Anyone here ever play a sport professionally?

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July 18th, 2012 at 9:19 AM
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dlcase1708
Joined: 01/11/2011
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Anyone here ever play a sport professionally?

I'm sure many here remember Shaq Thompson, one of the most highly-rated safety prospects in the country.  Something I did not know, however, was that he was also drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 18th round after one year of varsity baseball.  Unfortunately, he has started off his career going 0-for-32, with an amazing 31 strikeouts.  I have no idea how this is possible.  I'm not exactly athletically inclined, but I feel like I might be able to put bat to ball at least twice in 32 at bats.  

Going off that, does anyone here have any experience in playing a sport professionally? I'm curious how things work on the minor league level, for almost any sport, in terms of how the team treats you and what kind of benefits you get.  I always enjoy the stories ESPN puts out, like "Prospect X" or "Player X," where an anonymous athlete shows fans how they are really treated. Link (Insider required).  So if you are/were a professional athlete that has any stories they'd like to share, please do.

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July 18th, 2012 at 9:23 AM | This sounds like a job for... (Score:4 Normal)
Hobbes217
Joined: 01/05/2012
MGoPoints: 188

Gopherquest--Minor League Baseball edition!

July 18th, 2012 at 9:28 AM | Yikes, that's pretty bad, (Score:2)
MaizeNBlu628
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Yikes, that's pretty bad, since he's probably only playing in a Rookie ball division as well. My guess is probably he did not see many good pitchers in his HS league (not many good breaking balls or pitchers throwing in high 80s or 90s).

July 18th, 2012 at 9:32 AM | NBPL (Score:5 Normal)
Allin4Blue
Joined: 02/04/2012
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The National Beer Pong League.  Went undefeated and impressed a lot of chicks but had a devastating thumb injury that ended my career

July 18th, 2012 at 9:32 AM | Beer pong (Score:1)
Roachgoblue
Joined: 08/29/2011
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A friend paid me ten bucks to win a neighborhood competition.

[Caved troll is caved. Sorry, Mobile app users.]

July 18th, 2012 at 9:34 AM | This is god awful, but I'm also not going to act like (Score:3 Normal)
pdgoblue25
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Hitting a baseball thrown by professional pitchers isn't one of the hardest things to do in all of sport.  I actually think there's a decent chance that you couldn't put the bat on the ball twice if you're given nothing but breaking balls, and high heat.

However, world class athletes are supposed to have superior hand-eye coordination, so this is an incredible stat line.

Janeane Garofalo (Film Actors Guild): "As actors it is our responsibility to read the newspaper, and then say what we read on television like it's our opinion"

July 18th, 2012 at 9:34 AM | ugh posts like these only go (Score:-1 Flamebait)
July 18th, 2012 at 9:55 AM | Ugh oh no I'm on mgoblog in (Score:5 Normal)
DIABEETUS
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Ugh oh no I'm on mgoblog in the summer and I hate it ugh

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July 18th, 2012 at 10:36 AM | Ugh. Posts like this (Score:5 Normal)
lbpeley
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make me wish the posting threshhold was 650.

July 18th, 2012 at 9:36 AM | NSGL (Score:4 Normal)
wolverine1987
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The National Self-Gratification League... all star

"Everyone gets dumped Gabe. Let me give you some advice: a little coverup on your Adams Apple will make it appear smaller. Which will make you appear less like a transvestite." 

July 18th, 2012 at 10:37 AM | Nice to see another NSGL rep (Score:2 Normal)
Blue-Chip
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Nice to see another NSGL rep here. I'm on the Hall of Fame ballot this fall. Fingers crossed...

Your friendly neighborhood contrarian.

July 18th, 2012 at 10:56 AM | If it's the (Score:5 Insightful)
BostonWolverine
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If it's the Self-Gratification League, can't you pretty much just let yourself into the Hall of Fame?

July 18th, 2012 at 5:01 PM | Fingers crossed You might be (Score:5 Normal)
bronxblue
Joined: 11/22/2008
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Fingers crossed

You might be doing it wrong...

July 18th, 2012 at 11:49 AM | Wait, he said professionally.... (Score:3 Normal)
M-Wolverine
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You're paid to.....

Kinky.  Especially if you're paying yourself.

"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk

July 18th, 2012 at 7:09 PM | quit (Score:3 Normal)
bluesouth
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jerking around

 "Runnnn!!! get to da choppa"

July 18th, 2012 at 9:37 AM | golf (Score:2 Insightful)
yostlovesme
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golf

July 18th, 2012 at 9:37 AM | Confused: (Score:1)
thisisme08
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If he was drafted by the Red Sox, plays on a Red Sox affilliated (minor league) team, then one assumes he has to be compensated by the Sox correct? Yet the article says he's still attending Washington this fall. 

Is the Golf Coast League a glorifed summer AAU type league?

Blue is Faster

July 18th, 2012 at 9:44 AM | I'm not sure exactly how the (Score:3 Normal)
exmtroj
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I'm not sure exactly how the rules work, but I seem to remember Jeff Samardzjia playing minor league ball with a Cubs affiliate while he was at Notre Dame.  Maybe they defer salary until after college eligibility runs out or something.

 

 

"All I've had today is, like, six gummy bears and some scotch"

July 18th, 2012 at 9:50 AM | I think (Score:5 Normal)
JeepinBen
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Well, I know, he can be paid for playing baseball as a professional if he doesn't play NCAA baseball. IIRC Pat White played minor league baseball in the offseason and collected a check, then could play NCAA football. But he wasn't eligible for NCAA Baseball.

If he's playing baseball at Washington, I don't know the loophole off hand

"Over? Did you say, over? Nothing is over until we decide it is!"

July 18th, 2012 at 9:59 AM | He won't be playing baseball (Score:5 Normal)
Raoul
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He won't be playing baseball at Washington, which the NCAA wouldn't allow. He's just playing football there. See also this article:

Signing with the Red Sox would have no impact on Thompson’s eligibility at the UW. The NCAA allows individuals to play one sport professionally — as [Jake] Locker did with baseball — while still maintaining their eligibility in all other sports. Choosing to sign with Boston would, however, make Thompson officially a walk-on when he arrives at the UW later this year, freeing up another scholarship for the Huskies.

Twitter: @Raoul_000

July 18th, 2012 at 10:23 AM | I believe Henson did the same (Score:3 Normal)
MaizeNBlu628
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I believe Henson did the same thing when he was here. He played baseball in the summers for the Yankees, then came back in the fall for the football season. Many still believe if he had just stuck with 1 sport all the way through, he'd still be in the pros right now for that sport.

July 18th, 2012 at 10:28 AM | You spelled Jeff (Score:5 Normal)
El Jeffe
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You spelled Jeff Shamalamadingdongdjzia incorrectly.

July 18th, 2012 at 9:50 AM | I believe Russell Wilson did the same thing (Score:3 Normal)
pdgoblue25
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Brandon Weeden as well.

I think you can play professionally as long as it's a different sport than what you play collegiately, or something dumb like that.

Janeane Garofalo (Film Actors Guild): "As actors it is our responsibility to read the newspaper, and then say what we read on television like it's our opinion"

July 18th, 2012 at 10:00 AM | Thanks for the replies.  This (Score:1)
thisisme08
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Thanks for the replies.  This further lowers my confidence in the NCAA governing system. 

Blue is Faster

July 18th, 2012 at 10:03 AM | You had ANY confidence?  Are (Score:4 Normal)
dlcase1708
Joined: 01/11/2011
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You had ANY confidence?  Are you also confident in FIFA's governing ability? /s

July 18th, 2012 at 4:53 PM | Weeden did not (Score:1)
Conroy
Joined: 10/30/2011
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Quite do the same thing.  He (And Joe Bauserman) both retired from baseball after flaming out in the minors; they just enrolled in college not right out of HS.

July 18th, 2012 at 10:44 AM | I think they pay his scholarship (Score:1)
cp4three2
Joined: 08/03/2009
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and he doesn't get the money until after. Jake Locker played for the Angels farm teams. A lot of guys do that. We had one awhile back, I can't remember his name. He ended up playing for the White Sox and Samardzija plays for the Cubs.

July 18th, 2012 at 10:53 AM | Clayton Richard backed up (Score:4 Normal)
SoFlaWolverine
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Clayton Richard backed up Chad Henne for a couple years. He's in the San Diego Padres rotation now.

Denard is my homeboy.

University of Michigan Class of 2014

July 18th, 2012 at 11:29 AM | I'm no expert, but I think (Score:3 Normal)
oriental andrew
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I'm no expert, but I think there are a couple of requirements. 

First, you have to be a professional in a different sport from the one you want to play in college.  So minor league baseball and college football is ok. 

Second, you can't earn money from sponsorships, or you will be deemed ineligible for all sports.  This is why Olympic athletes - who are technically amateurs because they're not competing for cash - are still ineligible for college sports, as the vast majority of them make their money through sponsorships/endorsements.  This is also why Jeremy Bloom - Colorado football player and amateur (but sponsored) freestyle skier -  was deemed ineligible to play college football. 

So you can get paid a salary in a different sport, but you can't be sponsored/endorsed in any sport. 

Former baseball players also include Chris Weinke, Dennis Dixon, Ricky Williams, Qunicy Carter, among many others. 

For my privacy, my new username is "non-Oriental non-Andrew"
 

July 18th, 2012 at 5:49 PM | Basically right on, except (Score:2)
stephenrjking
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Basically right on, except that Olympic athletes are no longer required to be amateurs and many compete in prize-money events. Pros in every sense of the word. Not that it's relevant to your solid post.



The reason sponsorship is a problem is that the sponsor money can be seen to be earned as a result of the athlete's public image, which is often bolstered by their participation in the NCAA governed sport. It may seem picky, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Imagine Terrell Pryor playibg minor league ball to get a Nike "Baseball" sponsorship that happens to be worth $750k/year.

Servant. Pastor. Husband. Michigan fan in Duluth. 

July 18th, 2012 at 9:42 AM | When I was 19 (Score:3 Normal)
MGoBrewMom
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I got a beer to play rugby. Blew out my knee in the first 10 minutes.

Mom, MGrad and life long fan living in So Cal

July 18th, 2012 at 9:42 AM | I played JUCO football with a (Score:2 Interesting)
Dr.Jay
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I played JUCO football with a O lineman who went to Miami(YTM) then was drafted, I actually think he had more benefits while he was at Miami lol. Still very good friends with him, he said the level of competiton from JUCO to D1 to NFL was mind boggling.

"Everybody want's to be a bodybuilder but no one want's to lift no heavy ass weights, I DO!!! "    Ronnie Coleman

July 18th, 2012 at 10:01 AM | Oh I'm sure the jump is (Score:2)
dlcase1708
Joined: 01/11/2011
MGoPoints: 349

Oh I'm sure the jump is incredible.  And Miami's benefits, after all that Nevin Shapiro stuff came out via Yahoo! Sports, I find it hard to believe that anyone was getting more benefits by being an NFL player than by being at Miami.  

July 18th, 2012 at 9:46 AM | Maybe (Score:4 Normal)
Brown Bear
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Maybe

I poop excellence
July 18th, 2012 at 9:47 AM | Yup (Score:5 Normal)
BiSB
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Oreo Double-Stuff Racing League, two-time champ.

 

I am being Twitters

July 18th, 2012 at 9:53 AM | I worked youth lacrosse camps (Score:2)
RowoneEndzone
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I worked youth lacrosse camps when I was in college.  Too bad I blew all of my earnings on beer and loose women every night.

"Wasn't that Michigan drive just great.  That's like Patton riding into Berlin." ~Bob Ufer

July 18th, 2012 at 11:01 AM | Must not have been loose (Score:2)
bacon1431
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Must not have been loose enough if you had to spend money on them

For a' that, an' a' that, 
Our toils obscure an' a' that, 
The rank is but the guinea's stamp, 
The man's the gowd for a' that. 
July 18th, 2012 at 11:07 AM | HaHA, with age comes wisdom. (Score:2)
RowoneEndzone
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HaHA, with age comes wisdom.  I had little age and less wisdom back then.

"Wasn't that Michigan drive just great.  That's like Patton riding into Berlin." ~Bob Ufer

July 18th, 2012 at 9:53 AM | I can drink a lot of beer... (Score:2 Normal)
MGoPietrowski
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I can drink a lot of beer...

fomerly known as "hailtothe"

hailing from Evansville, IN...

To hell with Notre Dame.
July 18th, 2012 at 9:57 AM | That's my best sport as well. (Score:2)
dlcase1708
Joined: 01/11/2011
MGoPoints: 349

That's my best sport as well. I've actually become quite ambidextrous, and can generally drink with both hands.  I'm also batting 1.000 on drunkenness.  I should be hearing MVP chants soon.

July 18th, 2012 at 10:02 AM | I wanted to post this (Score:2)
DrunkOnHiggins
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I wanted to post this yesterday but I thought the MGoPolice would deem it not thread worthy. Carry on.

"And if that doesn't wet your appetite, you're watching the wrong channel."

You can usually find me bumping some Reggae, hammered on Higgins Lake with the goon squad. #HALOL

Go Blue!

July 18th, 2012 at 10:04 AM | Twas also my worry, but oh (Score:2)
dlcase1708
Joined: 01/11/2011
MGoPoints: 349

Twas also my worry, but oh well... what else is there to talk about?

July 18th, 2012 at 10:06 AM | Does Semi-Pro count??? (Score:5 Normal)
amphibious1
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If Semi-Pro counts, then yes. If not then no.

I played for a semi-pro football team when I lived in Florida.

Florida Wolverines have dreadlocks...

July 18th, 2012 at 10:39 AM | Well you're a predator with a (Score:5 Normal)
Son of Lloyd Brady
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Well you're a predator with a frickin laser on your shoulder. I would hope you could play football. Smh.

University of Dayton Class of '13 // The Twitterz

Dual QB Statistical Analysis

July 18th, 2012 at 10:47 AM | If only... (Score:4 Normal)
amphibious1
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If only I had more of a cannon as an arm...

Florida Wolverines have dreadlocks...

July 18th, 2012 at 11:52 AM | It all becomes clear now (Score:4 Normal)
M-Wolverine
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"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk

July 18th, 2012 at 3:09 PM | SON OF LLOYD BRADY (Score:2)
bcsblue
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Resend the invite to diddykd for IU in your DYNASTY.

I gave you the wrong gamertag.

DO IT!!!!!

July 18th, 2012 at 11:33 AM | I also played on a semi-pro (Score:2)
WolvinLA2
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I also played on a semi-pro football team out here in LA.  I only played for a year, but it was awesome.

EDIT:  To answer your question, I got no preferential treatment of any kind.  Except that one of our D linemen was a bouncer, so I got to skip the line at The Shore on the weekend.

July 18th, 2012 at 2:32 PM | I lived there for a bit... (Score:2)
amphibious1
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Assuming your LA is Los Angeles and not Louisiana. Actually, I'm starting to look into moving back there.

Florida Wolverines have dreadlocks...

July 18th, 2012 at 5:01 PM | I currently play semi-pro (Score:3 Normal)
dmac24
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For the Capital City Stealth in Lansing. I start at MIKE and measure out at 6'1" & 230 lbs. with a 4.7 hand timed 40 when I was tired and out of shape. We have 4 games left and only 2 losses. Playing at Edsall field in Detroit Saturday night if anyone wants to come.

Those who leave will be losers!!

July 18th, 2012 at 10:09 AM | We all value anonymity on this blog, so I will not reveal my (Score:5 Normal)
MadMonkey
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true identity.  With that caveat, here is sample of my experience as a professional athlete:

I played college football for, and graduated from a large university. I was a backup my first two years, while my teammate and future NFL quarterback led our team to an undisputed national championship. When I first enrolled in college, I was seventh on the depth chart and had an intense struggle to get some playing time. At one point, I hired a sports psychologist to help me cope with frustration and anxiety and even considered transferring to another school. I battled for the starting job and ultimately starting every game for two seasons. During my first full year as starter, I set school records for most pass attempts and completions in a season. We won 20 of 25 games when I started and shared a Conference title.  In my final season, I led our team to an overtime win in a bowl game against Alabama, throwing for 369 yards and four touchdowns.

My professsional career has been somewhat uneventful in the NFL.  Although I am know for treating my reammates on the OL to some lavish gifts for keeping my ass safe.  Also, you are probably familiar with some of the hot (we are talking "world-class" hot) ladies I have associated with during my career.

In the unlikely event you are able to guess my idenitity from this brief bio excerpt, I ask that you respect and protect my privacy.  I value my anonymity and don;t want to be hounded by hero worshipping fanboys (fangirls?  Yeah, OK).

 

Your opinion has no value.

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