For years, John Calipari has been preaching that good word. He's been standing on his soapbox, thundering down his rhetorical bolts of lightning as he towered over the Big Tent Revival of College Basketball, and telling anyone who would listen about the gospel of "Player's First." With "player's first", Cal favored both payments to players for use of their image and likeness, and publicly supported instant transfers. As Cal put it, if a coach can leave immediately, why can't a player? If a coach can make money off his image and likeness, why can't a player?
But what would happen if the NCAA, that longstanding sinner of all sinners, finally took that step to the altar and said, "yes" to Cal's message? Well, it's happened. That old vile sinner, the NCAA, is now a believer, and the good reverend John Calipari suddenly doesn't know what other type of sermon to preach.
“The problem is the name, image and likeness should not be a part of it and it’s become a part of it,” Calipari said. “And if anybody is talking to me about name, image and likeness as part of the transfer, I’m not really interested.”
What's that, Reverend? You're telling us that you're "not really interested" in players who put their interests ahead of a program? Isn't that what you've been telling us you're all about for years? Isn't that precisely how you were able to land a second year commitment out of your National Player of the Year, with a handsome NIL deal?
To be sure, one of his former sermons went like this: “If you’re about the kids, you’re not making mistakes,” Calipari declared. “If you’re about the organization, the bureaucracy versus the kids, you’re wrong all the time. You are wrong every time...I coach for the names on the backs of the jerseys—not just the front. My players.” Fair enough, Reverend. We get it. The gospel consists of being about the kids and putting them ahead of the program. I like the sound of that. I'm sure you're consistent with that all the way around and that...wait...what's this...
Before the listener under the Big Tent starts to walk to the altar, the Good Reverend Calipari breaks out into a new sermon, one that seems to contradict his previous sermons: “You come here because of the culture,” Calipari said. “To be developed, the environment, the fans, trying to compete for national titles, having other really good players to play with. That’s why you come here. ‘Coach, how can you develop me? What can you add? What can you do?’ Not, ‘How much is the NIL?" Wait. What's that? It's suddenly about the program? I thought you just said it's about the player.
To this, the logical conclusion of Cal's initial message might be that players should care about the price tag on an NIL deal. Why wouldn't they? If it's "about these kids", and they're trying to "chase their dreams" and "end generational poverty" and all of that, why is it suddenly sinful for them to ask for the absolute value of what they're worth as a player? Wasn't that the basis of what you've preached all of these years, is that the players should put themselves first? Isn't that why Shaedon Sharpe sat out this year, because, as you told us twice, "he made the right decision for him?"
Indeed, the good reverend seems to need to work out some of his gospel message. He's finally converted the sinner, and now he doesn't seem to know what to preach anymore.
