the gym and attempting to get these bodies to show off. Guys trying to go out in buy these expensive cars and just overall all these things that make absolutely no sense. For these reasons, I stand alone. This to me doesn't make a real man. A real man like me deserves a woman that appreciates me and I can truly appreciate her. Where are the women that love her self for who she is? I don't need the swearing. Acting ghetto and being embarrassing. I need a woman who is a true GOD fearing and church involved woman. Someone who values conversation. Somebody I can learn about and they can learn about me. Somebody who enjoys life and takes advantage of blessings. A woman who is in school and working on accomplishing her dreams. I don't want somebody who has to depend on me. Me and her should be able to rule the world together. I should be able to give her space and she gives me mine. Somebody who I can take around my family and not be ashamed. I notice how females like taking these crazy and sexual pictures putting them on their pages, not a good look but hey if somebody likes it then that's on them. I wouldn't want my chick to associate with people like that. If I'm playing PS2 then I wouldn't mind if she picks up a controller and attempts to play as well. I want a chick that is proud of me despite what anybody has to say negative. I need a chick who will be supportive and understanding. Somebody who stands by me and I can do the same when things are both good & bad. I would rather have a loyal chick. Not someone who says I'm loyal but she proves it. Somebody that's honest. I would especially love a woman who isn't sexually active. I would appreciate one who is a great mother to her kids. I don't need a woman who knows how to cook because I can cook for myself and if she has no problem learning that I'll teach her. I don't need some woman smothering me. One who doesn't let a man breathe. One who has jealous ways. One who can have a man go out of their way to make them happy but at the same time they don't ask for much, if at all. Is that too much to ask anybody?? My perfect woman doesn't exist because no woman could fulfill ALL that. The difference with me is, most people settle for what they can get. I'm a real guy I want someone to be serious with. I don't want to go through a series of women until I finally reach my goal. That's pointless

All around the world men and women alike ask a question related to finding the right mate. Some ask will I ever find that so called "one". Others ask is that one right in my face and I'm just the missing signs. The rest just settle for what they can find and enjoy life that way. Me? I don't care either way. I'm considered a special breed. Personally, I call it being in a category only I'm allowed to fit in. That's just my opinion. In part one, these special type things I thought made a man were shared. Again that's just my opinion. If you didn't read it, I'd advise you to. Maybe you'll learn something. As I've said before I'm not a no it know all, a specialist or professional. Whether you name I'm not it. Jamaree' is simply an observer who pays attention to every single detail, largest to the smallest. Here's what I mean. Men nowadays have put themselves in such a negative light that women group us all together. No matter what say I or even the next dude does right, a woman will see either see wrong and/or find it hard to trust a blessing. Men have hurt them so much that they are afraid to take chances. I can honestly see why. Why put your heart into anything when it's a great risk of being destroyed over & over. It's not fair to anybody. Heck look at me, I've never even had a girlfriend. Women treat me like crap all the time. The only reason I still hold them in great regard is because I was raised and taught right from wrong by all sorts of women in & outside of my family. In fact, I wouldn't be the man I am without that push. Anyway, most men don't know how to be sensitive to a woman's feelings. They can't show any emotion at all without feeling like a punk, less of man and so forth. I can boldly admit that I'm not afraid to neither cry in front of a woman nor admit any feelings I have. Dudes reading this may have negative words to say but that opinion doesn't hold any weight to me. I'm serious though, how can a man feel as though women should say what's on their mind and be open when most men can't even do that themselves. I would rather us both be open so we can have more understanding and have a general sense of direction. That's why most couples don't last very long. It's always an obstacle standing in the way. When men make women cry, they hate to see it. Therefore, why do it? I see a woman crying and I start crying. Simply because I don't like hurting anybody, it's not my bloodline at all to stoop to that level. What I don't understand, never will, is how women can let a man get the best of her. To make her feel less than the woman she is. Yes I know of the fact that emotions and love can create a powerful situation. That still doesn't lead me to my answer. I've seen plenty women in fist fights over men and even killed over men. On the opposite side, I've seen the same with men with it comes to certain women. So it works both ways. People take this love thing entirely too far. You can't even make a joke with your best friend related to his mate without him/her getting somewhat upset. Percy Sledge once said, "When a man loves a woman he can't keep his mind on nothing else. He will change the world for the good thing he found .Turn on his back on his best friend if he put her down." When it comes to my few little friends and their relationships, I let them have as space as possible. I don't do drama although I know it's a big part of life. I hate confrontation but deal with it I have to. Truthfully, I thought being educated, having goals and a plan to succeed in life, being hard working, and just overall you could gain the positive attention of anyone. Apparently I'm wrong though. So I guess women are hypocrites of themselves. They can't find Mr. Right because their morals are messed up. Most men are followers who don't know which direction to turn. They can't find Mrs. Right because their thoughts are always in the wrong place and they don't take time to really love women how they want to be loved. Women come on my Black Planet, Myspace and Face Book to check out the guy who sent them a request. Quickly they look at my picture with questionable eyes. Oh, he isn't all that cute, he ugly and so on. If they get past the picture (which most don't), they go to judging me before even taking a chance to know me. It's not just me. Plenty of guys are judged. Just like women are judged. Difference is most men (with me excluded) focus on the assets. If a woman has the body but not the look, she's a sex object or target. If a woman has the right type of facial features but not the perfect accessories, she's probably a main stay so a dude can front with his boys. With a female, she's checking to see his style, what kind of money dude making, his facial features and how appears to be in bed. Mostly if you ugly, a female won't even give you the time of day. Trust me, I've there my whole life. I even find the sex thing to be highly overrated. People take advantage of that situation. I've always considered that everything a woman gives a man has to be earned not just handed out. Sex is one of those things. If I ever did decide to have sex it would have to be someone who is special and worth it. Not just a random person that I like or someone to just satisfy me. Every part of a woman's body to me is like a treasure. You have to appreciate every aspect of it. Her heart is to be greatly appreciated and protected. It carries the most weight in everything. Her mind shows what intelligence and personality she has. If it does come to sex, let her know it's not just a pleasure situation. This is more so another moment where we can express the love we have between us. Point is, love has a value but not a price. You can't buy love nor can you force anybody to love or like you. You also can't do a little and expect a lot. I guess most guys feel as though that doesn't hold water because women let them in their lives so easily at times and take control. I'm pretty sure though if a woman is real and strong it will only be so much she could take. I'll be quiet for now and let all this sink in. Maybe you'll see what I mean. Maybe you won't. That's not the point of me saying all this. Its expression

I was reading a story one morning that said a 17 yr old high school junior was dropping out of school and decided to play professional basketball in Europe for a year. A move similar to one made last year by Milwaukee Bucks top selection in this year's NBA Draft, Brandon Jennings. The difference being, Jennings was a top rated senior and was originally slated to enroll at the University of Arizona. Instead of being in a classroom and the McKale Center practicing with his Arizona teammates, he was in Italy preparing to play his first season with Lottomatica Virtus Roma after signing a $1.65 million dollar contract. Jennings also signed another contract with Under Armour worth 2 million dollars thus becoming the first ever basketball player to be sponsored by the company. According to him, the experience is not what he thought it would be. "I've gotten paid on time once this year," Jennings said in an e-mail message. "They treat me like I'm a little kid. They don't see me as a man. If you get on a good team, you might not play a lot. Some nights you'll play a lot; some nights you won't play at all. That's just how it is." Every year a list is compiled of the so called top prospects in football and basketball of the respective year's senior class. World known sports recruiting news websites, such as Rivals and Scout, all create their top 250 prospects around the United States. Jennings was the overall top prospect of a class that also featured Tyreke Evans (Memphis), B.J Mullens (Ohio State) and Demar DeRozan (USC). Majority of the recruits who are in the top 15 have followed a trend of becoming labeled as one and done players. This means that they enroll in college for one year to meet the NBA requirements and enter their name in the NBA draft pool. Each freshman is almost guaranteed to be between a 1-24 slot in the first round during draft, leaving the second round to mostly foreign players and players who chose to stay in school to either their junior or senior year. Jennings was the 10th overall selection this year. Meanwhile, Dorezan was the ninth, Evans the fourth and Mullens 24th.Overall out of the 30 selections made in the first round, 18 were underclassmen. The top selection, made by the LA Clippers, was a sophomore named Blake Griffin. Usually the chances aren't good for second round players to even make an NBA roster. Unlike first round picks, they aren't provided a guaranteed contract. Those players have to again deal with the hectic process of working, enduring struggle, long nights working on their shooting and so on. As a fan of all sports things like that bother me. Why doesn't the NBA apply the same rules as NFL? All athletes should be treated fairly the same, but it hasn't been that way. Never will. The NFL requires a player to have spent 3 years in school before entering their draft. Often times a player who left school after their junior/redshirt sophomore year and entered the NFL draft, will be considered a top 20 prospect. A good percent of the time they are selected as high as number one. However, seniors like Jake Long, who was drafted 1 overall by Miami in 2008, gain heavy attention as well. In the NBA that is hardly the case. It starts with the yearly recruiting process. Coaches put all this attention on bringing in the latest "great players" and atomically promise them playing time. Guys who are currently on a college basketball roster aren't seen as having much talent and potential so people ignore them especially the NBA. They are overshadowed by the new big time recruit mainly because the media has a bias and their coach has allowed it to happen. Recruiting has been hyped up so much that all you hear is the same names over and over along with seeing prospects turning their college decision into a wait & see show. Then when they do decide it comes along with a major press conference. Take John Wall for example. He was a major name in the 2009 class. In fact the top name. Where most prospects signed with a university and got their decision out of the way, Wall waited until the very last day for signing period to decide on University of Kentucky. Many coaches prefer prospects to make a decision ahead of time so they can move on and get the next available guy of interest (if things don't pan out with the first). Kentucky coach, John Callipri, spent his time getting rid of players currently on the UK roster. True, he was a new coach inheriting a team full of players that weren't recruited by him but does that mean get rid of ALL of them before seeing what they can provide? To bring in a bunch of freshman, who do have talent, yet they aren't proven nor have shown they could transfer their game to the college level. How do the high schools allow it if they don't provide the same treatment for players who aren't receiving as much attention, but still has offers and wants to announce his decision to the world? Also why does anybody need a press conference to announce a college decision? I take this as high school's just want enjoy spotlight. Figuring this is a way to put their school's name in the papers and media. "We produce great talent". The recruitment process of athletes and players leaving after one or two years has taken away from the basketball game. If the NFL had the same rules I'm sure players would be leaving after their true freshman and sophomore yrs as well. Athletes don't seem to take education serious instead its all about the money. Now true enough, Lebron, Kobe, Garnett, D. Howard and Amare Stoudemire didn't step foot in a college classroom but still went on to become big name stars. Guys like Carmelo, Rose, Durant, and so went to college one year, they became big stars as well. For those reasons, I can see why the decision is so easy to leave college early. However, what about those players who want to do both play sports and get an education so they have something to fall back on just in case things don't work? Tyler Hansbourgh, Terrence Williams, and guys such as them should be seen as role models too. Simply because they stayed all four yrs in college and got a degree. Tyler and Terrence could've been high draft picks in 2008 but stayed in school and were still high draft picks in 2009. I'm quite proud of that. How I used to see it was that the NBA is rewarding players who they know wouldn't make it in college and other circumstances not even out the "hood" without being able to play a sport. Look at Eric Bledsoe who just signed with Kentucky. I know for a fact that his grades are nowhere near up to par in order for him to enroll in a division I school. In fact, that was the story surrounding him for the longest time and didn't anybody appear to realize that the story disappeared. It went from him being in danger of having to enroll in a community college to Parker High Coach Maurice Ford saying all he needed was a B in math. Bledsoe went from a bad situation at Hayes High School where he starred in football and basketball to a worst situation at Parker. Ford by no means cares about grades. I'm a unfortunate from Parker and saw this personally. Look at his graduation rate as it relates to sending players to college. All of them had potential, just not the grades therefore nobody talked about the players. You could make a case for current Detroit Piston, Walter Sharpe, but even he had grade struggles. In fact, he was kicked out of Mississipi State. He came back to Birmingham and enrolled at UAB before leaving early. Even though his numbers didn't stand out, surprisingly he was drafted. I'm sure this is a case at a lot of schools. That is why good players end up at Division II or Division III schools. These are the players who are really determined to make it and have the biggest struggle. However, you never hear of them getting drafted or even getting a call from an NBA team. Yet in the NFL you do. On the other hand, NFL has room for more opportunity and depth while the NBA only has room for 12-14 on an average roster. So truthfully how does the process work? One cannot say that they are rewarding players who wouldn't make in college because when you think about it, anybody can make it if their mind is put to it. If the person couldn't make it to college then how did they manage to maintain the proper GPA and requirements in order to be deemed eligible? For this reason, I feel as though it's a lot of cover-ups and lies being told. I personally think the real process goes as follows, players are either really smart or don't take education as serious. The really smart ones receive offers and atomically know they will be in the NBA at some point. They have the potential to stay all four years but yet there are a whole lot of people in their ear during freshman year. Family members and friends saying take the money. College coach saying at least enter your name in the draft while secretly hoping the player will stay at least another year or two but at the same time it all depends on how the program's potential to win because recruits are often drawn to winning a championship. Media teasing up how talented you are and the best player on your team while ESPN putting over how you are in the standing of a top draft pick. The players who didn't have the grades have to deal with a lot of grade fixing and repeated ACT taking. When they are finally in "good standing" and enroll at a university. Coaches often encourage tutoring, sometimes for people to take tests for players, more grade fixing and etc. For instance, take the University of Alabama State football program that was put on probation. This case involved a lack of institutional control; a failure to monitor by the former head coach; and violations in several areas, including academic fraud, recruiting, extra benefits, as well as ineligible participation and financial aid. Penalties for the violations, including those self-imposed by the university, include five years of probation; a ban on postseason football competition in 2009; a reduction in recruiting activities; athletic scholarship reductions; vacation of records; a compliance program review; and a two-year show-cause order for the former head coach. Coaches in basketball and football alike risk this type of thing all the time with recruits. Recruits want to earn money so bad that rules are bent. Players are often discouraged from enrolling in smaller programs and D2/D3 because they believe bigger programs are the only way to gain success. This is the biggest factor in all college athletes life. Instead of going somewhere just to play and get an education, they enroll places just to be in the spotlight not for the education. The players who are enrolled at big time programs for both a degree and playing ball aren't always considered a lock for being drafted. It is so interesting how an underclassmen who didn't receive a degree can make 40 million and a senior who gets drafted in most likely the second round, will receive at most 1 or 2 million if he makes the roster. The NFL is similar but at same time it offers fair opportunity and goes more of need rather big names. In their draft, more seniors are drafted in early rounds, and underclassmen aren't always guarenteed to be a draft pick. Point is, I never see things in sports ever changing because its always going to be the same. Money will win over education. The sad thing is, majority of these players share the same skin color and thus making the stereotype seem more true. True, I know families need money and other people have valid reasons for wanting the money. However, with majority of those athletes never going to back for their degree at some point then does that mean education is truly not important? Also when that bone breaks and the doctor says, its over for your career but most of the money is gone what is your plan? Thats the question