One man's freedom ...

... is only freedom when it's my freedom. Or, you know, something like that.

And so we have armed mobs behaving like 3-year-olds, demanding to go where they want, when they want, however they want in the midst of a public health crisis. Because, freedom.

We have a western-states governor threatening the Native Americans of that state because they've taken independent measures to protect themselves. Because freedom.

And we have college basketball coaches who leave at the drop of a hat for better offers complaining about their players doing the same.

Because freedom. For the coaches, that is.

Look. I have met Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter a time or two. I like the guy. He's a good man and a terrific coach who does things the right way. But sometimes -- and I mean this in the most respectful way possible -- he just needs to shut the hell up.

For his own good, understand.

Maybe you heard about his rant on an Indianapolis radio show the other day, in the wake of Nojel Eastern opting to enter the transfer portal enroute to Michigan. This happened in the wake of 7-3 center Matt Haarms going to BYU as a graduate transfer. Painter isn't pleased about either development.

"You might have gotten a degree from Purdue, but you're not a Boilermaker if you walk out the door at the end ..." he carped to Dan Dakich.

And also: "Embrace problems and embrace adversity and fight it. Don't run from it."

And also: "They're looking at it in the perspective of an individual standpoint when in reality how about coming back and helping Purdue win the Big Ten?"

The Blob takes this last to mean Painter has already forgotten about the Boilers' Big Ten title from a year ago, which Haarms and Eastern helped them win. Which means perhaps we need to have a conversation about Coach's short-term memory.

I'm being facetious, of course. But this is not a good look for Painter.

In truth it makes him look small and petty and -- let's face it -- whiny. It also makes him look willfully oblivious, because everything he's saying about players exercising their freedom to explore other options also could be said about coaches who do the same thing.

"Don't run" from problems and adversity? Isn't that what Coach does when he breaks his contract with Limited Resources U. to go to Really Big U.?

"Looking at it in the perspective of an individual standpoint?" Again, isn't that what Coach does as he moves up the ladder?

And, oh, by the way ... Matt Haarms has a degree from Purdue. That makes him the very definition of a Boilermaker.

That he's moving on to another school to do his grad work makes him no different from, oh, I don't know, hundreds upon hundreds of other college students. You can walk into businessmen's or lawyers' or doctors' offices all over the country and see diplomas from two different schools hanging on the wall.

And yet I doubt anyone who got his or her bachelor's from Purdue and his or her masters from somewhere else ever gets accused of not being a Boilermaker. So why should Haarms?

Because he's a basketball player who thinks playing a season at BYU might enhance his NBA draft status?

Probably it won't. But, just like coaches, he's earned the freedom to find out without having his loyalty and character questioned. Same with Eastern. 'Nuff said.

Or at least, 'nuff should be said.