New York Times on Sam Keller/EA Lawsuit: "It's about much more than video games"

[Jr.]

Quote: Originally Posted by SaintsTheMetal

The thing is to me, that if you start letting players get a cut from EA Sports, then you suddenly have players getting endorsements from Nike, Underarmor, everyone. Once these sponsorships come is the point that worries both me and I'm sure the NCAA and schools, because at that point players may start choosing schools based on money (potentially BIG money) rather than reasons that they should be chosen for. IMO a prospect would start to think why would you go to Northwestern for an excellent education when you can go to Ohio State and get endorsement deals from 4,000 different businesses that have a significant market in Ohio.

Yeah I see that point, but very few athletes pick the school they're going to attend for the education anyway. Honestly, the NCAA should just let boosters pay athletes whatever they want them to. It happens anyway, might as well make it legal. Then we wouldn't have to worry if Heisman Candidate A got "extra benefits" from anyone, we would just know that he did

[supermanemblem]

it's actually 9,600 which the ncaa could cover with their multi billions.

[seawolves9]

Quote: Originally Posted by Baughn3

Yeah I see that point, but very few athletes pick the school they're going to attend for the education anyway. Honestly, the NCAA should just let boosters pay athletes whatever they want them to. It happens anyway, might as well make it legal. Then we wouldn't have to worry if Heisman Candidate A got "extra benefits" from anyone, we would just know that he did

No, actually they shouldn't do this. That'd be a terrible idea.

[Jr.]

Quote: Originally Posted by seawolves9

No, actually they shouldn't do this. That'd be a terrible idea.

Why not? It happens a ton already, why not let boosters give athletes whatever they want to? At least then the NCAA doesn't have to waste time and money worrying about stupid compliance issues (like spending 5 years to penalize USC and players that had nothing to do with Reggie Bush's family taking money that he rightfully deserved if someone wanted to give it to him)

[ODogg]

Because then it's no longer college athletics, it's pro sports and we already have that. That's why not.

Oh and likeness of players is not protected from use either...if it was you couldn't go buy that Gameday guide for $10 with Terrell Pryor's face on the cover of it.

[Jr.]

Quote: Originally Posted by ODogg

Because then it's no longer college athletics, it's pro sports and we already have that. That's why not. Oh and likeness of players is not protected from use either...if it was you couldn't go buy that Gameday guide for $10 with Terrell Pryor's face on the cover of it.

So it's college athletics now because they're getting paid under the table? Big time football and basketball aren't college athletics anymore. If they were then there wouldn't be players leaving early to be drafted, or special exemptions to allow athletes to attend colleges where they don't have to meet the same entry standards as the non-athlete student body. I'm not sure what "Gameday guide" you're talking about. Gameday guides at stadiums are made by the schools, hence the player signing a waiver to allow their school and the NCAA to promote them. If you mean preseason mags or something like that, then I'm pretty sure they have an agreement with the NCAA to use current players' likenesses but I could be wrong about that.

It would be great if college athletics were truly amateur sports like they were in the 60s and 70s, but I don't think it's ever going to go back to that unless the superconferences that are coming separate themselves from the NCAA and start their own minor league-type system for the NFL. There's no way to stop boosters, agents, and their runners from paying athletes that are willing to take the money, so why not make it legal?

[ODogg]

It's college athletics because there are rules that they aren't supposed to get money under the table. No one should be getting paid period. Your argument that we should just allow it because it sometimes happens anyways is not a very good one, that same argument could be applied for any law in the history of mankind.

[Jr.]

Quote: Originally Posted by ODogg

It's college athletics because there are rules that they aren't supposed to get money under the table. No one should be getting paid period. Your argument that we should just allow it because it sometimes happens anyways is not a very good one, that same argument could be applied for any law in the history of mankind.

Yes it could be applied to any law, but laws keep people from doing things that hurt others... these are asinine rules that allow the NCAA and the schools to keep all of the money they make off of their athletes with very little compensation in comparison. Why can't AJ Green sell his jersey if someone wants to buy it from him? Why couldn't Reggie Bush take money that people wanted to give him? It's not like these guys are better on the field because they made some money off of their talents.