Ben Simmons blasts the NCAA..

[Cheriehoop]

Follow-up from NCAA Pres Mark Emmert -
Emmert: Simmons' NCAA criticism misdirected

Hmm he doesn't even make a single comment about Simmons enticement allegations though. That should be the Emmert's and the NCAA's concern. Crickets of course.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Follow-up from NCAA Pres Mark Emmert -
Emmert: Simmons' NCAA criticism misdirected

NCAA President Mark Emmert was credited with nearly $1.9 million in total compensation during the 2014 calendar year, according to the association’s new federal tax return.

Re: Europe, while I am surprised more don't go that route, from what I understand the money isn't that great, the language barrier can be formidable, and there may be a bit of hazing from the euro-players. Add there may also be a bit of a downgrade come draft time. Alternatively, they can go to college for 3/4 of a year, get plenty of side benefits, party, still likely get a something under the table, head off to the Pros and start cashing checks.

I don't think that colleges should be in the sports business, but that's where they find themselves. The NCAA says they're looking out for the kids to keep them from being taken advantage of, but lots of people are making money off this racket. The sooner they get out, the less they have to deal with this nonsense.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I agree with you to a point, but guys like Simmons and other sure fire one and done guys I can absolutely see why they would blow it off. Simmons signed a massive Nike contract and was the #1 pick in the draft. He goes from a broke college student who is surrounded by rich schools, conferences and coaches who have built their fortunes off the backs of these kids. If I was in his shoes I would be counting down the days until my college season is over with. Honestly, if I was a guy like Simmons, I'd head overseas and play a year.

Kids like Simmons should be offered classes on sports and contract management, picking an agent, lawyer and accounting team, and managing friend expectations so that when they do receive those giant checks, they aren't completely overwhelmed. That's about the only thing they may need an 'education' on that would be of value to a large portion of these kids.

 

[creatorsgam]

These universities give them an amazing platform to showcase their talents. Where else will they get such exposure? They should be thankful for that.

Consider it an unpaid internship. Welcome to the real world.

 

[Knicks411]

These universities give them an amazing platform to showcase their talents. Where else will they get such exposure? They should be thankful for that.

Consider it an unpaid internship. Welcome to the real world.

Do they sell jerseys with unpaid interns likenesses in the real world? Do TV networks pay billions to watch the unpaid interns work?

 

[reedny]

Let me finish Emmert's statement for him:

"We don't put a gun to your head. First and foremost, it's about being a student at a university. [Of course, there's so much revenue coming in from schools that have sham academics, we're not really in a position to enforce genuine academic requirements. In fact, although we put HS coursework under a microscope, once a player's "in" college we could care less about whether he or she actually attends classes -- or if the classes are even real! If we did, half of SEC basketball and all of SEC football would instantly implode. And we can't have that. So we perpetuate this "wheelhouse" farce to cover our ass, and we blame it all on accreditation]".

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

These universities give them an amazing platform to showcase their talents. Where else will they get such exposure? They should be thankful for that.

Consider it an unpaid internship. Welcome to the real world.

For the most part, NY doesn't allow unpaid internships any longer. The interns were taken advantage of.

 

[creatorsgam]

Do they sell jerseys with unpaid interns likenesses in the real world? Do TV networks pay billions to watch the unpaid interns work?

People make money off the free labor of unpaid interns. How they do it is inconsequential.

Don't want to be an amateur? Don't be an amateur. His issue lies with the NBA. Their rule forced him to spend a year laboring away in the harsh working conditions of the college environment.

 

[creatorsgam]

For the most part, NY doesn't allow unpaid internships any longer. The interns were taken advantage of.

Student teaching?

 

[Knicks411]

People make money off the free labor of unpaid interns. How they do it is inconsequential.

Don't want to be an amateur? Don't be an amateur. His issue lies with the NBA. Their rule forced him to spend a year laboring away in the harsh working conditions of the college environment.

Well the issue could also lie with the NCAA as well, you're right the NBA instituted the one and done rule but there's nothign stopping the NCAA from compensating the athletes. And the amount of money made off these particular unpaid interns is really really high. And I don't think how they make the money is inconsequential; there are people specifically spending money on the likeness of Ben Simmons or Jabari Parker or Carmelo Anthony or whoever. That would 100% piss me off if I wasn't seeing any of that.

 

[creatorsgam]

Well the issue could also lie with the NCAA as well, you're right the NBA instituted the one and done rule but there's nothign stopping the NCAA from compensating the athletes. And the amount of money made off these particular unpaid interns is really really high. And I don't think how they make the money is inconsequential; there are people specifically spending money on the likeness of Ben Simmons or Jabari Parker or Carmelo Anthony or whoever. That would 100% piss me off if I wasn't seeing any of that.

There is lot of money being made. I get that. But how to compensate is quite the conundrum. Would it only be high revenue, football and basketball? If they compensate men's athletics they would have to compensate women's.

I'll say, making it impossible for an athlete to hold a job to earn pocket money is bogus by the NCAA.

 

[Knicks411]

There is lot of money being made. I get that. But how to compensate is quite the conundrum. Would it only be high revenue, football and basketball? If they compensate men's athletics they would have to compensate women's.

I'll say, making it impossible for an athlete to hold a job to earn pocket money is bogus by the NCAA.

It's a lot easier for me to rail against the NCAA than come up with a perfect solution, cause I'm not sure there is one.

 

[maxxyz]

There is lot of money being made. I get that. But how to compensate is quite the conundrum. Would it only be high revenue, football and basketball? If they compensate men's athletics they would have to compensate women's.

I'll say, making it impossible for an athlete to hold a job to earn pocket money is bogus by the NCAA.

His complaint should probably be that he felt he didn't get compensated as much as he thought he should be. He was compensated, but it was at a level equal to all full scholarship athletes at major programs in major sports. As a guy that was considered a top pick in the NBA, he could argue he deserved more. But the "salary cap" does not permit that. I would imagine that LeBron could complain that he isn't compensated enough as well, but the NBA salary cap helps all the other players while hurting him.

I wonder if, from LSU's point of view, he might be overvaluing his one year of services? They certainly didn't have a great year from a team standpoint.

 

[two3zone]

These universities give them an amazing platform to showcase their talents. Where else will they get such exposure? They should be thankful for that.

Consider it an unpaid internship. Welcome to the real world.

Simmons would have been the number one pick without college.

 

[creatorsgam]

Simmons would have been the number one pick without college.

Hence why his true beef is with the National Basketball Association.

 

[RandygoCuse]

I have a hard time blaming the NBA. I believe the league tries to do what is best for itself as well as its players. The NCAA doesn't take the players into account. There needs to be a change. I think Division 1 football and mens basketball should split into two divisions. One should be schools that want to have true student athletes. The upper division should be one that pays players, lets them do endorsements and makes a decision how academics will be a part of the players' daily lives.

 

[Briancuse]

I have a hard time blaming the NBA. I believe the league tries to do what is best for itself as well as its players. The NCAA doesn't take the players into account. There needs to be a change. I think Division 1 football and mens basketball should split into two divisions. One should be schools that want to have true student athletes. The upper division should be one that pays players, lets them do endorsements and makes a decision how academics will be a part of the players' daily lives.

I agree, but it would be in the best interest of their league if kids went to college longer, they would be getting better players.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

The NCAA isn't exactly fighting against the one and done culture. They're still cashing their checks.

It's a huge mess. Kids like Ben Simmons and Jabari Parker and Anthony Davis have zero reason to go to college for a year. It's pointless and cause more headaches than they're really worth.

What headaches did Parker and Davis cause? The one and done does make you a prima donna or a PITA, your parents do that.

 

[Newhouser]

These universities give them an amazing platform to showcase their talents. Where else will they get such exposure? They should be thankful for that.

Consider it an unpaid internship. Welcome to the real world.

I think the prep schools and high schools provide the platform for kids at Simmons level. He was on the NBA radar well before his year at LSU.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I think the prep schools and high schools provide the platform for kids at Simmons level. He was on the NBA radar well before his year at LSU.

Then why go to college if he didn't want to? He could have have gone and earned $ overseas or back in the Australian Pro League etc. If college wasn't the better option , why in heavens did he choose it? He had to have decided there was some overriding value over his other money making options.

 

[realorange]

I wonder how much input David Patrick had in Simmon's decision?

 

[Orange87]

"Don't say I'm an amateur and make me take pictures and sign stuff and go make hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars off one person. . ."

Yeah, Simmons don't need no edumacation.

 

[two3zone]

Then why go to college if he didn't want to? He could have have gone and earned $ overseas or back in the Australian Pro League etc. If college wasn't the better option , why in heavens did he choose it? He had to have decided there was some overriding value over his other money making options.

I think it will start happening within the decade where you see more guys go overseas and start making $$ kind of like Mudiay did (granted his was more of a admissions issue).

I think right now the allure of the NCAA tournament gets them there and the fear of failing in a pro league stops them. But I think all it takes is for a guy like Simmons in the future to declare he isn't going to college, go to a pro league to get paid and hit a big endorsement deal without going to college where it will set off a chain reaction. If I was Ben Simmons, I go to the CBL and bank that money along with the 20 million dollar shoe deal he got and get it a year early. LSU did nothing for Simmons for a year.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I think it will start happening within the decade where you see more guys go overseas and start making $$ kind of like Mudiay did (granted his was more of a admissions issue).

I think right now the allure of the NCAA tournament gets them there and the fear of failing in a pro league stops them. But I think all it takes is for a guy like Simmons in the future to declare he isn't going to college, go to a pro league to get paid and hit a big endorsement deal without going to college where it will set off a chain reaction. If I was Ben Simmons, I go to the CBL and bank that money along with the 20 million dollar shoe deal he got and get it a year early. LSU did nothing for Simmons for a year.

And really other than preseason hype, he did little for LSU too. They did better the year before he came.

 

[two3zone]

And really other than preseason hype, he did little for LSU too. They did better the year before he came.

No doubt about that. That blew last year.