In light of the SI agent story, should players be paid a stipend?
You know this story is bound, at some point, to reignite a debate over whether players should be paid a stipend of sorts. Among the arguments in favor is that it would put the brakes on this kind of behavior; TMQ even said so today in his column, and that was before today's little bombshell came out.
I've never been in favor of paying players, as they already receive something that far exceeds the value of what is received by 100% of their fellow students: even academic scholarship types don't receive free health care. The arguments against the idea are extensive.
Still, as people come to realize how widespread the agent practice is after reading the Luchs article, they might be more in favor. I say the article is further proof that it would never work - stipends wouldn't shut off the flow of money one bit. Kanavis McGhee asked for $2,500 - that's well over $4,000 in today's money. A year's worth of stipends. Agents have bottomless pockets for this kind of stuff if they think they can snag a player. The only reason they only pay $5,000 is because the player doesn't ask for $10,000. Look at what was given to the UNC players:
The value of benefits received by Little was $4,952 while the value of benefits received by Quinn was $5,642, according to facts submitted by North Carolina.
Little received diamond earrings, travel accommodations in the Bahamas and Washington, D.C., and two trips to Miami. Quinn accepted two black diamond watches, a pair of matching earrings and travel accommodations for a trip to Miami.
Stipends are no match for black diamond watches and a trip to the Bahamas.
October 13th, 2010 at 8:54 AM ^
i would be cool with some sort of deferred trust fund redeemable 5 years after graduation or something like that. the same amount for all varsity athletes.
October 13th, 2010 at 10:21 AM ^
A. The players are paid in the form of room and board
B. Players can refuse to go to college if they would like
C. Players aren't ready for the NFL so they aren't ready to get paid, just like I wasn't ready for my job until I had my college education.
D. The people you are talking about are the exception (There are a less Mike Martins and Denard Robinsons than there are Greg Banks and Rhocko Khourys out there) You're proposing that we pay all players because a couple dozen kids each year have to wait one extra year to get paid.
E. Where do you draw the line on who gets paid and can you draw a line?
F. People who compare college th the minor leagues or the D-league have a seriously flawed comparison. 95% of these players will never set foot in a NFL training camp. It's not the minor leagues, it's college just like college baseball, basketball and every other sport.
G. If you want to make a minor leagues comparison, here's one. The value of an athletic scholarshipis equal or more valuable than a minor leaguers salary and when a minor leaguers career fizzles out they are left without an education. Athletic scholarships set up athletes better for the rest of their life can the minor leagues do.
H. Just because people don't take advantage of their compensation doesn't mean they aren't fairly compensated. People propose paying players because of the large number of players who don't take advantage of their educational opportunity. If I blow my paycheck at the casino it doesn't mean my boss didn't pay me enough it means I was foolish. And don't tell me that football players can't get good educations because they're too busy or whatever because I can give you a long list of football players that were good scholars.
I. These examples of home foreclosures and 5* WR's who might be 5th round picks (the NFL would never take a kid who hasn't demonstrated his talents at least one year in college) are the 1 in 10,000 scenarios. Why further corrupt a system for two kids in the whole country.
October 13th, 2010 at 10:37 AM ^
I am currently an undergraduate science major, and I work in a research lab. Right now I'm just earning credit for my work, but during the past 2 summers I received a stipend that allowed me to pay rent and eat for four months with some left over at the end.
I think this is directly analogous: my work has the potential to contribute income and prestige to the University, but this "contribution" will never bring anything close to the money and prestige that men's basketball, football, and hockey are bringing. The players should receive a stipend because they are earning it every day by doing daily "research" that is entirely extracurricular. Title IX shouldn't apply because, frankly, most, if not all, of the other sports (men's and women's) are not profitable at all. It should only be a question of whether or not a group of hardworking students, who are earning the university huge sums of money and national attention, should be compensated for their extracurricular work.
October 13th, 2010 at 1:37 PM ^
Your researching doesn't cover your school though. So what you said isn't the same situation at all. If your research that you had throughout the year paid for room and board, 15 credits of class, your food, and your clothes, then yes you would have a point. But it doesn't....You got SOME money but near as much as all these kids are getting.
October 13th, 2010 at 4:36 PM ^
well, I could be receiving full tuition based on my previous academic success in high school. The stipend money doesn't depend on that at all, I earn it based on my potential for contribution and current track record while in college.
October 13th, 2010 at 12:51 PM ^
No. They are given an education that would cost most people tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars. They get it for free and make millions out of college when most people spend years paying back whatever lending institution they used. If they never play professionally, they still have a free education. They aren't starving or struggling and have been given an opportunity most would kill for.
October 13th, 2010 at 2:26 PM ^
It can't realistically be done. Most college athletic departments are losing money as it is. The combination of Title IX (which led to a huge increase in money-losing women's teams) and skyrocketing tuition (which somehow always exceeds the inflation rate at virtually every campus in the country) has made running an AD a financial mess at most schools. So where will ADs now come up with the money to pay all their scholarship athletes? You can't just reserve it for football and men's basketball. If the NCAA ever tried to only allow athletes in profitable sports to be paid, it'd be sued at the drop of a hat.
October 13th, 2010 at 4:42 PM ^
The problem with this discussion is that people keep bringing up the extremes - those who make it to the NFL. I think usually only 2% of college players ever make it to the NFL. So colleges look at what needs to be done for the 98% who are there for the education. For 98% getting a very good free education is plenty. For the other 2%, the NFL will compensate you nicely to make up for it.
October 13th, 2010 at 5:15 PM ^
I'm a fence sitter on this - they are getting an education and a degree, but at the same time they are laborers who are making money for the school and not getting market vaue for it - and as pointed out above, grad students bring in money for the school and often get a stipend in return. I think it's a fair point though that the entire athletic department is filled with kids who are upping the Michigan brand, but at varying degrees, and sports would certainly be cut if all athletes were paid a stipend.
So why not allow them to do endorsements, controlled through their school/athletic department? The athletic departments can act as the agents, and give money to the athlete who's actually doing the endorsement, a fund for all of his teammates, and a fund for all athletes in the school. The NCAA can limit how much they earn if they want, or how much time is spent on this. This way Denard Robinson can capitalize on his fame, so can his teammates, and so can all varsity athletes. And they aren't getting something that's not given to all college students - it's the same, in my eyes, to a paid internship, or an extra job at Espresso Royale.