Media coverage cacophony drowns out Williams' class and maturity
By Jed Williams | February 13, 2001Lost somewhere amid the sounds of our sporting culture - the perfectly miserable mix of fan booing and player bellyaching that so harmoniously blend to produce the NBA All-Star experience, the heavy breathing of XFL fans (all nine of them), and the constant in-house gripes of Minnesota Vikings - was the unassuming timbre of Jason Williams' voice. Last week, while we all were reaching for earmuffs to dodge the latest Allen Iverson expletive or muzzle the newest Jesse Ventura invective, we missed a short sound byte worth not only our time but our attention. Somewhere in the depths of Cameron Indoor Stadium, after Duke's drubbing of Florida State, Williams, the Blue Devils sophomore floor general, made a statement. It went something like this: "I'm staying." Not for the duration of the 2000-2001 season, mind you, but until the New Jersey native walks the stage, diploma in left hand, ready-to-fling graduation cap in the other. Not for reasons solely related to advancing his already phat skills. Not with a bigger paycheck in mind. Naturally, an improved game and an enlarged bank account are inevitable for such an impressive combination of talent and maturity.
