Everything 2017 Off-Season

[S.R.]

The FBI probe into the cesspool that is the NCAA College Basketball program is turning up skeletons and bodies faster than you can count. Coaches and agents will lose jobs..and given it's the FBI and not the NCAA..some might see actual time in jail. The Federalis likely have lock solid documentation as they followed the money trail.

The NCAA will be along for the ride and to get coffee on this one..So far no players seem to be in the crosshairs for the Feds..but here is where it gets interesting...What if some of those one and done lottery players get suspended by the NCAA ?

How would that affect the draft? Do players actually have to play a year in college or just wait for the draft class to be eligible?
Do they go to Europe? How do you scout talent that isn't playing?
Adam Silver must be paying close attention.

So far the programs caught on tape in outright bribery and collusion are Arizona..Louisville, Auburn, USC...these are big time programs.

The NCAA is a mess, hopefully this leads to significant change. Coaches, admin, and schools are pulling in millions (and millions!) of dollars while the athletes only "get their tuition." With all that money floating around and extreme restrictions on compensating the athletes, of course there's all kinds of shady backroom stuff going on behind this squeaky clean American college front they put on the leagues. If somebody proposed starting that system from scratch today, it would be illegal. Supporters of the system believe in something that doesn't even exist and at times has outright racist undertones.

[Demographic Shift]

Yes. I don't believe there is anything preventing students to pursue this route considering that high school graduates are welcome to sign with the G-League if the prefer.

The NCAA is a mess, hopefully this leads to significant change. Coaches, admin, and schools are pulling in millions (and millions!) of dollars while the athletes only "get their tuition." With all that money floating around and extreme restrictions on compensating the athletes, of course there's all kinds of shady backroom stuff going on behind this squeaky clean American college front they put on the leagues. If somebody proposed starting that system from scratch today, it would be illegal. Supporters of the system believe in something that doesn't even exist and at times has outright racist undertones.

Yes..all are making returns except the kids on the floor, or field or ice.

[KeonClark]

Yes..all are making returns except the kids on the floor, or field or ice.

Because theyre student athletes trying to become pro. They either make the top league and become millionaires, make another pro league and become well off, or enter the work force with opportunity of a "degree of choice" and the label of "college athlete" opening doors from people who want to do favors.

It's a slippery slope. 99% of the students are there to pursue higher learning, next we'll have the football quarterback pull up in 2018 benz

[Mess]

Because theyre student athletes trying to become pro. They either make the top league and become millionaires, make another pro league and become well off, or enter the work force with opportunity of a "degree of choice" and the label of "college athlete" opening doors from people who want to do favors.

It's a slippery slope. 99% of the students are there to pursue higher learning, next we'll have the football quarterback pull up in 2018 benz

But the coaches and athletic directors can drive whatever car they please right? Because everyone is buying tickets to see them.

[DanH]

Because theyre student athletes trying to become pro. They either make the top league and become millionaires, make another pro league and become well off, or enter the work force with opportunity of a "degree of choice" and the label of "college athlete" opening doors from people who want to do favors.

It's a slippery slope. 99% of the students are there to pursue higher learning, next we'll have the football quarterback pull up in 2018 benz

Slippery slope? I don't get it. Is it a slippery slope for PhD students to get paid when they take on research assistant or teaching assistant roles?

College athletes generate huge revenues for their schools and most see no appreciable return on that value.

[GOLDBLUM]

JaMychal Green just re-upped in Memphis. Two years - $17million.
Not bad coming from going undrafted and earning $800/week at one point in the D league
...I know a lot of folks here expressed their desire for him to be a Rap.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

Because theyre student athletes trying to become pro. They either make the top league and become millionaires, make another pro league and become well off, or enter the work force with opportunity of a "degree of choice" and the label of "college athlete" opening doors from people who want to do favors.

It's a slippery slope. 99% of the students are there to pursue higher learning, next we'll have the football quarterback pull up in 2018 benz

What's the slippery slope exactly?

[KeonClark]

Slippery slope? I don't get it. Is it a slippery slope for PhD students to get paid when they take on research assistant or teaching assistant roles?

College athletes generate huge revenues for their schools and most see no appreciable return on that value.

No appreciable return? Most of the big name schools making "huge revenues" off of football have a tuition over 60,000 per year. That's a paid education higher than the average America salary. Or we give them 100k a year, give half back to the state and feds, and let them blow the rest on whatever 19 year old athletes like to look cool with these days.

The slippery slope is the damage it does to the game. Recruiting becomes not about where you'll win or play, but which state has better taxes and benefits, not to mention teams making financial decisions and treating students like the pro buzzword, "assets", where agents and Lawyers are all over things again.

Players are getting an opportunity of a lifetime, to get a free education and a name university that would otherwise be into the hundreds of thousands, many times from impoverished upbringings, because they're good at sports, which in the western world can take you all through life.

[golden]

No appreciable return? Most of the big name schools making "huge revenues" off of football have a tuition over 60,000 per year. That's a paid education higher than the average America salary. Or we give them 100k a year, give half back to the state and feds, and let them blow the rest on whatever 19 year old athletes like to look cool with these days.

The slippery slope is the damage it does to the game. Recruiting becomes not about where you'll win or play, but which state has better taxes and benefits, not to mention teams making financial decisions and treating students like the pro buzzword, "assets", where agents and Lawyers are all over things again.

Players are getting an opportunity of a lifetime, to get a free education and a name university that would otherwise be into the hundreds of thousands, many times from impoverished upbringings, because they're good at sports, which in the western world can take you all through life.

Athletic scholarships aren't guaranteed and not really as great as I think you're alluding to. Definitely not a way for scholar athletes to get a full-ride at a top name university. Read this article...

http://usatodayhss.com/2017/everythi...c-scholarships

[Mess]

No appreciable return? Most of the big name schools making "huge revenues" off of football have a tuition over 60,000 per year. That's a paid education higher than the average America salary. Or we give them 100k a year, give half back to the state and feds, and let them blow the rest on whatever 19 year old athletes like to look cool with these days.

The slippery slope is the damage it does to the game. Recruiting becomes not about where you'll win or play, but which state has better taxes and benefits, not to mention teams making financial decisions and treating students like the pro buzzword, "assets", where agents and Lawyers are all over things again.

Players are getting an opportunity of a lifetime, to get a free education and a name university that would otherwise be into the hundreds of thousands, many times from impoverished upbringings, because they're good at sports, which in the western world can take you all through life.

The fact that you straight up assume that the athletes will "blow" the money on looking cool...is not a cool look.

Also:

[S.R.]

No appreciable return? Most of the big name schools making "huge revenues" off of football have a tuition over 60,000 per year. That's a paid education higher than the average America salary. Or we give them 100k a year, give half back to the state and feds, and let them blow the rest on whatever 19 year old athletes like to look cool with these days.

The slippery slope is the damage it does to the game. Recruiting becomes not about where you'll win or play, but which state has better taxes and benefits, not to mention teams making financial decisions and treating students like the pro buzzword, "assets", where agents and Lawyers are all over things again.

Players are getting an opportunity of a lifetime, to get a free education and a name university that would otherwise be into the hundreds of thousands, many times from impoverished upbringings, because they're good at sports, which in the western world can take you all through life.

18+ year old athletes who, in market value, should be earning millions of dollars but instead get "free tuition" to the value of tens of thousands are being flat out ripped off while primarily wealthy white men line their pockets with more cash. It's crazy. It's like somebody offering you a job where your market value is $100k/year but they tell you instead they're going to provide free lunches in the company cafeteria to the value of $10k/year. Who the fuck would take that job, and who the fuck would defend the employer by telling you that "You underestimate the value of your paid for lunches! Without food you die, don't you know this?" (And yes in this metaphor, some people with much less earning potential may be happy with the free lunches.)

I realize the compensation of athletes wouldn't be flat, as with any pro sports league you'd have stars able to negotiate huge salaries and roster fillers happy just to get a spot on the team and get a small paycheque for what may turn out to be the only year or two of competition at that level in their lives.

I don't know how you would fix the current system, it's a mess that it's tied up with post secondary education at all. It should be a junior or club league system at least, like most other sports in most other countries (there don't seem to be any education issues with those individuals, in spite of missing out on "free tuition"). But there's no way to get there from here considering the number of wealthy, powerful individuals who profit so heavily from the current NCAA system. Athletes in hockey definitely have international options on par with the NCAA, basketball players have some debatably helpful options in Europe, but for a bunch of NCAA sports there's no alternative for athletes to choose.

[KeonClark]

The fact that you straight up assume that the athletes will "blow" the money on looking cool...is not a cool look.

Also:

Not a good look? I'm sure you've seen or heard of the 30 for 30 episode "broke"..if not you should check it out. A 19 year old with hangers on and family and admirers and teammates to keep up is fairly likely to spend money as dumb as I did when I was 19. Again, what is better for said athlete: 100k with half gone to taxes or a 60k tuition? And if you think the amount of athletes that don't attend class is had now, wait until they get paid.

Also, showing me picture that the school puts a ton of revenue back into the program to give the athlete a luxurious athletic experience I believe helps my argument and does not hinder it.

I realize it's not cut and dry. I believe players should have a stipend as there's no time for a part time job. I believe they should also receive money on things that use their likeness, ie Jerseys with their name on it, ncaa video game that use their name. But after that it gets really murky. Do the football players get inot bidding wars and end up with nfl salaries? Do all athletes get the same? The water Polo player and the star shooting guard? Is that fair? Is it unfair if it isnt? It is affordabe to give every student athlete on campus a living wage? What about the student water boy? Is he not contributing to the football experience?

These are not rich "owners" in the steve ballmer sense. They are schools, and schools that generate money off football, but also off of students who took out loans, saved up, and their parents saved up, to give the school a shit ton of money. Do they benefit? Yes, because they finish with a degree. Same as the athlete is getting free opportunity to do

[Shaolin Fantastic]

No appreciable return? Most of the big name schools making "huge revenues" off of football have a tuition over 60,000 per year. That's a paid education higher than the average America salary. Or we give them 100k a year, give half back to the state and feds, and let them blow the rest on whatever 19 year old athletes like to look cool with these days.

The slippery slope is the damage it does to the game. Recruiting becomes not about where you'll win or play, but which state has better taxes and benefits, not to mention teams making financial decisions and treating students like the pro buzzword, "assets", where agents and Lawyers are all over things again.

Players are getting an opportunity of a lifetime, to get a free education and a name university that would otherwise be into the hundreds of thousands, many times from impoverished upbringings, because they're good at sports, which in the western world can take you all through life.

Yeah you want a slippery slope, this comment is exactly that. You better be very careful with the direction you're going here.

[S.R.]

Not a good look? I'm sure you've seen or heard of the 30 for 30 episode "broke"..if not you should check it out. A 19 year old with hangers on and family and admirers and teammates to keep up is fairly likely to spend money as dumb as I did when I was 19. Again, what is better for said athlete: 100k with half gone to taxes or a 60k tuition? And if you think the amount of athletes that don't attend class is had now, wait until they get paid.

Also, showing me picture that the school puts a ton of revenue back into the program to give the athlete a luxurious athletic experience I believe helps my argument and does not hinder it.

I realize it's not cut and dry. I believe players should have a stipend as there's no time for a part time job. I believe they should also receive money on things that use their likeness, ie Jerseys with their name on it, ncaa video game that use their name. But after that it gets really murky. Do the football players get inot bidding wars and end up with nfl salaries? Do all athletes get the same? The water Polo player and the star shooting guard? Is that fair? Is it unfair if it isnt? It is affordabe to give every student athlete on campus a living wage? What about the student water boy? Is he not contributing to the football experience?

These are not rich "owners" in the steve ballmer sense. They are schools, and schools that generate money off football, but also off of students who took out loans, saved up, and their parents saved up, to give the school a shit ton of money. Do they benefit? Yes, because they finish with a degree. Same as the athlete is getting free opportunity to do

Eh, a bunch of that cash is cycled back into the schools and does help fund the tuition of athletes, but a bunch of that cash also goes into the salaries of administrators, managers, and coaches who are suddenly the leaders and administrators of athletic programs in a billion dollar market. Those individuals would be making a lot less money if they weren't involved in such a valuable enterprise.

And pumping all that money into the athletic infrastructure of the schools is completely unnecessary, it's a recruitment tool for schools that have a lot of money from these programs but aren't allowed to offer it to the athletes. That money isn't improving anybody's education and it's not being paid to the people who are earning it. It's being wasted by people trying to circumnavigate the restrictions in the system.

[KeonClark]

Yeah you want a slippery slope, this comment is exactly that. You better be very careful with the direction you're going here.

Please elaborate on the direction I'm going here?