I am publishing this story from my good friend Robert Corwin whom I’ve know for the past 30+ years covering girls basketball around the United States.  Bob was involved in a very distasteful situation in Atlanta last weekend. This was a short week after we spent dinner together also in suburban Atlanta after the 2012 Nike South Skills Clinic. Please know that I support Robert in his endeavor to have his story told. — Mike Flynn

When does might make right?

I have been involved in girls’ basketball for close to thirty years. I don’t believe in taunting officials and try to respect the game.  Yes, at times in scouting analysis of players I am critical but if possible I try to be constructive as well.

Sunday, May 6, 2012, marked a first for me at age 64.  I decided to attend the club basketball event run by Brandon Clay and his Peach State Hoops organization at the privately owned Suwanee Sports Academy north of Atlanta.  I had attended Mr. Clay’s (always well run) events there before and never had a problem.  As I was attending as a non-journalist having the prior day acted in that capacity at an Atlanta Dream exhibition game, I paid the $10 admission fee and found a game that I was interested in viewing.  I remained at the same court (#4) for the next game which tipped before 11am.

Sitting by myself at approximately 11:40am, Kiel Moore, who works for Mr. Clay (and along with Mr. Clay writes for ESPN’s HoopGurlz) appeared with another man who I did not know but assume also works in the Peach State Hoops organization, tells me calmly but sternly that I must leave the building.  Without asking me what I was doing there, Mr. Moore told me that I was there representing Kenny Kallina, scouting the event on his behalf and that was not going to be allowed.  I was not told that I was otherwise acting improperly.

Mr. Kallina, like Mr. Clay, runs a scouting service which competes to some extent with what Mr. Clay does.  Mr. Kallina’s service would be described as more regional centered out of Florida while Mr. Clay’s would be more national in scope.  Mr. Moore went on to attack Mr. Kallina’s ethics and character telling me that I would be welcome back if I was no longer associated with Mr. Kallina.  I protested the ejection but left peaceably more listening than arguing.  When asked, Mr. Moore did return my $10 admission.

From what I can piece together, it is the right of the renter to bar anyone they please from a privately owned facility in running a club basketball event except a coach from a NCAA institution in a certified viewable event.  Mr. Moore agreed that their organization could not similarly bar individuals for similar reasons from any of their Georgia High School sanctioned events as per GHSA rules.

In checking around, Dan Olson, who runs the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report (another national scouting service), told me that he is also not welcome at Peach State Hoops club events as per a text message from Brandon Clay himself.

A few points make these barring actions inappropriate in my opinion.

First, Mr. Clay and Mr. Moore regularly act as journalists who represent the ESPN brand via HoopGurlz (ESPN’s girls basketball web site) expecting to be treated with normal professional courtesies.  While at the event in that capacity, they are allowed to collect data at the same time which can be incorporated into their scouting service.  As such, they should be taking the high road as to others be they writers or scouts in the profession rather than getting down in the mud trying to stifle those who disagree with them, compete with them financially or who they just don’t like as people.

Second, girls’ basketball in the big picture of the American sports scene is not a high profile sport.  Parents of potential recruitable athletes are very disappointed when someone with a media/scouting background like me who can bring additional attention to their daughters as recruitable athletes is not allowed to watch due to petty jealousies.  Everyone talks about being in it for the young people but all too often all it is really about is money, control and perpetuation of power.

I wish to complement two rival powers that compete in the right way. Blue Star headed by Mike Flynn and the All-Star Girls Report headed by Michael T. White are clearly rivals but allow each other’s personnel into their events without charge and give them the event’s coaching packet gratis.

Also worth noting is that in Florida where girls’ club basketball recruiting is intense, rival club officials/coaches are regularly let in to watch an opposing club’s events even if they are not participating in the event themselves.

I would hope in the near future Mr. Clay and Mr. Moore will re-think their current policy and take the high road instead.