No AJ!

sadlerdawg wrote:

Buc, you won't get any argument from me that big business and $$$$$ has ruined practically every professional sport. However, just can't agree with opening the whole can of worms on paying college athletes. Where would it end? If that happened, you would have people start making the case to pay high school athletes, then Jr high, and then what? Compensation for the best 8 year old in the Pop Warner league? Just can't see it.

sadlerdawg points taken. Also as wlayton said, being a traditionalist has to fit in somewhere. This subject of athletes being compensated at lower levels probably will not go away and seems to be inching slowly to the side that most don't want to see. Again quoting wlayton when he mentions the "greed factor". Many at this point will say, that is to be expected from Lane Kiffin, not much love for him, especially in the South. Beginning to have the same feelings about Ole Miss and the direction they took to get Masoli. As kentdaddy said basically, it was within the rules, and he is 100% correct. NCAA took it on the chin with that ruling. The majority of the talking heads were saying no way Masoli plays this year. Guess they were wrong, again.

Somewhere recently think that I saw where Lane Kiffin had offered or was paying a lot of attention to a youngster in California that has yet to take a snap in high school. Sometimes in football, teams and coaches tend to mock what someone else is doing. Appears that the same road is being taken in basketball, maybe to a larger level.

The game of "American Football" is being approached and attacked by a lot of different people and corporations that are not traditionalist or football purist to put it simply. We would all like to keep the game clean . . . . just pointing out some of the issues that are real and will probably continue to progress. Don't really see it going away, hope that I am in the minority, and at this point can't really say that it is fun to watch.

I am for anything that improves the game and keeps it clean. Seems more and more the folks that deal with athletes have a way of penetrating the shield that is supposed to keep this kind of thing from happening.

One other point. Hated it when the decision was made to close off the railroad tracks. Another way of building capital, just took something away from the place that was really special to me.

I definitely feel what you're getting at, Buc. People will try to find ways to skirt the rules any chance they can, especially if $$$ is involved. But paying college players would only continue to make the problem worse, IMO. So let's say we pay them, and the powers that be decide on say, $2000 a month, for argument's sake. It wouldn't be a month before some jerk decided he wanted $3000 a month, plus a car, then the next guy would want insurance for his car, then when one got arrested for DWI, he would want a chauffeur for his car. It just never ends.
IMHO, the only solution is a zero tolerance policy. Explain to these kids that they are getting a free education, plus a few of them will make millions of dollars to play a game, while other kids their same age without that talent are toting rifles across the Afghan desert. If you can accept that and play, great, if not, and you are caught taking $$ or meeting with agents, bye-bye. I know some will disagree with that philosophy, but many people would love to go to college, but don't have the means, so if the "talented" ones don't understand that they are lucky, oh well.

sadlerdawg wrote:

I definitely feel what you're getting at, Buc. People will try to find ways to skirt the rules any chance they can, especially if $$$ is involved. But paying college players would only continue to make the problem worse, IMO. So let's say we pay them, and the powers that be decide on say, $2000 a month, for argument's sake. It wouldn't be a month before some jerk decided he wanted $3000 a month, plus a car, then the next guy would want insurance for his car, then when one got arrested for DWI, he would want a chauffeur for his car. It just never ends.
IMHO, the only solution is a zero tolerance policy. Explain to these kids that they are getting a free education, plus a few of them will make millions of dollars to play a game, while other kids their same age without that talent are toting rifles across the Afghan desert. If you can accept that and play, great, if not, and you are caught taking $$ or meeting with agents, bye-bye. I know some will disagree with that philosophy, but many people would love to go to college, but don't have the means, so if the "talented" ones don't understand that they are lucky, oh well.

Well said my friend.

sadlerdawg, excellent points all. Just for the point of continuing the conversation allow me to ask this question. What can be done to stop this mess? I understand kicking folks off for dealing with agents and the supporters of agents.

I admired Coach Saban for standing tall in the bully pulpit and stating very clearly what he thought could and should be done. Not sure that I heard a lot of other Division One coaches joining in when they had the chance.

One example of this problem is Reggie Bush. Strange how he was driving around in a nice automobile, living in a very stylish home. How did that get past USC and especially the coaches. Coach ducked the big hit and high tailed it to the pros. Knows nothing.

New Athletic Director was asked what he thought of the situation and his response was . . . think that the Heisman Trophy shold be returned to the foundation. I admire Haden on that statement. It will be interesting to see how that attitude plays out at USC and with Lane Kiffen's folks.

Appears from the outside looking in that the AJ problem is more serious or complicated than once thought. Anytime the lawyers get involved, there are for sure some issues.

Think that both of us want the same thing, just seems to be a matter that is growing and something needs to be done.

I have one suggestion. NCAA needs to get out of the way on certain issues. The head coach and coaching staff need to be allowed more "hands on" time with the athletes. Hard for a young promising player to look into the eyes of Richt, Grantham, Garner, Belin, Lakatos and the remaining coaches and keep a straight face. As has been said by many coaches . . . it is next to impossible to keep 85 athletes or more in check. Quality coaches can stop a lot of this, like the ones mentioned above. In my opinion that is the only way. While it might not totally remove the problem, think that it would be a giant step in the right direction. Bothers me when I watch UGA play and see AJ walking the sidelines. Who would have thought this player would have the NCAA looking over his shoulder.

Heard today the Heisman IS being stripped and returned to the Foundation.

Reggie Bush and Infamy go hand in hand. Guess that Heisman will be blank. Folks will always wonder why . . .