Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
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SALT LAKE CITY — Remember back when Jimmer Fredette was the star of the NCAA world. His senior year when no one cared about what he was going to do because he was just so good at what he was doing. He had his player of the year trophies, Sports Illustrated covers and then was asked to stop going to class.
Well, this illustrious group has a new member, Johnny Manziel. Heisman-winner Johnny "Football" Manziel.
There are some differences in the stories, Jimmer actually had the school come up to him to have him stop going to classes so the classes don't get interrupted. Manziel went to an on-campus English class and realized that no work could get done.
BYU basketball is pretty big, but Texas football is Texas football, and A&M is no different. So a Heisman winner might get some attention at all hours. Manziel talked about his experience with Brent Zwerneman of the San Antonio-Express News.
"I went one day — it was a small class of 20 or 25 — and it kind of turned into more of a big deal than I thought," Manziel said. "The (athletic department) did a good job of saying, 'Let us know if you need anything and we'll figure it all out,' but (by then) I had all online classes, so we didn't need that."
Manziel is now taking all of his classes online so he doesn't get mobbed and classes can go on uninterrupted. Looks like the price of fame is high.
Why we love sports
Mitchell Marcus is a high school boy with special needs who has served as the Coronado High School basketball team manager for four years. After four years of helping his team he got a chance to suit up for a game and play on Senior Night with his team against their rivals, Franklin High.
This would prove to be his first time to suit up with the team, probably the last. It would be his first and last home game. His first and last minutes. His first and last chance to play with a team that he just wanted to help out through four years.
Marcus' coach Peter Morales wanted to do more than just have him suit up, he wanted him to play and get one score.
In a Rudy-esque manner the team around him knew what they needed to do. They needed to win and win big. They were going to get up by enough points so they could put in Marcus and let him enjoy his time.
They did just that. With 1:25 left the team was up by 13. Both teams cleared their bench and Marcus got in the game. The team wanted him to score so they sent him down to cherry-pick and only play four on defense.
The crowd was chanting, "Mitchell! Mitchell!"
His team would force a miss and get the ball to Franklin, who also missed. This happened for a minute. Both teams exchanging misses, while Coronado was trying to get Marcus a shot.
Then they had a chance. Marcus was open under the basket and his team threw him the ball from half court, but Marcus couldn't handle it and it went out of bounds with :13 left on the clock. It looked like Marcus wouldn't get his shot.
Then, and this is why we all love sports, the rival player, Jon Mantanez took the inbound pass and tossed it to Marcus, instead of his team.
"I just told him, 'Shoot it, it's your time,' " Montanez said, here in the El-Paso Times. "I was just proud for him, that he actually got to play and get his first varsity basket."
Marcus missed three shots from under the basket as time wound down. Then with no time left he hit his last shot. His first and last shot.
The crowd exploded with cheers and tears. The crowd rushed the court and carried Marcus off the court.
There are better videos out there. The El-Paso Times has good ones, go search and cry you eyes out.
Battle for the worst free throw ever
There are now two monumentally bad free throws circulating. To be fair the game of basketball has only been around for 100 years or so, they might keep getting worse. Of course after these it will have to go backwards to be any worse.
The first happened in December and people were pretty sure no one would be able to top it.
It was by Appalachian State's Brian Okam. He is 7' tall and born in Nigeria. He hasn't taken a lot of free throws and isn't great at them and here is the proof. He gets the shot off and it goes all of six feet forward and maybe 20-feet high. It landed square in the worst shots of all-time category.
Now, there is a challenger to the crown.
This one comes from a Georgia College woman's game. A Division II matchup between the Bobcats and the Columbus State Lady Cougars.
The video isn't great, and there is no exact details on who shot the free throw. The shooter from Georgia College sets up her shot, but for some reason misses the follow through and the shot goes straight up in the air.
She knows it when she lets it go. She must have forgotten exactly what to do. The form is actually pretty good until she doesn't flick her wrist. It might have slipped a little, but whatever the reason it is bad, enjoy.
