The O'Bannon Lawsuit Just Got Worse...

[acolbert]

As someone who played big time college football(SEC/MWC), I wasnt a "star" but I was a solid starter. I DO NOT AGREE with the lawsuit but I do think guys should get a cut of THEIR jersey sales when then GRADUATE.

My wife is a professor and we still ALWAYS get into about student athletes at a collegiate level. She feels like some of you do "they get a free education" "its a choice to play football" "athletes get away with everything" (funny she ended up marrying into a family FULL OF BALL PLAYERS HAHAHA). But if we're honest about it, the athletic departments bring in the most money! Nobody pays to see the debate team or science team (do those exist?).

I dont thinks its a good idea to give 18-22 year olds hundreds of thousands of dollars in college. I do thinks its fair to incentifiving graduation by offering a percentage of jersey sales upon graduation. Or have something set up for these kids, I have horror story after horror story of guys who broke their back's in high school and college and just weren't good enough to make it to the league. I just dont find it right that these big wigs are making BILLIONS on these kids, but are willing to tear down a program because they received benefits.

Being completely honest I chose the school I chose becuase they were willing to pay my mom's rent/lighting/heating bill. In hindsight it was the wrong decision becuase I transferred a year later but as an 18 high school kid I didn't have to worry about my family if I went far away to school.

So I hope the NCAA wins this lawsuit but I hope it forces them to take a real look at reworking the rule book. At the end of the day I would say behind the NFL (ONLY), collegiate sports are bringing in the most money (bowl games, march madness, etc). Its not right that these kids cant get a piece of the pie, especially the ones who schools build new buildings and new fields and uniforms off a kid who just doesn't pan out in the leaguee then left with a degree in kinesiology (the althletes degree haha).

Just my 2 cents

[Rekkapryde]

Can we please stop this "free education" nonsense?

While it is true that players get scholarships which covers very expensive tuition costs at schools, there's no way you can tell me that it's cool for their coaches to make millions and generate many more millions for the schools to play these money making sports. They should get some compensation OUTSIDE of the scholarships.

Also,
MANY players are steered towards majors and such that are complete garbage in school just so that they can remain eligible. That doesn't sound like a situation where coaches really "value" the education now does it?

Lastly,
The rigors of being a student athlete are much harder than most of you think. Between training, practicing, mandatory study sessions, and a rigid schedule daily that usually starts early, it's no clear walk in the park. And most importantly, that doesn't sound FREE to me. That's work that you have to do in order to keep your scholarship and remain eligible.

I'm all for the athletes getting SOME KIND of extra money from the money that is generated off of their likenesses and counterparts on the virtual gridiron and court. It's rediculous that selling your own jersey can get you in trouble...but if you sign that jersey and someone sells it, they can make hundreds if you are a star. What part of the game is that?

Even if you put the money aside to give the players the money AFTER they graduate or leave school, that sounds way fairer.

There's no such thing as free....

[Sundown2600]

Quote: Originally Posted by lord_mike

Then why hasn't this case been thrown out already? Why is the judge allowing expansion of the case? Why is the judge showing significant amount of sympathy with the plaintiffs? O'Bannon is winning at the moment. Clearly they are doing something right, especially since the NCAA is not using the defense you are suggesting, which means that it's probably one that wouldn't help them very much. Not to mention the NCAA bailing on video games, which is a pretty clear sign that the NCAA feels that it's likely to lose and is trying to limit damages.

Same thing I'm saying. Why is this even dragging on if all of this likeness stuff is supported by the NCAA rulebooks and kids being able to 'sign away' there rights? Sounds like when I signed away certain rights when I joined the Army years agp. You become the property of the United States government and I accepted that. Somebody show me something in writing where these kids practically have to do the same thing.

I understand the amateurism argument, but that seems to relate to the players not being paid for what they do on the field/ court etc, not what this case is about regarding player likeness.

[lere2001]

May someone who is more familiar with American law clarify this for me? Who is in more trouble here? NCAA, EA, or both equally?

[Sundown2600]

Quote: Originally Posted by JLoco11

I don't think the NCAA rider is published online... so the actual document might not be available online (ncaa.org has a request form for the high school athlete package to be mailed to your home or high school) They already use their likeness. Remember Joey "Heisman" Harrington posters hyping up his Heisman trophy hopes? How about any time you buy a program at a stadium with players on the cover? Or watch a television broadcast and they use pictures of the athletes in quick promos. All of that is likeness. All of that, professional gets paid for or receive royalties for.

I understand that 100 percent. The T shirts that Louisville made for the kid who broke his leg were made for profit. I understand that. What I'm saying is just because 100,000 kids never worried about their likeness being used for profit it doesn't mean the 2 that started this case are wrong. That's why I keep asking; Where does it say that these universities have a right to make profit off of the likeness of these players? That's all I wanna know.

[ndfan1993]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rekkapryde

Can we please stop this "free education" nonsense?

I think the root of this comment has some credence to it. I think the best solution would be to allow the players to have jobs. They have a free ride because of a skill they have just like the kid that has a 4.0 and gets a free ride because of their skill. Both may be asked to go above and beyond and put in more hours because of this free ride. The difference is that the student their on his academic skill can go get a job at McDonald's and make some money on the side. O'Bannon is not in a good spot as the poster child of this lawsuit - one way or another one large group of people is going to be very very mad at him.

[JLoco11]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lzydd

You have no idea what you're talking about. The amateur winner of the British Open will be a overnight millionaire because he has a free market in which to sell his name and likeness. Football players, unfortunately, can't even trade their own signature for a tattoo on their own bodies. The crux of the matter is simply this: Are you a statist? Do you favor cartels and profoundly unfree markets? If so, you love the NCAA and hate O'Bannon's case. It's really that simple. More pragmatically, if the NCAA can simply add text to the contract stating players' names could be used in the game, why didn't they? Why WR #5?

Obviously you have no clue what the difference between an amateur and a professional athlete is. Brush up on the Amateur Sports Act of '78 to understand the differences.

If a player enters the Open AS an amateur, he is subject to amateur sports rules and regulations. If he happens to win, and CHOOSES to accept endorsements afterwards (he can't accept the prize money because he listed himself as amateur before competition), he then transitions to a professional athlete.

Do you know how much Tiger Woods earned when he won 3 consecutive US Junior Amateur Championships? $0. Not one cent, other than expenditures. The day he left Stanford, he signed his endorsement deal with Nike, becoming an official professional.


Read a bit first before making silly statements.

[aholbert32]

Quote: Originally Posted by lord_mike

Yes it does make it worse, since the NCAA is employing the Chewbacca defense and pretty much laying down hoping that a majority of the Supreme Court are football fans. Perhaps now that TV is involved, the networks will hire some competent lawyers who will actually mount a defense instead of arguing against the obvious.

Huh? Supreme Court? Lol. We aren't even close to that. This case isn't even through the trial level.