Side Money!

"Former Michigan great defends Ohio State?"

Former Michigan Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard came to the defense of it's most bitter rival, Ohio State, this week saying that he didn't see anything wrong with players selling memorabilia.

"Do I think any other student-athlete has sold something for money? Yeah. Is that a big crime? Not at all. It's not even relevant," said the 1991 Heisman Trophy winner. "It's only (important) because some guys sat in a room one day and decided, 'OK, this is going to be illegal.' Other than that, everybody else on campus can sell whatever they own. But because they're players, they can't sell anything they own. It's almost like they say, 'OK, you own that merchandise, but in essence we own you, so you can't do it.' "

I completely agree with Desmond on this issue. The NCAA wants a complete monopoly of all of the money. Why can't a kid sell what belongs to him if the university and every store in the area can sell a players likeness for profit? Does it make any sense for a kid to walk around campus broke while the bookstore sells his jersey for $50 to $75 a piece and he has the authentic one but can't sell it? That’s hypocrisy!

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it, the scholarship only pays for room and board, tuition and books. It doesn't pay for pizza on Friday and Saturday night, it doesn't put gas in the car or pay for laundry to get done. It doesn't pay for new clothes once the weight program puts 25 to 30 lbs on a kid and now he's out grown all of his clothes. It doesn’t pay for a kid to take his girlfriend out etc.

Many of the kids that were talking about are from inner-cities from all across this country and their parents can’t send them allowance or a care package. So as sad as it may sound, the game jersey or championship ring becomes worthless to a person that only wants some money in his pocket. Why do you think that 12 and 13 year old kids start selling drugs in the ghetto? Because they aspire to go to jail or die in the street? Not at all, they want the new Jordan’s and the new clothes everybody else has and that want is so strong that it clouds what little judgment they have.

During the school year these kids can't work to make money because it's an NCAA violation. Even if a they could work, there wouldn't be time enough to work. So what's wrong with a kid signing an autograph or selling his jersey to make money on the side?

"Spring what?"

To kids like Terrelle Pryor signing a helmet or ball isn't stealing, selling drugs or car jacking anyone. So in their minds it's easy money and I can't go to jail for it. Spare me the "it's still against the rules" crap. The same person that's screaming that had parents that were able to send them money every week or better yet had their own bank account while on campus. Whenever they ran low of funds their parents just made a deposit and kept it moving. This is the same guy that went to Florida every year for spring break. Well, I didn’t get to Florida until I was grown man with a degree and several years of corporate experience.

Don't try to tell me that these guys were aware of the rules so they should know better. These kids don't live in the world of what should be. They live in the world of what is! Your decision making is altered based on your circumstances. The word of God even says in Proverbs 30:8-9, "Give me only my daily bread, Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say who is the Lord?" Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God.

The good Lord has already told us what will happen when people don't have enough. So why are we surprised when kids become desperate and break the rules? Any time a person feels like they’ve been taken advantage of they’ll look for ways to come up. So unless the NCAA changes the rules they’ll continue to get bent, battered and destroyed.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport