Starting Five 

1. The Merry-Go-Round Continues

The University of North Carolina and  fraud is old news. Investigations have been conducted, people interviewed.

Yet, Rashad McCants has decided to now come forward with his experiences at UNC. Why wait this long, if the story has been the same?

I don’t know what irks me more, the fact that collegiate sports has excluded themselves from the college itself or that McCants finds this to be everyone else’s fault, not his own. The former of the two can be discussed another day; it is the latter subject that I wish to bring to your attention.

When speaking to ESPN’s Outside the Lines, McCant blamed the ‘system’ that UNC was operating. In fact, when talking with OTL, McCants sent an odd message to UNC, being “Stand up. It’s time for everybody to really just be accountable.” Ah, accountability…

Rashad – to my knowledge – was not forced into any courses, specifically any African-American studies courses. My point is, don’t make the illusion that you’re the victim here, McCants. Are you not happy with your education? Because if that is the case, you were poorly educated because you were lazy. Tutors and advisers may have done homework and/or wrote papers for you, but – and this is always the case – the educatee is always in control.

It’s your mind — starting using it.

 2. Unpredictable Baseball

It’s June 7, and we are roughly a third of the way through the baseball season. Because baseball does weird baseball things, here is an interesting development that  has unfolded through the first few months of the season:

The Boston Red Sox – the defending World Series champions – are currently 27-33, a full ten games out of first in the AL East. Looking back at last year, the Red Sox finished the season with a record of 97-65, tied for the best record in baseball. Who is the team that finished with the same record, you may ask? Well, that is where it starts getting interesting.

The St. Louis Cardinals – 2013 World Series runner-ups – also finished last year with a record of 97-65, giving them and Boston the two best records in baseball. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are currently at par, with a record of 31-31.

There is more to this than the fact that the two reigning World Series teams are struggling. Let’s flip last year’s regular season standings around to see what is so intriguing.

As mentioned, the Cardinals and Red Sox finished last year with the two best records. Examining the bottom, however, tells you that the Houston Astros (51-111) and the Miami Marlins (62-100) finished the season with the two worst records. How are they doing today?

The Astros are currently 27-35 (not great, but a lot better than year’s past) and the Marlins are 32-29 — one game out of first in the NL East. If we add those two records together, we get an accumulated record of 59-64. If you add St. Louis’ and Boston’s current records, you’d get an aggregate of 58-64, a full game worse than last year’s bottom feeders.

You may not like baseball, but at least respect its parity.

3. Dining with a Billionaire

 

In most cases, I’d find paying over $2 million to eat with someone an abnormal obsession. However, if that money goes to charity…we can’t object.

Really, I imagine the winner going to Omaha and dining out with Buffett at a local Cinnabon.

But, honestly, let me be honest: If Buffett roams the web reading something other than financial statements, and somehow starts reading the famous MH blog, I’m requesting a home-town discount for dinner, Mr. Buffett.

Let’s talk baseball…and business.

4. Uber-rated

This Silicon Valley-based app is starting to tip the scales. On Friday, it was released that the tech startup received $1.2 billion in outside funding from three major investment firms. Even though Uber is not a public-traded company – meaning we don’t have access to their financial statements – they say they are valued at $17 billion.

Not bad, Uber. Not bad at all. I’m far from quintessential when it comes to tech startups, considering the generation in which I was born into. A $17 billion valuation seems quite hefty, but it is a valuation worth more than anything I’ve ever created. I’ll shut up.

5. Prep for World Cup

If you are like me, I don’t follow soccer all that extensively. But, the World Cup (and soccer, really) is something I have become a bigger fan of with age. I won’t do you all a disservice and try to breakdown this year’s field, but I would be pleased with being your messenger.

With that said, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and Grantland have, and will continue to have, coverage of the World Cup – which starts next Friday, June 13.

Let the games (premature) begin!

Remote Patrol

Belmont Stakes 

NBC 6:52 p.m. (post time)

The last Triple Crown occurred in 1978 (Affirmed), over three decades ago. The morning line for California Chrome is 3/5, making him a heavy favorite for tonight’s Belmont Stakes.

Does Chrome avoid fatiguing in the end or does he wilt like many horses before him?

Rangers at Kings, Game 2 

NBC 7 p.m. 

Game 1 was a thriller. If the Kings take Game 2 and take a 2-0 series lead going into New York, this series could deteriorate fast.

For the sake of fatigue, why don’t they just play in Omaha?