Good read. Thanks for sharing. An insane amount of truth right there.
I read the âletterââŠâŠand although what the player said is true, it is also naive and just flat silly.
I grew up dirt poor as many of these players have as well.
Most of these players will never sniff an NFL playing field. So if they can make some money now, during these 4-5 years then do itâŠ.take advantage of the system now.
I am all for the passing of guidelines to rein it in in some wayâŠ.but this money can be life changing for many playersâŠâŠeven guys that âonlyâ make 10k it can be a big dealâŠ.it might pay for a repair job on dadâs old truck or pay the bills for a single mom for awhile.
So while i understand what the letter was saying and fundamentally agree, it does not mention all of the positives this money can be for these players.
They are big boys and girls and old enough to make choicesâŠ.it is up to each of them to decide if they want to stay at one place, make a little money and work towards that degreeâŠ.or do they put earning a degree in the back of their minds and transfer 3-4 times to maximize their earning potential in this small window of time?
I donât fault the players chasing that moneyâŠ.for those of you that had a childhood where you wanted for nothing, you probably donât get itâŠ.but if you grew up with only hand me down clothes and went to bed with hunger pangs you have a better understanding.
There are a lot of good points in the letter, but I tend to agree with Pollardsvision on this issue. If you rein it in, you need to rein in the coaches movements as well.
On another note, while it is claimed that a player penned this, there are places in the letter where the wording implies a coach is writing.
One part of the letter that is flawed:
Quote: When they transfer and lose credits, their academic years will likely be extended beyond their football eligibility, and they will not be able to afford to finish.
Wait a minute. Might the money they get from NIL, at least in theory, allow them to finish even if they have to continue their schooling beyond their playing days?
Just asking.
I mean, I realize that college costs are rising to levels higher than the balls on a giraffe, but it seems to me that intelligent use of that NIL money could cover the costs of the eventuality described above.
Yeah this is an absolute joke. This was written by an NCAA lawyer. Not a football player.
Somebody doesnât like capitalism.
You are correct about using their NIL money to pay for school after their eligibility is up, but there seems to be a lot of players who jump into the transfer portal that do not end up anywhere.
They are missing there opportunity to learn about being on a team. No way that lesson happened at any level before college football.
I wonder where they got the idea to get paid and go after individual wealth
In that case, they blew their chance. Thatâs the risk they take when they choose to transfer.
Such is the nature of risk taking. Thereâs always a chance that the risk taken will result in failure.
Arenât scholarships still based on a year to year review?
Coaches can revoke scholarships and such even before NIL and the transfer portal.
Yeah, true.
I can remember Tom Penders only retaining about 4-5 players from year to year (all were on one year scholarships with no guarantees), and then rebuilding the rest of his team from scratch. Granted, thatâs basketball, but yeah.
In football, Iâm guessing fewer players get told to take a hike, but in a strictly technical sense, yeah, scholarships are only awarded for one year for that very reason.
I agree with what you are saying, but there are consequences for the individual players, the teams, the universities, and the fan bases if players are transferring every year to chase $$$.
The players become entitled and âitâs all about meâ. Will the players actually have time to develop their skills and coaches who are committed to helping them get better if the coach knows heâs got a one-year wonder on his hands?
The word âteamâ is no longer appropriate. They donât have time or incentive to gell as teams.
Is this really sustainable for the universities? I guess as long as the TV revenue is there.
What about the fans? Except for a couple hundred die hard fans who memorize the depth charts and follow every move, most fans (thousands of 'em) donât have the opportunity to âbondâ with their team because theyâre here today, gone tomorrow. How many UH fans can name last yearâs starting wide receivers or TE or who was the QB that started the year as #1?
I believe that pursuing the $$$ is fine, but itâs not unlike alcohol or drugs ⊠moderation is best for everybody.
Lol, football players never used to be entitled. Oh the nostalgia for a time that never existed. Yes the lesson has always been get money but do it moderation. Everything in our society reirnforces, make money but not excessively.
weâve been coddling them since the potential of making money off them came into existence - segregation was cool until some integrated and won so now lets do what it take to get them in - even if their not cut out for the environment
in the 80s-10s, its about under the table payments, test manipulations, grade changes
now its all legal with no parameters so this is all of that now rolled into one - the issue is during the old days guys stayed in one spot and some profited
now - they move around and profit with no regards to the environments youâve shaken up and thereâs no real end game cause you spent 5 years cashing cash but failed to make relationships or even take college seriously - colleges have watered down their curriculums to accommodate them
there are more guys still looking for âlife-changingâ NIL than ones that have received it and those are the ones whoâll need guidance ASAP
What an allegedly to life for all of us. Now lets all go play the lotto
Colleges donât âwater down their curriculums to accommodate themâ.
If players choose to pursue an easy degree, which many do, that is up to them.
But they are not getting easier or watered down work compared to the guy next to them.
Most, but not all, of the players on athletic scholarship go to a school to play their respective sport, to get to the pro league and earn millions of dollars, not get an academic diploma. The NIL money players earn in college has given players even less incentive to get a diploma. I think the mindset of an athlete that is not good enough to go pro is that his/her college experience was a success, because he/she made money through NIL, which in most cases, is the ultimate goal.
I have a special appreciation for athletes that go back to school to get their degree.
The first part of your post is WAY off base.
Most college athletes know damn well they have no shot at playing in their respective sports pro league.
Maybe 2-3% of all college basketball players ever play professionally in ANY league.
Itâs even less in football and baseball.
No idea where you get âmost players on athletic scholarship to get to a pro league and earn millions of dollars â.
Could not be more wrong.
Percentages say the opposite