The two bank failures this weekend are going to make the stock market very jittery in the next few weeks. If you recall, it was bank failures that started the market crash in 2008/2009. As the facts come out on the two failures, I am sure that the push for higher profits by taking unnecessary risks in how the bank loaned or invested its funds will be the primary cause for the failure.
Banking is about managing the spread between how much you pay for deposits versus how much you earn on the money people have deposited with the bank. From this spread you need to cover your operating expenses and generate a profit.
Banking is like football. It is all about the basics. Those who are best at managing their spreads are winners just like football teams that are best at blocking and tackling.
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Michigan and MSU were major disappointments in the B1G Men’s Basketball Tournament. When two teams are relatively equal in talent, effort is what usually wins. In both UofM’s and MSU’s cases, the effort was sorely lacking. For Michigan it was especially disappointing since they needed a victory or two to have a chance for the NCAA tournament. Rutgers bullied Michigan for the last 35 minutes of the game and Michigan did not fight back. I stopped watching when Michigan failed to box out the shooter on a missed foul shot and the shooter went in untouched for a layup. It was a total breakdown in effort and focus on Michigan’s part.
Boxing out the shooter is basic basketball 101. Freshman high school basketball players (boys and girls) always identify who is responsible for boxing out the shooter for every foul shot.
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I am starting to believe men’s college basketball is on the verge of having a major disconnect between the expectations of the players versus the expectations of coaches and fans. The disconnect is as follows.
- The five-star recruits do not value the college experience in the way their coaches and fans expect. The five-star recruit’s focus is staying healthy while honing and showcasing their skills to impress the NBA scouts. Wins and loses are secondary in importance. This is totally contrary to the desire of the coaches and fans who expect the player to be around for four years and to bring championships to the university.
- College coaches that recruit the five-star players run the risk of always having to rebuild their team when one or two of their five-star recruits leave early for the NBA. This creates frustrations for the coaches and fans who expect players to stay for four years.
- Al McGuire the long-time iconic coach of Marquette, once said that the only good thing about a freshman is that they become a sophomore. McGuire believed it took time for a player to develop the skills and mental capacity to win a championship. He believed in developing and molding his players over the four years they attended Marquette. In today’s day and age of college basketball, players who are not getting the playing time they want, have no incentive to work harder to gain playing time. They know they can enter the transfer portal and move on to another team.
- On the opposite side of the equation, it must be very frustrating for a player who puts in his two years of developing his skills and mental toughness while sitting the bench, only to have the coach bring in a fifth-year senior through the transfer portal. This cannot help team unity or create loyalty to the team that the coaches and fans expect.
- By the time the players get to college, the players have played so many games in their lifetime that losing a game doesn’t matter to them. It was just another game. They don’t put the same value on wins and losses that the coaches and fans do.
This disconnect is only going to get worse until college basketball and the NBA figure out a better solution for five-star players.
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Quote of the Day: “Scottie is waiting and watching while these guys on 17 clean up their mess” Paul Azinger describing leader Scottie Schefler waiting on the 16 green as he watched Cam Davis and Tommy Fleetwood both hit their balls into the water and struggle to make a double bogey on the hole.
Orchid of the Day: Aaron Rai, for his hole in one on the 17th island hole at The Players Championship on Saturday
Onion of the Day: Aaron Rai, for his seven on the 17th island hole at The Players Championship on Sunday.
Question of the Day: Is this weather getting to you?
Image of the Day:
Aaron Rai’s hole-in-one on Saturday.