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.
Gopherquest--Minor League Baseball edition!
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).
The National Beer Pong League. Went undefeated and impressed a lot of chicks but had a devastating thumb injury that ended my career
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.
I used to think I was pretty good at baseball, until I didn't play for a few years. I took my son to a batting cage and stepped into the 90-95 mph cage and proceded to wiff on every pitch. My soul ached for a few days..... I'm lying it still aches after that embarassment. The point is it's hard enough to get the bat on a fastball as an average guy who doesn't play baseball often , let alone when someone is actually trying to strike you out.
make me wish the posting threshhold was 650.
The National Self-Gratification League... all star
Nice to see another NSGL rep here. I'm on the Hall of Fame ballot this fall. Fingers crossed...
If it's the Self-Gratification League, can't you pretty much just let yourself into the Hall of Fame?
Fingers crossed
You might be doing it wrong...
You're paid to.....
Kinky. Especially if you're paying yourself.
jerking around
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?
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.
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
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.
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.
You spelled Jeff Shamalamadingdongdjzia incorrectly.
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.
Thanks for the replies. This further lowers my confidence in the NCAA governing system.
You had ANY confidence? Are you also confident in FIFA's governing ability? /s
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Oreo Double-Stuff Racing League, two-time champ.
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.
Must not have been loose enough if you had to spend money on them
HaHA, with age comes wisdom. I had little age and less wisdom back then.
I can drink a lot of beer...
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.
I wanted to post this yesterday but I thought the MGoPolice would deem it not thread worthy. Carry on.
Twas also my worry, but oh well... what else is there to talk about?
If Semi-Pro counts, then yes. If not then no.
I played for a semi-pro football team when I lived in Florida.
Well you're a predator with a frickin laser on your shoulder. I would hope you could play football. Smh.
If only I had more of a cannon as an arm...
Resend the invite to diddykd for IU in your DYNASTY.
I gave you the wrong gamertag.
DO IT!!!!!
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.
Assuming your LA is Los Angeles and not Louisiana. Actually, I'm starting to look into moving back there.