Ollie Gordon fluff piece - tampering is now so common it can be discussed casually in public
OSU Football Superstar Ollie Gordon Talks Transfer Portal (msn.com)
Gordon never entered the transfer portal, and yet, from the article:
"So, why did Gordon opt to remain with the Cowboys?
"It's a great program, great coaching staff," Gordon said. "They make me feel like I'm at home. I didn't want to leave."
Since announcing his return, Gordon has made plenty of appearances across many different sports. Most recently, he was attending Bedlam wrestling as the No. 2 Cowboys dominated the No. 25 Oklahoma Sooners.
"Your phone is blowing up [with offers from other schools]. But you don't really want to look at it and get too far into it because that's when you start overthinking things. I really just overlooked that and didn't really pay it attention," Gordon continued."
February 20th, 2024 at 3:26 PM ^
Many people would have said that going into 2022 and 2023. Senior laden, close-knit and well developed "teams" may actually be a legit path to contention going forward, if not the best path given both Michigan and Washington's success last year.
Also, revenue sharing may well blow up the current model all together and that may happen sooner than later.
February 20th, 2024 at 4:25 PM ^
I've wondered if there is something to this argument.
It is possible that the NIL situation may have actually led to Michigan's national championship this year.
Players that are only focused on getting the money from NIL may not end up having the motivation to put everything they have into developing as a player. Thus, in this NIL environment, a team could build a successful recruiting strategy around identifying a core group of players who "live and breathe" football. These players can help you develop an effective culture of excellence and sacrifice because they are a solid chunk of the players. Previously, this kind of culture may have come from the coach (e.g., Nick Saban), but if players are now essentially free agents then that culture can be tougher to build when a player can balk at sacrifice and exceptional work ethic and leave for greener pastures.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few years.
February 20th, 2024 at 3:26 PM ^
It's obvious that the NCAA no longer serves any useful purpose, especially for the revenue/non-olympic sports.
The sooner it disappears and is replaced by a commissioner and run like the professional leagues (after all, for all intensive porpoises it is one the revenue sports ARE professional sports), the better .
February 20th, 2024 at 3:40 PM ^
Good for this player for commenting on portal tampering. That said, either name names and provide proof or nothing will change.
Go Blue!
February 20th, 2024 at 4:00 PM ^
Wouldn't make any difference... here is a coach calling out another coach and nothing will happen:
Why should a kid put his neck on the line for nothing?
February 20th, 2024 at 3:42 PM ^
The NCAA has ruined cfb. This isn't the product I fell in love with.
February 20th, 2024 at 3:53 PM ^
It's one of those, there are no solutions only trade offs, situations.
The scum within the NCAA stealing money and enforcing regulations based in lunacy for decades deserve to be fired into the sun.
I'm happy the athletes are rightfully profiting off what they bring to the table, but as a monster college football fan I also hate the ramifications of it.
It's like what's going on with golf right now. I'm someone who has the golf tournament on in the background, or I'm actively watching it every weekend.
I get the decisions of both sides, and I also hate them for it because it's ruining my damn weekends.
February 20th, 2024 at 5:35 PM ^
This was my favorite year of CFB. The only years that were even close were 1985, 1997, 2006, 2021 and 2022.
So half of my favorite years are in the NIL era.
February 21st, 2024 at 12:07 AM ^
Absolutely this. Amid the swirling cesspool of tampering, inducements, and faux-NIL, Michigan had the greatest three-year stretch in its modern history --maybe even ever. Our team became stronger and stronger until it became a family.
We did it with players who stayed. And they became Champions.
February 20th, 2024 at 3:47 PM ^
This can't be stemmed with tampering rules, fecklessly enforced, by a toothless, bought off and biased NCAA. The current system means every single player is a free agent twice a year in a league with no salary cap. Can you imagine if that was the set up in the NFL?
The folks with the broadcast rights have to recognize that this is harming the sport by turning fans away from it. Then they have to insist on sensible rules and equitable enforcement of those rules. It needs governance, just not the horrible model of it the NCAA perpetrates.
The players also need to recognize that actual NIL earnings are something for the long term. Keon Sabb may be cashing a paycheck now, but after that title game, if he put together a huge year this up-coming season at Michigan, he'd be profiting from NIL type sales for a lifetime. The chances of that happening decline greatly for a player who switches schools.
February 20th, 2024 at 3:50 PM ^
It's very simple, not sure why people don't get this. Teams get a 3rd party to reach out to these kids, they don't do it themselves. To that point, they are not tampering.
Michigan is just bad at cheating. They brought kids during a time they weren't allowed to recruit. They had a guy stealing signs with video tape instead of just using the All-22 like everyone else.
Michigan is tampering right now as well and is doing it the right way.
February 20th, 2024 at 4:03 PM ^
"They brought kids"? These were two already committed players who decided to stop by Ann Arbor during Covid.
It's not like Michigan rolled out the "maize & blue carpet" and said - "hey everyone that's already signed your LOI and committed - come to town for a day and we'll treat you to a cheeseburger since the campus dining facilities are limited to currently active / registered students".
February 20th, 2024 at 4:06 PM ^
I'm sure this is somehow another athletic director's fault somewhere located near Plymouth, Michigan!!! He created this mess!!!
February 20th, 2024 at 7:40 PM ^
Didn't create it maybe, but sure as HAIL isn't doing anything proactive about it!