For years, Jim Tressel was an example of so many things you wanted out of college coach. He was humble, modest in victory, gracious in defeat, displayed character and integrity, and refused to give in to the pressures to change his style of coaching… Or so we thought.Day by day we learn more about a slew of cover ups to go with a laundry list of violations which appear to have been going on from years. Yes, Jim Tressel's fall from grace over the past several months has been a sad story for all of us to watch.
It's sad for two reasons:
Secondly, it's sad to see a great coach forced into resignation following violations of such minor significance. So small they should have never happened. Universities literally make millions of dollars off players like Terrelle Pryor, while the player gets very little in return.
Yes, he gets a free education and a shot at being drafted into the NFL where he can make millions. That is all fine and nice, but lets be realistic. The system benefits the university far more than the player, especially the players who won't make it to the NFL.
So a guy trades his autograph for a free tattoo or some movie tickets. Big whoop. Where did this idea come from, anyway, that college athletes shouldn't make money? It's been around forever, but does that make it right?
Times have changed dramatically since someone made this rule. Fifty years ago universities weren't making the tens of millions they are making off these players today. Before flat screens were in every house, bar and shopping mall, college football was enjoyed within a community, broadcasted on a few radio stations and was a score read once on the nightly news.
Now it's a multi-billion dollar industry, and the players receive literally pennies to the dollar for their role; perhaps pennies to the hundred dollar.
If college athletes were allowed endorsements or to exchange their names for some free swag, Tressel would still be coaching in Columbus this fall, and we'd be talking about what an honest guy he is and how he does things the right way.
Granted, this wasn't just one or two guys, it looks like half the team has been doing this for a while now. The real crime is Tressel's lack of accountability to a set of rules, outdated or not, the NCAA is very strict about.
Still, free tattoos and selling memorabilia to dealers? Really, this is the stuff we are spending are time, money and efforts to enforce?
Personally, I'd rather focus on players who cheat to pass classes, skip classes altogether, get caught drinking underage, are involved in domestic violence, drink and drive, do drugs, or sleep with under aged coeds.
Still, free tattoos and selling memorabilia to dealers? Really, this is the stuff we are spending are time, money and efforts to enforce?
Personally, I'd rather focus on players who cheat to pass classes, skip classes altogether, get caught drinking underage, are involved in domestic violence, drink and drive, do drugs, or sleep with under aged coeds.
It's like pulling over a drunk driver and giving him a warning for the drinking, but ticketing him for failing to signal in a turn lane.
The solution is simple; start paying these guys so they don't have to hide in dark corners after getting a free drink at the bar. I'm not advocating a massive paycheck, but for the guy who earns the university millions, lets get him enough money so he can enjoy his time in school.
Do this and the kid might stick around for an extra year of school. Living off scholarship money is nice, but not when you are driving your girlfriend around in your parents old '95 Pontiac.
Do this and the kid might stick around for an extra year of school. Living off scholarship money is nice, but not when you are driving your girlfriend around in your parents old '95 Pontiac.
Matt Leinart, Sam Bradford, Joakim Noah and Al Horford were star athletes who stayed in college for longer than they needed because they had parents with the money to give them cushy lifestyle in college. Most kids, however, don't have that luxury.
Lets devise a system to give the top end athletes a few extra bucks to enjoy college. They'll stick around longer, which benefits the University, the player and the fans. No one loses in this scenario.
Then again, having a playoff for college football makes complete sense as well, so lets not count on the NCAA doing the right thing on this one anytime soon.
One solution is to pay the players a minimum wage salary for all practice time. This gives kids some income, but keeps the games totally out of the money.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment about the kids with parents supporting them, and would go a step further. Many of these young men come from homes without a father, in which they themselves were earning money for the family. A free ride is nice, but when you have younger siblings at home with needs, an extra hundred here or there looks very good. I think the assumption that these kids are spending every dollar on shoes and booze is what makes it easy to dismiss as unnecessary. When looking at what truly goes on in many cases, one's opinion may change.
Thanks for the comment. I completely agree. Setting up a modest pay structure for these kids would help lower the number amount of kids seeking illegal benefits.
ReplyDeleteA "free ride" is a college's way of avoiding the topic of paying these kids. I like the idea of paying them minimum wage for practice time. Getting a job is nearly impossible for these kids with the schedules they have.
Interesting argument. How much of a stipend would Pryor have had to receive not to sell his memorabilia? My gut reaction is whatever your proposal, it wouldn't have changed the Pryor situation.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, Jim Tressel left not because his players had dealings with a tattoo parlor, but because Tressel knowingly did not act on knowledge that he had in order to allow his star quarterback play the entire year and in the Sugar Bowl. Had he stepped up at the beginning of the year and admitted what he knew, we would still be the coach at Ohio St.
I agree with you Troy on Tressel's reason for leaving. I was using this situation as a small example to prove the general rule. Not sure if any amount would have helped Pryor, he is just an idiot.
ReplyDeleteI'm an optimist in some senses and would like to believe a balanced system would help cut down this problem tremendously. Maybe not get rid of it, but drop the percentages drastically.
It's worth thinking about it. Chad Ford wrote a similar piece on ESPN today. I'd like to see this topic get more consideration.
Small snip it - Florida Gator football spent 24 million last year, earned 68 Million. A 48 MILLION DOLLAR GAIN!!! Players deserve more than a scholarship!
Fair points. Global thoughts to consider. Does football stand on its own? Men's basketball? Or do you consider the athletic department as a whole? Most ADs still rely on general university funds to make ends meet. Hard to justify to taxpayer, math major, parents of english lit major, that their expenses are going up so that the football players can get afford to live more comfortably.
ReplyDeleteI think for a program that makes 48 million dollars for the University, justifying any extra money is very very easy. Its because of that money that the math major has a better school and the taxpayer pays less. Money runs the world and 95% of football programs make enough money to run the entire athletic department and then some.
ReplyDelete