I Very Much Love The Food At McDonald's But The Selection Committee For The McDonald's All American Game Is A Crock Of Shit
I need to start here ... I very much love McDonald's. Great people, great food, especially the Steak Egg and Cheese Bagel they brought back ... I love that thing. Legit LOVE. This is directed at Director Terri Lynn Wooten and committee chair Joe Wootten who are making a moronic mistake in how they selected the rosters for The McDonald's All American Game.
For those of you who don't know ... The McDonald's All American Game is the premiere event for high school basketball recruits. The 24 best males and females from across the country get selected to play in nationally broadcasted games, college fans get their first looks at incoming stars, it's a massive event. Being selected to the McDonald's All American game is the first milestone in a star's basketball legacy. Everyone who's anyone has played in the game. Zion, Shavlik Randolph, Lebron, Khalid El-Amin, Jordan you name it. Even the merch is cool ... so cool I sought out a pair of shorts for YEARS before finally locking one down via Ebay.
So to say it would be a big deal to be selected is an understatement. Which brings me to this year's game.
Absolutely no issue on the girl's side. However … the boys side … massive problem.
If you'll notice, Montverde has 3 players selected from the same team, which normally everyone should be ecstatic for in a program. Getting 1 McDonald's All American is an achievement in a lifetime, let alone 3 on the same team. So normally, Montverde would be thrilled, the problem is Montverde is the #1 team in the country and has a MASSIVE gripe considering the ratings of their players.
Here's the ESPN ratings for the Class of 2024:
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Montverde has 5 players in the Top 25. 247 Sports and Rivals have virtually the same numbers. If you were making a case for the list of 24 best players in the country you could very much make a case all 5 players from Montverde should be on it, you can also without a shadow of a doubt say that at the bare minimum Asa Newell should be on the list considering he's 12th on ESPN, 16th on Rivals, and 13th on 247. He was also selected to an even more selective … Nike Hoops summit.
Now you may be asking why on earth would a game aimed at putting together a roster of the best players and not have a kid in the top 16 universally. Well the answer is that like anything, the committee is a corrupt sham. There's a longstanding bylaw that they won't select more than 3 players from the same team, which is a direct shot at a team like Montverde who is a super team. Kids go there from out of state to play for a legendary coach like Kevin Boyle, as well as his esteemed staff of his son Kevin Boyle Jr and Matt Cohen, and get exposure on TV and in top tier events across the country. Montverde plays games all over the country in front of a ton of scouts and college coaches. Kids bet on themselves to go there and increase their chances for a scholarship and a future professionally.
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Things get even crazier that the committee and voters ADMITTED that they voted in Asa Newell and Robert Wright INTO THE DAMN GAME and won't let them play in it because of ANCIENT policies … what the fuck is that about? The kids were voted in and can't play?!?!??!?? What the fuck are we talking about?
The full rule is below.
Zags Blog - “It’s probably one of the few times a team has 4-5 players that are talented enough to be considered to play in the McDonald’s Game,” USA Basketball youth coach Don Showalter told ZAGSBLOG.
But at least two of these players — and maybe three — are likely to get left out.
According to the official McDonald’s Game selection criteria: “There is a historical maximum of two (2) players chosen from a high school or organization with a rare third (3rd) player exception. The third (3rd) player exception is determined at the sole discretion of the selection committee.”
It's even crazier that they had to make an exception to allow the 3rd player in the game. Is this or is this not a game featuring the best players in the country? At this point, why even have the game. This is a complete joke, and a shame to the kids left off the roster because of a technicality. I hate this in every element, and I'm amazed that a game like this of this magnitude can still be so thick headed in there decisions. Absolute shame, and I feel for kids like Asa and Robert who don't get to play.