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| "Student-Athletes are gettin' pimped & nobody seems to care!" |
Now the NCAA says that it’s legal to sell them because the student-athlete’s name isn’t on the back of it. So their defense is that they aren’t selling the kids likeness. I wonder how many #2 jerseys were sold in Ohio before Terrell Pryor showed up in Columbus or for that matter how many Jared Sullinger #0 jerseys are walking around as we speak? Now my problem isn't with schools making money it's with how they're distributing it.
I just believe that the students-athletes that play revenue producing sports should see some of that bread in the form of a monthly stipend of let’s say $300 to $400 or more. If you're on the track,volleyball, softball, soccer, lacrosse teams etc. you don't qualify because you aren't contributing to the bottom line. Those sports are literally costing the school money because nobody goes to those games. Keep in mind that they still have to travel all over the country for games, those coaches still have to recruit and the athletes still need training facilities etc. for be competitive. Now oobviously there are some unique programs out there like I mentioned earlier but for the most part the football & basketball programs are supporting all of those other sports completely.
I also believe that a percentage of all jersey sales should go directly to the student-athlete when he or she either graduates or leaves school early for any reason. Lets keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! Some student-athletes have no intention of graduating from college when they enroll. A prime example would be players like Kentucky's Anthony Davis who will be the NBA's 1st pick on Thursday night. He was only in school because the NBA told him that he had to show up for a year. The Wildcats made a fortune in jersey sales because of him. not to mention all of that TV and NCAA Tournament bread they're still counting. It's not fair to the kid or his family even if he is about to be a millionaire in two days.
Think about Jared Sullinger who's draft status has fallen as I explained in the Hot Joint "Red Flagged" because of a bulging disc in his back. He should have come out last year like I've always said but he stayed a year too long. By staying he allowed Ohio State to make another years worth of revenue off of his jersey sales not to mention the continued booster support because they were winning. They made more money and he lost money. Who does that? Sure, he'll get drafted but he's going to probably go in the 2nd round for peanuts relative to what he could have gotten had he come out last year. Also think about the kids that were standout players that have graduated and were never drafted but their jersey's were sold for four years. Don't even get me started on the video games that depict the players likeness that they don't get a dime in royalties for. EA Sports is killin' 'em!!!
I can hear some clown in the background now, “They’re on scholarship are you kidding me? It’s a free education!” Well is it? Sounds more like a job to me bruh. The other students don’t have to manage the load of going to class and practice. Most importantly, the student-athlete is making the university rich. It isn't the students tuition that builds all of the fine structures on campus. It's money generated from the athletic departments that allows the schools to flourish. Tuition simply pays the bills. When was the last time 100,000 people paid $78 per ticket and $20 to park to see a kid take a Chemistry test bruh? Have you ever seen the schools Rhodes Scholar's button down and pocket protector sold in the bookstore?
Let’s look at what a full athletic scholarship really is. It pays for tuition, books, room and board. Sounds like enough, right? Wrong. What happens when the student-athlete needs clothes because he's gained 30 lbs from being on training table and in the weight program. Who's going to buy him a pair of shoes, toiletries or something as simple as a pizza on a Saturday or Sunday evening when the cafeteria is closed. The average student can go get a work study job etc. Ball players can’t because it’s an NCAA violation for him or her(UT or UConn women's hoops) to work during the school year. Even if they could work, when would they find the time? I can hear you saying, “that’s when they should call their parents”. Well, not everyone has that luxury bruh. Everybody didn't grow up with parents that can reach into their pockets and send money. Big Momma is barely making it with the other 4 kids left at the crib.
Many times the parents think that the university is taking good care of their child. After all, the coaches did tell them that they would look after their baby boy or girl during the recruitment process didn't they? I realize that the coaches do as much as they can for these kids but their hands are tied to some degree by the NCAA. So now what?
Well, that’s when the “hundred dollar hand shake” comes into play. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the term it’s when a big time booster or alumni of the university shakes a players hand after the game and the kid walks away with a folded bill or bills. Now I’m not saying that by paying the athlete we will stop the illegal exchange of money all together. However, I do believe that we would see a decline in kids getting involved with agents or shady boosters because very few of these kids are looking to get suspended from the team or forfeit games as a result of it. They have simply gone into survival mode and many of them feel like they are being taken advantage of. So I'm cool with the kid getting money if everybody else is too!
Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
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