OT: The Phillies, NCAA, and agents
http://deadspin.com/report-the-phillies-ratted-out-two-draft-picks-to-t…
Deadspin has an interesting article this morning. Essentially, Oregon State player gets drafted, is offered a 400K signing bonus, forgoes it and decides to stay at OSU. In the course of the negotations, he retained an agent to help guide him through the process. Allegedly, the Phillies are upset at him for not signing (despite getting a compensatory pick) and told the NCAA about the agent.
Here's what I don't get (and not that I expect the NCAA to do ANYTHING) that makes sense: you allow the player to get drafted and return to college...why should a teenager/young man not have representation in a contract negotation? Ultimately, he didn't sign the contract so why is he being punished when he presumably returned to OSU to improve his game? It's absolutely ridiculous that the NCAA thinks young men should be entering into 6 and 7 figure contract negotiations without representation. It's completely illogical.
Also, fuck the Phillies if they actually did turn him in. Allegedly, they attempted to do the same with another one of their draft picks but he was cleared by the NCAA so hopefully Wetzler's case is resolved soon. Who actually does this? Apparently turning in players is really rare.
February 20th, 2014 at 10:08 AM ^
It's just accepted practice for a player to retain an "advisor." The NCAA allows it, in one of their saner moves, and it just happens. Every baseball player does it. This "advisor" walks like an agent and quacks like an agent and negotiates like an agent but in order to let the players have some semblance of leverage in their discussions, the NCAA just looks the other way.
The Phillies know this. They're just being raging dicks. And really, for no gain at all.
February 20th, 2014 at 10:08 AM ^
...if their GM (Ruben Amaro Jr) did this, I hope it gets him fired sooner than he inevitably will be.
February 20th, 2014 at 10:10 AM ^
February 20th, 2014 at 10:11 AM ^
February 20th, 2014 at 10:12 AM ^
The player stuck his toe into the wading pool to test the water and found that it was full of sharks. Color me shocked. He should have listened to Mr. Miyagi and not tried to walk down the middle of the road. He could have stayed, or he could have turned pro without any ramifications.
February 20th, 2014 at 10:16 AM ^
At least realize the Phillies are an MLB team, not an NFL team
February 20th, 2014 at 10:26 AM ^
February 20th, 2014 at 10:28 AM ^
Change the rules. Stop crying about them being enforced.
February 20th, 2014 at 10:38 AM ^
February 20th, 2014 at 10:39 AM ^
February 20th, 2014 at 10:55 AM ^
I don't think you understand what you're talking about.
February 20th, 2014 at 11:45 AM ^
I'm not sure you will ever fully comprehend how dumb that comment was
February 20th, 2014 at 11:59 AM ^
February 20th, 2014 at 2:34 PM ^
Shocked no one had deployed this yet,
" what you've just said... is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul..."
February 20th, 2014 at 10:39 AM ^
The NCAA handbook basically says that for sports other than basketball and football, you can enter a draft and not lose your eligibility provided that you state your intention to resume intercollegiate play within a certain period of time (3 days, I think). The declaration has to be in writing and addressed to the AD of the school, I believe.
Provided that is done, there's nothing the Phillies can do except be exceptionally rude and uncivil about the whole thing basically, which they have done.
February 20th, 2014 at 1:50 PM ^
Any reason this kid can't sue the Phillies for libel?
February 20th, 2014 at 2:13 PM ^
Probably because it isn't libel/defamation. I'm not sure they did anything illegal here. They're just acting like raging assholes.
What's really bad is that this has been in limbo since November. Either let him play or not.
February 23rd, 2014 at 10:00 PM ^
Why wouldn't it be libelous to knowingly falsely allege that he'd done something for which he should be prevented from participating?
February 20th, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^
If anyone wants a better look at how this "agent/advisor" issue has come up before, I stumbled on this Baseball America article from a while back that goes into the whole thing in-depth. Pretty interesting read.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/secret-agent-deals-6743/
February 20th, 2014 at 3:00 PM ^
What a joke of an organization.
February 21st, 2014 at 9:47 AM ^
Decent read. Link below. My favorite excerpt is:
Until the corrupting influence of big-time athletics is removed from college campuses and the business of player development shifts to proprietary institutions that do not profit from the illusion of amateurism, the ground will continue to fertilize boondoggles like the one that yesterday wrapped the Phillies in its stench.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20140221_Phillies_get_caug…