Georgia latest school to join the violation party

Submitted by wolverineinnc on

My god, what isn't going down in Miami.  Must have been some hell of an agent party.  Please please please let there be some OSU players that made the journey too, although it's only southern schools so far. 

 http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/ncaa/07/21/georgia.investigation/index.html?eref=sihp

Wade, Bosh, LBJ, and this huge party.  Sentral also made his way down to Miami.  Lot going down in south beach.   

Blue_Bull_Run

July 21st, 2010 at 7:43 PM ^

As much as I dislike Nick Saban, I give him props for being the first (to my knowledge) to suggest banning agents from the NFL for conduct that violates NCAA rules.

Blue_Bull_Run

July 21st, 2010 at 7:56 PM ^

<blockquote>

"I don't think it's anything but greed that's creating it right now on behalf of the agents," Saban said in a rant at the Southeastern Conference media days. "The agents that do this -- and I hate to say this, but how are they any better than a pimp?

"I have no respect for people who do that to young people. None. How would you feel if they did it to your child?" Saban said. </blockquote>

For someone with a reputation as a rule bender, Nick is really taking the lead in speaking out against agents. The obvious joke: he's probably trying to distance himself.

 

EDIT - What am I missing with that blockquote???

teldar

July 21st, 2010 at 10:03 PM ^

that the students KNOW this is banned? You don't think that major football schools spends piles of cash on compliance people and that these kids hear about it all the time?

Before someone throws Michigan's situation back at me, all I can say is that one of the apparently useless POS's who WAS responsible for compliance at Michigan is now pursuing other employment opportunities.  

jmblue

July 21st, 2010 at 10:28 PM ^

Yeah, this isn't some gray area like the countability of minutes spent stretching.  Taking money from an agent is obviously wrong.  Even if the average player is far from a Rhodes Scholar, he shouldn't be that dumb to not know that. 

Demar Dorsey 4ever

July 21st, 2010 at 7:57 PM ^

Agents are the ones to blame here. They seek out these players and promise to give them all of these nice things and all of this money, and in turn they have the potential to ruin their careers

Blue_Bull_Run

July 21st, 2010 at 8:18 PM ^

A lot of these players can get away with accepting gifts. By the time they get caught they are either 1) out of college (like Bush); or 2) so high profile that they'll get drafted anyways (Dez Bryant).

The agents don't get punished, either.

So really its their university that's left holding the bag. And the burden is on the school to monitor these kids closely, which often isn't even possible.

What we need is for the NFL to do the NCAA a favor and issue suspensions to agent and players who violate NCAA rules. Until then, NCAA will always have its share of issues.

burntorange wi…

July 21st, 2010 at 9:34 PM ^

got banned for a season for LYING to the NCAA about meeting with deion sanders.  he wasnt banned FOR meeting. he was banned for LYING. the meeting was actually perfectly fine. peter bean(PB) @ BON went to the combine and said he wasnt surprised that bryant panicked and lied about meeting with sanders. PB said that bryant was nervous throughout his entire interview, an extremely soft spoken young man. 

Blue_Bull_Run

July 21st, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^

I realize Dez Bryant's situation is different, but I was kinda lazy about elaborating.

But my point remains: the kid got suspended by the NCAA, but he had built enough of a reputation to get himself drafted. So by analogy, if his situation were similar to that of Reggie Bush, then he would have made out like a bandit while his school was left holding the bag.

burntorange wi…

July 22nd, 2010 at 11:05 AM ^

i agree that the school gets screwed by the actions of agents and players while the violators dont truly get punished. i just didnt want someone with a good head on his shoulders like dez bryant(even though im a texas fan, i love dez bryant. kids gonna be a stud in the NFL) to be compared to someone like reggie bush. 

Kal

July 21st, 2010 at 8:14 PM ^

That after the whole practice and "Major" sanctions nonsense that all of our players were informed that any simple mistake could cause serious repricussions. And being 8-16 in the past 2 seasons, I feel like the general mentality of this team is focused on winning games and getting back where we belong.

Njia

July 21st, 2010 at 8:04 PM ^

"I didn't attend the party! I was at my home, drinking a glass of warm milk, attending church services and a parade on Memorial Day."

UMxWolverines

July 21st, 2010 at 9:09 PM ^

Whoever has read the book Bo by Mitch Album, read the chapter called "Get those agents off my campus". That's pretty much how I feel about agents. Scumbags.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

July 21st, 2010 at 9:48 PM ^

It'd be a lot more effective, if also a lot more controversial, for the NFL (or NBA, for that matter) to deny entry to a player whose violation of certain NCAA bylaws cost him his eligibility.  I realize there are myriad problems with that, but the fact is that certain players are as greedy as the agents are sleazy and know full well that nothing can happen to them - the punishment will fall on the school, the coaches, and maybe the agents.

jmblue

July 21st, 2010 at 10:33 PM ^

While I agree to an extent, I still put more blame on the agents, who are grown men who shouldn't be resorting to these slimy tactics.  The pro leagues should ban any agent who has been involved in an NCAA violation.  To put extra teeth in it, any athlete who elects to sign with a banned agent should then be suspended himself.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

July 21st, 2010 at 10:45 PM ^

Right.  Not to say they're mutually exclusive.  Problem is, I wonder what the incentive is for the leagues to institute something like this.  They might get pushback from their PAs who don't want their agents banned and the agent pool thinned out.

With there always being players kicked off teams for "violation of team rules", I wonder how many of them are agent-related.  Probably a few.

Zone Left

July 22nd, 2010 at 12:03 AM ^

I think push back from players might be the perfect solution to the problem.  No agent is going to risk the payday with, say, Tom Brady to go after an unproven rising Senior.  Also, the lure of getting the best agents might sway the best players to turn down the wannabes looking for their services.

Zone Left

July 22nd, 2010 at 12:00 AM ^

I agree that denying entry to a player would probably decrease the number of players accepting benefits.  However, I disagree that denying entry is the way to go.

First, I don't know that it's legal for the NFL to deny entry.  That's something for courts and lawyers to decide...

My point of view is that taking money from an agent is morally neutral.  It doesn't physically hurt anyone or deprive anyone of their possessions directly.  The NCAA has decided it doesn't want players taking money, and taking money can hurt the school and the team due to the rules the school has agreed to, but the activity itself isn't necessarily wrong like theft or assault.  

I tend to agree with Saban.  The NFL could create a bylaw agreeing to help the NCAA keep agents clear of campus, and refuse license to agents who violate the bylaw.

Just my two cents...

GunnersApe

July 22nd, 2010 at 5:59 AM ^

Seems like they practice the M.A.D. philosophy of the cold war. Vandy and MSU are the two teams (countries) that are going to survive the fall out.

artds

July 22nd, 2010 at 2:55 PM ^

Part of the problem nowadays is that you have players who see the multi-million dollar salaries their coaches are pulling in which leaves them wondering how it could be such a sin for them to receive things like complimentary dinners, invitations to parties and even small advances on their future earnings.

Every coach in the country is going to be holding up a news article about Marcell Dareus during a team meeting at some point in the next few weeks to remind his players of what can happen if they receive any financial benefit (or create the appearance thereof) from their status as a member of the team. That's gotta be an awkward lecture when the people you're lecturing know that you're the highest paid employee of the university and can read about your multi-million dollar contract on ESPN.com.