Terrelle Pryor, four teammates suspended first five games of 2011

Since I am neither a tOSU or Big 1(12)0 fanboi, what's the significance of the gold pants?

 

Anyone catch the SI story a few weeks back about the BCS and a playoff and all the stuff that was exposed in that article? I believe it said all but only a small handful of athletic departments actually lost money last year. So if college players are going to get paid, it sure as hell isn't going to come from the schools because believe it or not, the schools don't have the money. Look at how many schools are dropping sports to save the budget. The only way they could get paid is by the NCAA (which is already giving them four years of free tuition) or endorsements. But the second anyone gets paid, it's no longer amateur sports. It's professional. Same reason why Olympians don't get paid for their Olympic participation. It's supposed to be amateur.

 

But Olympians are allowed to profit from their performance through endorsements. These kids are not.

 

Olympians are now allowed to be paid. Some governments openly reward their athletes monetarily if they win medals.

Also, athletic departments are in the red because they spend too much. They actually lose money on bowl games because they contractually have to buy a certain number of tickets, and then they spend to bring the band and the cheerleaders with them.

Not to mention, they're spending a heckuva lot on coaches salaries. Instead of paying $3 million for a coach, they could pay $1 million and make a profit. But then, the team might lose, and the fans will scream.

 

Perhaps they should reach a compromise. The kids can get paid if the team meets a required graduation rate. Sounds silly, but the idea of paying the Florida football players money when their graduation rate is at about 30% also seems kind of silly to me. That would basically just be professional football.

 

Each Ohio State player who participates in a victory over Michigan receives a gold pendant in the shape of game pants. The tradition dates back to the 1930s. Each charm is inscribed with the player's initials and the score and date of the game.

 

This guy fails to see the problem with that.

 

I remember when I was this naive. I was about 10 years old.

 

Snark with nothing to back it up. Well, that's nothing new for you.

Where is the army of lawyers insisting that the U.S. Olympic committee pay athletes? They aren't restricting those athletes from accepting endorsements. Is it an exact comparison? No. But it is as close as we have seen.

Allowing the athletes to earn money any way they can on their own is one thing. Having schools pay them directly is another. I'm not sure why that is so hard for you to grasp.

 

Title IX doesn't apply to the USOC bright boy.

As has already been pointed out, the minute it's announced that football and men's basketball players are going to be paid, a battalion of Title IX lawyers will descend on courthouses across America to file suit against the NCAA and its member schools on behalf of women's college athletes.

Anyone who believes otherwise is a fucking fool.

 

Watch them.