For those who don't know, there is a big NCAA investigation going on about a party thrown by an agent that around 25 top NFL prospects were invited to. It has been speculated that Marvin Austin, the UNC DT, acted as a "runner" for the agent and got the prospects to the party. It is unclear at this time if they paid their own way or the agent paid for it. If it does come out that the agent did pay for it and all 25 lose their amateur status, will Roger Goodell do something about these "rogue" agents? Suspend the agent's practice for a year? College coaches aren't too happy about it, Nick Saban has went as far as to say he will bar any NFL affiliates from the University of Alabama if this continues and just let them scout at the Combine only. Thoughts?
NCAA should go fuck themselves... so what if agents try to be in a prime position to win the services of NFL prospects? It's not like it changes the game is played (like performance enhancing drugs and stuff like that).
Is there any list of the players that have been questioned about it? I've seen Austin, Greg Little, and Marcel Dareus so far, but based on that I'm guessing there will be a ton of familiar names. Sucks about Dareus if he does get suspended, he was going to make a big time name for himself next year. And side note, great, and completely necessary clip from an article about Austin and his moronic twitter account:
South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders was questioned earlier in the week - he's one of Marvin Austin's best friends.
I don't see that, they can still be scouted at the Combine, he said he would bar them from Pro Days. He wouldn't lose anything...
So you don't think agents damaging team's chances of winning by entrapping players and making them lose their amateur status isn't the least bit wrong?
All an agent can do is convince a player he is NFL ready and should forgo a season or two of college ball... since it's a players decision wether to leave college early or not I don't see what the big deal is. It's not like agents are taking these kids hostages! Sanders and Austin are accused of confronting the different offers they got from agents... I say good for them! They have the right to make an informed choice on their future and not just choose an agent in a month. PS and most of all I would eventually sanction the agent, not the players!!! Dez Bryant losing a year for talking to an agent!? This time around Austin... I mean come on, does that really do NCAA football any good. NCAA is run by a bunch of idiots with a crave for power...
But to do it during the summer, before they start the season? Depriving the player of his last year of football? There is no crime in having a general discussion with an agent, but the agent shouldn't be trying to give the prospects gifts/money/etc... And Dez got in trouble for having dinner with Deion Sanders, THEN lying to the NCAA about it. That's what did him in...
There needs to be change on both sides... The NCAA needs to relax the rules a bit about meeting with agents. Especially during junior and senior years. The NFL needs to start controlling their agents more, because this issue runs deeper than college, it starts in high school. This is where agents and runners do most of their damage. Marvin Austen didnt just start becoming a runner for this agent in the last month. The agent has probably been working on their relationship since he was a junior in hs. These agents dont care about these teenagers, they just see green and thats why the NFL needs to keep them in line.
Oh Yes please let this happen On a serious note, there needs to be some compromise here. This isnt like the O.J Mayo thing where NFL teams are hiring agents to convince people to get a player to go to their team (obviously). Still their needs to be a line of communication between players and agents. Do I think that agents should be providing goods to players, of course not but I think having a phone call or a meeting with an agent should be allowed. Also it is true, the NCAA is run by morons, it extends far beyond just football and basketball
It doesn't change the game but it violates the rules of the game. I'm sick of these college athletes bitching they have no money. How about you pay for fucking college then? How about we eliminate athletic scholarships. I had no money in college either... you wanna know why? Because every few months I had to come up with 3 grand to pay for classes, books and materials. I know this for fact because I lost an athletic scholarship and you are treated like gold by the school you go to. They give you everything you need. You wanna know how many pairs of shoes I got from Nike? Free t shirts? Free meals? Throw in the fact that I was given the oppurtunity to get an education at a Pac 10 school for free just in case I didn't become a pro (which I had no shot) Seriously I had about 12 different pair of Nike running shoes in all sorts of amazing colors. The top runner on the team had personalized fucking Nikes which he didn't pay a dime for. My cousin played football at Texas when they were average at best (played with James Brown , Ricky Williams, and Phil Dawson) and if he woke up at 4 AM and wanted a steak they would get him one. He didn't even get that much PT and he was treated like royalty. Any player who is a star is treated like a god. Clothes, shoes, food, pussy and anything else they want as well as a lot of under the table shit.
Apparently AJ Green may have been there, which would be a huge blow to UGA. I dunno if anyone else saw Nick Saban at SEC media day, but he made me wanna puke. Talking about agents are like pimps because they take advantage of players and lie through their teeth. Pot, meet kettle.
Green released a statement saying he wasn't there, I'd say he's telling the truth since there is no since lying to the NCAA, they always find out. And not to drive this thread off topic, but lets keep the Saban bashing out of this thread, especially of the misinformed variety...
This is a perfectly reasonable statement. I was a little annoyed when I started reading this thread and a lot of the posts were anti-Saban...when he couldn't be more right about this situation.
What did you get the scolarship for (jst curious)? There are so many big names in this investigation... 4 or 5 1st rders, maybe more!
I was a runner, mid distance. I f'd that up though too much alcohol and not enough time in the day. Sucks ass when you have to pay your own way through school a few years later.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-netwo...d5d81940a35/Impact-of-agents-on-NCAA-football I thought this was a surprisingly good and balanced vid considering its on NFL.com I especially like the bit at the end when Charles Davis slaps down the interviewer.
College recruiters do the same shit and don't get in trouble for it because the school pays for everything. It's such a double standard. USC can buy a kid an Escalade by giving it to his uncle and get away with it to get him to play, but an Agent cant throw a party to try to represent 25 prospects? Sports become a business on graduation day.
