AJ Green apologists

[gtzulu]

What's with all the people in the media who think AJ Green got screwed? He did something that was obviously against the rules and got punished! It's so simple a concept: you don't accept money or gifts for anything related to your college football play. The real topic of discussion should be all the violations and crimes at UGA this year, and how it's getting out of hand.

Usual AJC suspects, but I saw other articles in support of AJ Green too:
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-b...as-a-j-green/?cxntfid=blogs_mark_bradley_blog
http://blogs.ajc.com/barnhart-colle...reen/?cxntfid=blogs_barnhart_college_football

 

[stinger78]

What's with all the people in the media who think AJ Green got screwed? He did something that was obviously against the rules and got punished! It's so simple a concept: you don't accept money or gifts for anything related to your college football play. The real topic of discussion should be all the violations and crimes at UGA this year, and how it's getting out of hand.

Usual AJC suspects, but I saw other articles in support of AJ Green too:
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-b...as-a-j-green/?cxntfid=blogs_mark_bradley_blog
http://blogs.ajc.com/barnhart-colle...reen/?cxntfid=blogs_barnhart_college_football

You do the crime, you do the time.

It's a novel idea in Athens.

 

[TechSBP]

I agree that he broke the rules.

But I think everyone can see the obvious NCAA hypocrisy here: you can buy an AJ Green jersey--made popular by him--and he doesn't get a dime of it. This punishment garners sympathy for Green because that is ridiculous, although what he did was still wrong.

 

[andrew]

Yeah, I feel for the players. This is inevitably going to turn into another "pay the players" discussion, but I completely agree with TechSBP.

Of course, since it's U[sic]GA it is hilarious and completely acceptable on the part of the NCAA.

 

[gtzulu]

The remarkable thing about this is it seems to suggest UGA is not paying their players.

 

[The V]

Just another Nad Licker on the Hall of Shame at the Athens Clarke County Jail. Heck with a couple of more added to the 9 of this year they might have a good B-ball team.

Yea, so you met with an Agent and sell your jersey, so what are the odds of that guy being your agent when you go pro?

You get a free education, free meals, free room, free health club membership, special teaching assistants to help and you still screw up.

 

[GTCrew]

I agree that he broke the rules.

But I think everyone can see the obvious NCAA hypocrisy here: you can buy an AJ Green jersey--made popular by him--and he doesn't get a dime of it. This punishment garners sympathy for Green because that is ridiculous, although what he did was still wrong.

Whats an AJ Green high school jersey worth? Its a Georgie jersey with AJ Green on the back. If AJ Green was playing for Valdosta State his jersey is worth less than they paid for it.

And he gets a full ride, and everything he will need resource wise (coaching, training, medically, etc) to make him a multimillionaire. He is getting a priceless high profile opportunity worth millions if he takes proper advantage of it.

Its like residency. The doctors pay is negligible, but the training and opportunity is priceless.

 

[daBuzz]

First, I think that players should be paid minimum wage for their practice hours. NCAA rules forbid them from having a job during the season, so IMO you should pay them at least a small amount so that they can have spending money. To do otherwise, you aren't even affording them the same opportunities that other college students have...to go out and make money at some job so that you might be able to take your girlfriend out on a date, etc.

However, in this case, the problem isn't that AJ Green sold his jersey. It's that he sold it to someone who qualifies as an AGENT. In my opinion, he got off too easy. Hell, they suspended the WR from Oklahoma State last year for the entire season just because he lied to the NCAA people about whether he had dinner with Deion Sanders or not. Yet, you have a player here who takes money from an agent and you only punish him with a 4 game suspension? They should have removed an entire year of eligibility to be fair.

 

[jkernea]

The players are already getting paid....they're getting a full ride to these top-notch schools who otherwise wouldn't even look at their applications.

 

[gtphd]

The real problem I have with NCAA rules is that to get to the NFL, you have to go through college, so you're forcing them to be unpaid for years. The MLB has an alternative, paid option (minor leagues). Give high school kids an option to go to an independent league for pay before being drafted.

 

[stinger78]

First, I think that players should be paid minimum wage for their practice hours. NCAA rules forbid them from having a job during the season, so IMO you should pay them at least a small amount so that they can have spending money. To do otherwise, you aren't even affording them the same opportunities that other college students have...to go out and make money at some job so that you might be able to take your girlfriend out on a date, etc.

However, in this case, the problem isn't that AJ Green sold his jersey. It's that he sold it to someone who qualifies as an AGENT. In my opinion, he got off too easy. Hell, they suspended the WR from Oklahoma State last year for the entire season just because he lied to the NCAA people about whether he had dinner with Deion Sanders or not. Yet, you have a player here who takes money from an agent and you only punish him with a 4 game suspension? They should have removed an entire year of eligibility to be fair.

Exactly.

First, it's against the rules. Reasonable or not, and it's arguable, it is what it is. You can argue a 55 mph speed limit is unreasonable, but it is the speed limit.

Second, this is interaction with an agent. Either that gets you suspended or it doesn't. Now we find that it means more in Oklahoma and California than in Georgia. Be consistent!

I can buy a game worn jersey off Ebay all day long for under $200 for the most recognizable players.

AJ Green got $1000 from an agent for this. What other verbal agreements did they enter into?

AJ needs to sit for the year.

 

[TechSBP]

Whats an AJ Green high school jersey worth? Its a Georgie jersey with AJ Green on the back. If AJ Green was playing for Valdosta State his jersey is worth less than they paid for it.

And he gets a full ride, and everything he will need resource wise (coaching, training, medically, etc) to make him a multimillionaire. He is getting a priceless high profile opportunity worth millions if he takes proper advantage of it.

Its like residency. The doctors pay is negligible, but the training and opportunity is priceless.

Yeah, I guess AJ Green wearing that number and having his name on the back of the jerseys they are selling has nothing to do with sales either. I mean, they could have gone with the longsnapper's name and jersey number and sold just as many, right?

What is the third string scrub's georgie jersey worth in the bookstore with his name on it? Significantly less than the one with the first round playmaker's. Schools should at least have the decency not to put the player's name on the jersey (Georgie does put the names on there)

Georgie is making money of the guy--and not giving him a dime. If this were merely TV or radio, I'd not say much more. But this is intentional use of his image--his person--to make money and not share any with him. I have a problem with that when college athletes don't have any alternative but to go to these college athletic programs if they want to play in the NFL.

If the players had a choice--another avenue to the NFL, I'd be more sympathetic to your point of view. But when they don't have a choice, and when their name and image is used to sell jerseys (again, why not the longsnapper), they should get a slice of the pie (not the entire pie as your argument seems to suggest my view implies).

If you use someone's image you pay. Period. Playing in the NCAA, because the NFL requires you to do so, shouldn't mean that you give up your property rights.

 

[TechSBP]

The real problem I have with NCAA rules is that to get to the NFL, you have to go through college, so you're forcing them to be unpaid for years. The MLB has an alternative, paid option (minor leagues). Give high school kids an option to go to an independent league for pay before being drafted.

This. I'd also add that a lot of players have no interest or little interest in college compared to pursuing a career that will make them far more money than most college grads.

Claiming that the scholarship is their payment, as others have done, is about like saying you'd be happy if you showed up to work and they paid you in coconuts.

 

[stinger78]

Georgie is making money of the guy--and not giving him a dime.

You sound like a darn mutt fan...

They're giving him a free education, meals, medical care, etc!

Now granted, it's not worth all that much, but still people pay for it.

Let's quit with the "he's not being paid anything" crap. Say what you want, what they're giving him amounts to about $20K/year. Just because he doesn't value it doesn't decrease its intrinsic value.

I can think a priceless antique is junk and give it away, but it's still worth millions.

 

[GiveEmHellJackets]

It sounds like your problem is with the NFL. NCAA can't control NFL policy. YOu could start your own pro league and allow anyone 18 years old and older to play regardless of college experience. NCAA couldn't do **** about it. All the NCAA can do is regulate the NCAA.

 

[GTCrew4b]

You sound like a darn mutt fan...

They're giving him a free education, meals, medical care, etc!

Now granted, it's not worth all that much, but still people pay for it.

Let's quit with the "he's not being paid anything" crap. Say what you want, what they're giving him amounts to about $20K/year. just because he doesn't value it doesn't decrease its intrinsic value.

much too low.

Consider marketing by playing in the SEC, personalized strength training, the top of the line meals (plus additional meal stipends which are usually exorbitant while on travel). Free education, free books, free everything...it's probably around 60K/ year in my opinion.

The only thing I disagree with is the notion that athletes can't get jobs. That's stupid. Punish them on the depth chart or in practice if they realize they're future isn't with football, baseball, gymnastics, etc., don't punish them on a National level.

My fiancee's sister is a D-I swimmer and she's being given a hard time due to scheduling her nursing clinical, that's wrong in my opinion

 

[TechSBP]

You sound like a darn mutt fan...

They're giving him a free education, meals, medical care, etc!

Now granted, it's not worth all that much, but still people pay for it.

Let's quit with the "he's not being paid anything" crap. Say what you want, what they're giving him amounts to about $20K/year. Just because he doesn't value it doesn't decrease its intrinsic value.

I can think a priceless antique is junk and give it away, but it's still worth millions.

Can he resell his education today for immediate payment? No.

Would you accept payment from you boss in the form of coconuts?

 

[TechSBP]

It sounds like your problem is with the NFL. NCAA can't control NFL policy. YOu could start your own pro league and allow anyone 18 years old and older to play regardless of college experience. NCAA couldn't do **** about it. All the NCAA can do is regulate the NCAA.

My problem is with both. The NCAA has options to force the NFL's hand and won't do jack.

 

[TechSBP]

You sound like a darn mutt fan...

They're giving him a free education, meals, medical care, etc!

Now granted, it's not worth all that much, but still people pay for it.

Let's quit with the "he's not being paid anything" crap. Say what you want, what they're giving him amounts to about $20K/year. Just because he doesn't value it doesn't decrease its intrinsic value.

I can think a priceless antique is junk and give it away, but it's still worth millions.

I know you purport to be a proponent of a free market, so try thinking about what "free" market means and apply it to a situation where a player may not have any interest in an education, but is forced to accept that for payment if he wants to have a shot at the NFL.

Your view is rather like saying national indentured servitude is ok if everyone gets free schooling, healthcare, etc. And so you don't try and stick that on someone else, let's say that mandatory service applies to 55-60 year olds.

The player's don't have a choice. All I'm saying is---don't use their names to make money on apparel or their images in video games without paying them a portion of the sales. You have a right to your own image. I'm willing to agree that a player gives up that for broadcasts in exchange for the scholarship. But the merchandising and other stuff takes that consent beyond the pale.

 

[gtrower]

You sound like a darn mutt fan...

They're giving him a free education, meals, medical care, etc!

Now granted, it's not worth all that much, but still people pay for it.

Let's quit with the "he's not being paid anything" crap. Say what you want, what they're giving him amounts to about $20K/year. Just because he doesn't value it doesn't decrease its intrinsic value.

I can think a priceless antique is junk and give it away, but it's still worth millions.

This. The players know what they're getting into. The school makes money of them in ticket, apparel, and TV right sales, and in exchange the players get a free education, housing, food, medical care, and did I mention a free education?!?! Not to mention they get national exposure to NFL teams. And I'm pretty sure Varsity athletes get a weekly/monthly stipend much like some top-level-academic-scholarship students get.

Don't get paid? Are you kidding me??? They get to live like kings on campus for 3-5 years, and get the best of both worlds out of the school (free education and free preperation/exposure to the NFL).

I'd say they are getting a pretty great ****ing deal here.