Recent Comments
I like this idea a lot, but I think the school and the player should have the opportunity to opt into an agreement about scholarships/brand control every year. So when someone comes in as a heralded recruit, then gets redshirted, they're getting their free year of education. Then, when they hit the big time later, they can monetize their brand. The school will make money in that case anyway.
I don't have a problem with boosters signing up to buy a $100,000 autograph from a kid. Few boosters will do it, and they should be able to spend their money however they want. Some schools will pay a lot of money to get the best recruits. Hell, the Yankees spend a ridiculous amount of money compared to the rest of baseball but they still don't win. Sure, the highest-priced team will have a talent advantage, but that doesn't guarantee they're going to be able to buy championships.
Kicker guy transferring because Journell, et al, are already entrenched in kicking duties. Riley is leaving football for medical reasons, I'm guessing due to his recent shoulder surgery, if I remember correctly.
My opinion begins on the foundation of the statistic that 78% of NFL players are bankrupt two years after leaving the league. If NFL players who are considered to be adults and have resources available to them don't know how to manage money what makes us think that a teenager can? A lot of of that statistic comes from the fact that these adults aren't used to having money and have no idea how to manage it.
Secondly, unless the NCAA separates Div 1 into a restricted group of schools (like has been mentioned recently) that make a certain amount of money (the irony if this were to happen would be palpable.), mid tier schools would not be able to afford paying a kid directly and all mid tier schools would be on the short end of recruiting because they don't get on tv at all. For example, VT pre Mike Vick would be at an incredible recruiting disadvantage to a team like Miami because VT was never on tv and Miami always was. As such, very few superstars would come to the non-exposure team when they know they can get paid a lot more via exposure at a bigger name school.
My solution would begin with making ALL scholarships guaranteed 4 year scholarships that includes tuition, computer, books, tutoring, room, and food so that a kid's education isn't a victim of an injury, lack of performance or change of interest. I also think that the cost of these scholarships should be paid by the NCAA if the recipient of the scholarship is not actively playing their scholarship sport. This keeps the idea of an education on the table for these kids and schools themselves won't be left on the hook for an injury laden season. If the idea of paying these kids happens, I think all money earned/generated/paid to the student athlete should be put in a trust that vests to 100% upon completion of degree. For each year of school that the athlete completes they vest another 25% so even if they drop out after their sophomore year or something, they still get something...just not as much as they would if they stay to get their degree. This would give some incentive to the kid to finish his education or if he's that good, he can bypass the money for what he makes in the NFL.
Priority 1 should be getting all these kids educated so that whether or not they live out their dream of the NFL, they can provide for themselves afterwards. It's easy for us to say that things will be better for these kids if we pay them but reality is in the bankruptcy statistic. JUST paying them without educating them does not help them at all.
To you and HightyTighty above this comment, you got tickets for $30. Meanwhile, anybody else who isn't a student had to pay $90 if they wanted a lower level seat, $60 if they wanted an upper level one. There are no bad seats in the Georgia Dome. While I agree that there should be some student seats in the lower section, don't complain when you got the cheapest tickets out of anybody. Also, keep in mind that the student season ticket site could have been updated once they decided they would offer season tickets to Freshmen.
I'm sick of this guy. I was sympathetic to his 'plight' as a famous college kid but now I'm fully converted to thinking he's a spoiled brat.
I probably wouldn't do it any better, but I haven't seen anyone in the rest of the NCAA do it worse. Look at AJ McCarron. Tajh Boyd. Some guys represent themselves well. And some are the QB at aTm.
A stipend would put some extra money in the pockets of the players, but it skirts around their actual market value. Why should a backup get as much cash as a starter? Would a scholarship player get as much as someone paying their way through school?
Yes. Agreed 100% - stipends are even across the board, and keep boosters out of it. I am all for easing the financial burden on athletes, just not by involving rich boosters/alumni.
🎸OG LEG KING 🎸
|
12 years 11 months
# | COMPLETE 2013 Virginia Tech Football - Intro + Teaser + Trailer Outstanding stuff, guys. I had noticed some common themes but thought it was probably just your style coming through. Now I see that there is a whole story to be told. Clever and well executed. This is a perfect way to start the week. Thanks!
Were there any reasons given for either? Best of luck to them both.
Agreed. Unrestricted capitalism would kill schools like Virginia Tech. Every great player would opt for schools that pay. And frankly our boosters cannot compete with those that can pay big money.
I agree that they are getting a raw deal. I agree that they should be paid more but I strongly disagree that it should be unrestricted.
The non-professionalism is the majesty of college football which makes it superior to any other sport in my opinion. I love my professional teams but I LOVE Virginia Tech because of who we are and where we came from. And when kids start choosing a school based on their potential pay out and not the school, then every tradition that Virginia Tech built up, and every other program's, is over.
Touching the Hokie Stone? Metallica entrance? Lunch Pail Defense? Key Play? who cares?? All I care about is when I get paid, and by the way the only reason I am here is because EVERY school who pays more than you do didn't accept me. I'll act like I know about the University of Virginia Tech, but you better recognize why I am here.
The only thing that I see working is a type of ROI. You as a player have a value. The basic value is a scholarship. If you as a player become a regular starter and help us win then you as a player will be rewarded with a bonus on that scholarship. how to figure out how much though?
Merchandising is tricky. Should you receive return on jerseys and the like. Maybe, but only very minor money. Should you be allowed to sell every autograph under the sun and sell them? No. Your name is tied to the university you attend and for better or worse the NCAA. Unless all parties agree then you have no rights to sell on your own. However, this does not apply the to the university and NCAA, because remember you choose to attend the university.
If I get upper deck tickets I'm gonna be pissed. The last time I was in the dome for a college game was for the Bama UGA SEC (National) Championship and all the students were in their respective endzones in the lower deck. If we get put in the upper deck the atmosphere would not compare to what it could be and what the kickoff game wants to be
I'm in favor of the NCAA forking over some of it's profits to give monthly stipends to the student athletes.
This would at least help the kids in school and take some of the financial angst away from them.
I don't know of a way to rein in runaway boosters......except to make programs/schools accountable for their booster's actions, but that would give the schools an impossible task of trying to police their boosters.....tough situation.
Even better when they're all put together! Incredible work!
Another level of control is that the NCAA could still regulate recruiting. Once a player has signed his LOI, let things play out as they may. When he's being recruited, no contact with boosters, no money, etc. Otherwise what are we doing? It's just NFL Jr. The big teams would buy the best players (with no free agency to maybe level the field) and to me, that takes the fun out of college football. The primary objective in college recruiting should be (first and foremost) deciding where to get the best education and where you can play for some school pride, not who's going to line the pockets of a 17/18-year-old kid the best. During much of the recruiting process, in most cases, the players are (legally) children, and there should be some effort to protect their interests.
I'm on the fence about what should be done in cases like this. It is true that players are being used by other entities for major profit, but I find it hard to come up with a fair resolution that is not a terrible slippery slope.
But the issue is that he isn't actually getting 10k for an autograph... He's getting 10k to sign with that school, and the autograph is the loophole through which he gets it. If T. Boone Pickens came out and said "I love 5 star recruits so much, I will personally buy an autograph from each one that comes to OkSt for $100,000" you have boosters buying recruits...
It's tough because recruiting is already so sleazy sometimes. If you give people an inch they're definitely going to take a mile and get every advantage they can out of it. I like the idea in theory though, you just need to smooth out some corners...
When critiquing my own idea during the writing process, this was the first counter-argument I came up with. In the end, the only thing I was unsatisfied with was there was no guarantee in writing to an unsigned recruit that the booster would have to deliver on their cash promise once the player signed.
I think all the big-time programs have access to deep pockets, so it wouldn't be just a select few with this advantage. The ones that don't, don't. The NCAA shouldn't try to sculpt a level playing field so Kent State can compete with Ohio State.
Ultimately, if a player can fetch $10,000 for an autograph, then that's its worth on the free market and I'm OK with that.
There was a story going around twitter last night that the Bama-aTm game had been taken off the board at the Las Vegas Hilton, but when I looked this morning I don't see any point spreads listed for any college games from the major Vegas casinos yet. That could have been an indication that somebody knew a suspension was coming, but its probably too early to tell.
Lets just start paying the players already so we don't have to worry about this stupid stuff in the future.
Terrible idea. The schools with huge fan bases like Alabama, the Texas (and A&M) USC, Michigan, Ohio State, etc would have boosters lining up around the block to "legitimately" pay players to attend their school.
"Mr. Knight loves autographs of Oregon players, he told me that if you come play for the Ducks he will pay $10,000 for your autograph and # on a Ducks practice t-shirt"
if I get shafted from the lower level I'm going to be pissed. I guess I'm just going to have to pick up my ticket pretty early. On the bright side, if seating is first come at least I can still sit with all my buddies that didn't get tickets as soon as they went up. Either way, #BEATBAMA
For best results use headphones with the volume jacked all the way up! Adrenaline Rush Anyone?
"Fozzy whizzles & puddin pops" is the first caption that came to my mind
I haven't seen a quarterback escape pressure and find an open guy downfield like he does since Vick. The game is evolving to the spread, with a lot of pistol. Mobile QB's like Russell Wilson and RG3 were able to make such an impact at such a young age because of that transition.
Manziel is a rare specimen in the mold of Vick, Roethlisberger, or Romo in that he just knows what's happening around him due to some kind of sixth sense that I don't understand.
I think he'll be pretty solid in the NFL at QB if he doesn't go batshit with all the media scrutiny.
Or as a slot receiver for the Patriots.
Neither does drew brees. Russell Wilson is 6' on a good day and look at what he did. Slowly that is changing. Don't need to be 6'4 and big anymore. The game is evolving at a rapid rate and Mobile qbs are part of it. Not saying johnny is gonna be an all pro but his measurable a won't be why he's not
Only 20k in debt? Hell ill take that lol!
But interesting idea to say the least.
Looks like a lot of work put in, and it showed. Great job guys!