Terrelle Pryor, four teammates suspended first five games of 2011

The difference though is that you are not an NCAA athlete on a scholarship. When a kid signs on the dotted line to accept an athletic scholarship, he is agreeing to follow the rules set forth by both the school and the NCAA. That's the trade off --- "We will pay for your schooling if you agree to keep your nose clean and pass your classes."

And besides, even if an NCAA scholarship athlete got a parking ticket, he would pay it like any other student and nothing else would happen. That's an apples to oranges comparison.

I can see the argument made that the jerseys and rings are "his" property. So what about this......

You can go to the mall and buy an OSU jersey with Pryor's number on it. Won't have his name on it but it will have his number and if you wear it out in public everyone will know whose jersey that is. So what if Pryor took the name off his jersey and then sold it with only the number and no "Pryor" on the back? It would look exactly like the one the NCAA is selling (and making money off of) at the mall. Still breaking the rules, but interesting to look at it that way.

 

The reason why I'm OK with the suspension is because they players knew what they were doing was wrong and they did it anyway.

 

Yeah Tressel alluded to that in presser. Players had been warned.

 

They didn't know they were breaking the rules.

Lack of adequate training/education on the part of OSU.

Tressel, the AD and the NCAA said so. :

 

It's semantics, but I'd argue the players knew what they were doing was against the NCAA rules.

I wouldn't argue that the players knew that it was wrong. If they needed the money for their families, I'd doubt they would think that they were being wrong.

Which is also why I'm disappointed that the players apologized. I'd rather they just go on a rant about how ridiculous the NCAA is.

 

Yeah, I'm sure Pryor didn't know anything about what happened to AJ Green this season.

 

Through 6 pages I've yet to read anyone defending this particular rule. Maybe I missed it. Can someone enlighten me? Is it because the chemistry major who doesn't play sports can't sell something provided by the university for a service otherwise unattainable?

 

I understand the rule. If they can sell anything they want, what's to prevent a booster from paying Pryor $100K for his jersey?

My issue is that the NCAA is all over something like this, but looks the other way when the best player in college football was sold to a university.

Let's jump all over the minor violations but kick the big ones under the rug.

 

Pryor allegedly did his before AJ Green.
Didn't get caught until after.

 

Set a reasonable market value, then.
If you get a bowl watch and want to unload it, then let them unload it for no more than a reasonable mark-up.
The deal with Green is that he sold his jersey to an agent. Word on the OSU guys is they traded their stuff for tattoos.
(Which just shows how stupid tats are, but opening up that subject is dangerous).

 

Makes sense. And I completely agree with everything else you wrote.
I joked 5 pages back that the players should have told the NCAA that a family member sold their bling without their knowledge and they would have got away with it. ... I thought I was joking.

 

Yeah, I would have stood up and cheered if one of the players claimed his father sold the merchandise without their knowledge.