I have no idea and I certainly wouldn't want to post this theory in the main part of the sports board. But I'm just wondering out loud here - is there any chance that politics could be playing its ugly card in the Oraby/Kazemi transfer situation?

I certainly hope not but you do have a Jewish head coach at Rice who was coaching Iranian, Egyptian and Lebanese basketball players last year. Could Oraby and Kazemi be receiving threats at home to seek out a new program? That might explain why Oraby is seeking an immediate hardship waiver. And it might also explain in part the cryptic post someone had about not blaming any players or coaches anymore.

Again I hope it hasn't come to this and we can still separate politics and sport. But obviously that line has been crossed time and time again in the past and will continue to be so in the future. I guess one way to disprove this theory would be to see where Oraby and Kazemi were considering in their transfers (the head coaches at those programs).

I have wondered for some time if something like this might rear its ugly head at some point. I have absolutely ZERO in the way of insider information on this, one way or the other. But I have wondered about the possibility.

(09-18-2012 02:50 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I have no idea and I certainly wouldn't want to post this theory in the main part of the sports board. But I'm just wondering out loud here - is there any chance that politics could be playing its ugly card in the Oraby/Kazemi transfer situation?

I certainly hope not but you do have a Jewish head coach at Rice who was coaching Iranian, Egyptian and Lebanese basketball players last year. Could Oraby and Kazemi be receiving threats at home to seek out a new program?

I also hope this scenario isn't the case. But if so, let's not dignify it by calling it "politics." It is barbarism -- and the world would be better off if people were not afraid to recognize the difference.