This morning I’m waiting for a contractor to arrive and install some plantation shutters in our bedroom.  I also made arrangements for our dog to visit the vet this afternoon to examine a growth on her leg, and will then help prepare some deviled eggs. These are responsibilities that I’ve assumed in retirement, since my wife continues to go to work.  As I fill the time in between these duties, I continue to be fascinated watching the P.B.S. Vietnam War documentary by Ken Burns.  At the end of episode number eight my television immediately returned to ESPN that was covering the breaking news of the University of Louisville’s fall from grace.  It seemed like an abrupt jump in time from Kent State of 1970 to Louisville of 2017, as both campus situations could be considered tragic in scope.  Certainly, to most people, deaths resulting from an anti-war demonstration are far more relevant than basketball wars, but both have had their casualties.  Today it was a well-known college basketball coach that suffered.

“Baby needs a new pair of shoes!”  (See Post #218).   As a recent retiree, I sit here in the city often referred to as the “shoe capital of the world,”  I can’t help but comment on all the controversy surrounding Adidas.  Yes, Portland is better known for Nike shoes, but Adidas, UnderArmour, Columbia, Bogs, Keen, Mizuno, Sseko, Anta, Danner, and many others all have major area operations, in part to keep an eye on the industry leader.  Hopefully, Nike will not be tied to the scandal that has erupted in college basketball, taking its first casualty this morning, Head Basketball Coach Rick Pitino of the University of Louisville.  Other major university assistant basketball coaches have been charged, including those at Arizona, Auburn, Oklahoma State, and U.S.C., as well as an Adidas executive.  Charges include bribery, wire fraud, and money laundering.   We all know how competitive the shoe industry has become, and ties to popular athletes are the core of the business.  This starts with recruiting efforts and apparent under-the-table deals with coaches, families, schools, and A.A.U. teams.    The University of Louisville, for example, recently renewed its apparel deal with Adidas, a $160 million dollar 10-year arrangement that is the fourth largest in the history of college sports.  Only U.C.L.A.’s $280 million 15-year tie with UnderArmour, Ohio State’s $250 million dollar 15-year deal with Nike, and Texas’ 15-year partnership with Nike are reportedly bigger.  Pitino was not arrested, however, the University of Louisville board of directors in a preemptive measure suspended him without pay, along with A.D. Tom Jurich, after a string of controversial issues involving the highest-paid college basketball coach in America.

How far will this extend into college basketball?  I will get more into that in my Old Sport Shorts features, as part of this blog.  I am a huge college basketball fan, who watched the basketball program at Indiana University disintegrate after alleged recruiting violations nearly 10 years ago.  The program essentially has never recovered, with teams like Louisville, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio State, U.C.L.A., and Michigan State getting all the top Midwest recruits.  Maybe this will settle the score in future recruiting wars.  However, in jumping back 47 years in time, I couldn’t help but wonder who manufactured all the combat boots for the Vietnam War, and how did they secure those contracts?  The U.S. Rubber Company was definitely a beneficiary of war, and political thinking of the era was that “Democrats start wars to bolster the economy.”  Democratic President Woodrow Wilson started WWI, Democrat F.D.R. WWII, Democrat Harry Truman invaded South Korea, while Kennedy and Johnson, both Democrats, get credit for Vietnam.  Republican, Richard Nixon, was elected to end the war, but many more boots would step foot in jungles of South Vietnam and even Cambodia before it would mercifully end.

As Neil Young’s timely lyrics spread across radio stations in 1970, “Four Dead in Ohio,” became the new battle cry.  April of 1969 was the high point of military action in Vietnam.  There were 543,482 U.S. soldiers in the country and many more serving other roles throughout the world.  40,794 had died and 70 billion dollars had already been spent.  Women’s Rights, Racial Equality, Civil Justice, Anti-War, and Environmental issues were the focus of riots, demonstrations, moratoriums, and rallies that divided Americans at home.  POWs and MIAs were suddenly in the spotlight, after years of secrecy.  I somehow remained out-of-touch with what was going on around me.  I missed out on Woodstock, went to college, and got wrapped up in joining a fraternity.  A high draft number and  student deferment selfishly isolated me from danger, and I guess I just didn’t want to know.  I was having too much fun, and had no interest in taking part in student demonstrations that I assume were being organized by the older students.  I don’t think I even watched any television that first year on campus., and can’t recall any discussions about the war.  Important historical events passed me by like Ho Chi Minh’s death just after my 18th birthday, Hamburger Hill, Black Panthers, and Weathermen were embarrassingly not on my radar.  I doubt I even paid attention as 115,000 soldiers began to come home at the same time we entered Cambodia.  I regret my lack of empathy, but you had to know what was going on to have felt that!  I feel it now!

I have two more Vietnam War episodes to go, as my eyes are finally opening, after keeping them shut for so many years.  Younger friends studied the war in history classes, while I should have lived it.  However, there was so much secrecy and misinformation, followed by years of sweeping it under the rug.  I wonder how many recent retirees feel a similar detachment from Vietnam?  I never even had to think about going to Canada, or knew anyone that did.  I’ve never had to wear combat boots, but I can sure relate to the basketball wars!