Terrelle Pryor, four teammates suspended first five games of 2011

But at the same time, regular students are able to receive benefits that athletes cannot receive, i.e. a free beer. The NCAA calls anything athletes receive to be "Extra benefits," that is not available to regular students.

Problem is, what the athletes frequently are not allowed to receive are benefits that the regular student can receive. And I know, people will say that the athletes are receiving more in extra benefits than a regular student. While that may be true among the stars, how many athletes are considered stars? I'm referring to the sixth man on the bench, or the offensive linemen who get their scholarships, and very little of the perks.

Someone earlier cited Rick Majerus buying Keith Van Horn a dinner before he left for a funeral. Now, the NCAA says that it an extra benefit because it's a coach buying an athlete dinnner. Yet, if Van Horn wasn't a player, and Majerus bought a regular student dinner, the NCAA wouldn't have a gripe. But because Van Horn was a player, suddenly it was an extra benefit.

There was also that running back that played for Northwestern in the mid-90s (Darnell Autry?), who was a theater major. He was chosen to act in a play during a summer, and the NCAA balked because they claimed he was using his stature as an athlete to get the role. It was only after a bunch of negative publicity about how an athlete was trying to enhance his education that the NCAA backed down.

Bottom line is, the NCAA needs to figure out a way to make sure athletes are properly compensated, before they end up losing control of the entire system.

 

When a high school player is being recruited and going on his official visits, I assume the school pays for the kid's plane ticket and all other costs for that trip(?).

If that much is true, how about the non-athlete who has been offered an academic scholarship and takes a trip to visit the school. I assume they are left paying for it out of pocket.

So you have two kids, each one being offered a scholarship. Yet one has to pay for his own trip and the other does not (given that my assumptions are correct).

 

I can't say this for all programs, but in my experience, you are incorrect on the second assumption. When being interviewed for an academic scholarship at the school I eventually attended, they paid my way (via plane) to visit and then paid for all my meals while I was there.

 

"We've already established what you are, ma'am. Now we're just haggling over the price."

 

Well ... if they promised, then go right ahead ... Very clever by Tressel, actually. He creates the headline with the "they promised" news, and then buries the fact that he has no intention of sitting any of them for any part of the bowl game.

http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2010/12/jim_tressel_says_suspended_ohi.html

 

Boy those players are dumber than I thought.

 

I would stand and applaud if they did that.

 

And if you believe that.....you believe that the suspension for 2011 is a harsher punishment than missing the Sugar Bowl.

 

[tressel, next year]But ... but ... but ... but ... THEY PROMISED!!!!!!!11[/tressel, next year]

 

Followed by the requisite, "These kids have no honor, and they're ungrateful for the opportunity to bring glory to Ohio State while receiving scholarships to attend basketweaving classes."

 

Of course, don't the kids pledge when they sign the LOI to stay in school for the duration of the scholarship (4 years) as well?