Cry me a river for Rashad McCants.
“I realize that I can’t control things that other people do. I can’t control what anybody else says, I can’t control anything. I can only control what I do. With that said, I’m not worried about perceptions or expectations. I’m just here to complete a goal. I have a 9-to-5. It’s to get up and go to school, get here and lift weights and play basketball. That’s my 9-to-5. As my ‘uncle’ said, ‘I’m in jail right now.’ You’re not allowed to do certain things, you’re not allowed to say certain things. But once you get out of jail, you’re free. So I’m just in my sentence, and I’m doing my time.”
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear: with fame and privilege comes restriction. The more one achieves, the more they aren’t “allowed to say certain things”. Just ask Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, or any other public figure. If you choose to be in the public eye, you have to accept the scrutiny and structure that follow. Does McCants really think that this problem of his will end when his time at UNC is up?
Yes, Rashad, you have the privilege of representing the University of North Carolina and with that comes responsibility. Thousands of young boys grow up dreaming of having that privilege and would gladly accept the responsibility.
Nevermind the privilege of representing The University. Just think how all of the people who maintain jobs to work their way through college and all those who still have thousands of outstanding loans feel that a guy with a free ride feels so unjustly restricted.
It’s clear that McCants feels that UNC is an important step toward playing professional basketball. It’s appalling that he and his family aren’t thrilled at that opportunity. And no shallow puppet-like apology will mask the true level of Rashad McCants’ ingratitude.
