OT: Meet the Bag Man

[raf4488]

An entertaining article on how football players are bought and paid for in the SEC. It's long but it's a great read.


http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/4/10/5594348/college-football-bag-man-interview

 

[CUSU]

good read

 

[rocklloyd]

Wow

 

[RICuse44]

It's a good thing the NCAA is spending their time on making sure kids like chino get shafted instead of looking into this.

Although after reading this I see how these guys will never be caught. And sometimes I think they probably do more for some kids than the schools they go to (or the NCAA).

 

[OrangeTarheel]

It's a good thing the NCAA is spending their time on making sure kids like chino get shafted instead of looking into this.

Chino ain't made them money ... yet. I hope he makes them regret that decision.

 

[DeGrozz]

So, are we pretending that SB Nation is a legitimate media outlet this week?

I could only get through the first third or so, but some of this seemed a little far-fetched. Secret phones? Speaking in code on calls? Since when did the NCAA have access to NSA files and subpoena record? They make it sound like boosters have secret 'Eyes Wide Shut' like clubs.

There's so much bullspit in this article I'm surprised people could get through it.

 

[Libero2]

That stuff is amazing.

How quickly can we get this forwarded to the NCAA?

 

[mountaincuse]

Interesting site, but the article sounds like someone wants to make a movie out of their life. Exaggerate much?

I'm sure stuff goes down, but c'mon it's not the freaking Wire.

 

[CuseOnly]

Interesting site, but the article sounds like someone wants to make a movie out of their life. Exaggerate much?

I'm sure stuff goes down, but c'mon it's not the freaking Wire.

No, it's not The Wire which makes it easier for the bagmen. The tactics they use are not far fetched as another poster said and have been used in the drug trade for quite a long time.

The difference here is that nobody is breaking any actual laws other than tax evasion in a payroll sense which makes this behavior very low on the law totem pole as far as catching these guys. The NCAA can't and will never have the resources to catch these guys where Federal and state law enforcement have a lot of funds to budget to put against the drug trade, as well as legal wire taps, agents, immunity to give, witness protection, tremendous manpower, etc.

If these Bagmen slipped each of these kids a 1099 with the cash, there would be no laws broken other than NCAA bylaws. Which we all know are worthless anyways.

 

[Millhouse]

Interesting site, but the article sounds like someone wants to make a movie out of their life. Exaggerate much?

I'm sure stuff goes down, but c'mon it's not the freaking Wire.

i'm glad i'm not the only guy who hears burner and thinks AVON BARKSDALE

 

[IthacaBarrel]

i'm glad i'm not the only guy who hears burner and thinks AVON BARKSDALE

Or Frank Underwood

 

[Millhouse]

it's amazing how little the SEC cares about basketball. you get a lot more bang for your buck paying a couple basketball players.

 

[DeGrozz]

If these Bagmen slipped each of these kids a 1099 with the cash, there would be no laws broken other than NCAA bylaws. Which we all know are worthless anyways.

I'm not a tax expert, but I would think that any money handed from a booster to an athlete would be closer to a gift than a payment for services.

 

[Full_Rebar]

it's amazing how little the SEC cares about basketball. you get a lot more bang for your buck paying a couple basketball players.

Well some SEC schools spend their money on hoops instead...

 

[blizz]

Interesting site, but the article sounds like someone wants to make a movie out of their life. Exaggerate much?

I'm sure stuff goes down, but c'mon it's not the freaking Wire.

Or Frank Underwood

i'm glad i'm not the only guy who hears burner and thinks AVON BARKSDALE

You guys have relied on tv to provide your street education, a first world problem indeed. To those of you having trouble suspending your disbelief, or overcoming the cognitive dissonance that accompanies the crumbling of your view of the world as an expansive version of Mayberry, allow me to add to your discontent: this world is a tangled mess of cabals and subversion. The only place you can escape your own shadow is in the dark.

 

[leftytg]

I'm not a tax expert, but I would think that any money handed from a booster to an athlete would be closer to a gift than a payment for services.

this is correct. I believe the gift limit per person, per year is $14,000. So for the majority of cases, there aren't even any tax laws to worry about.

 

[HeaterCuse22]

People that question the "thesis" behind stories like this or kids getting grades altered or easy classes - have just never played college sports. It has to be that.

I have jumped in on the NC student thing. On this let me say: I played DIII Hockey, for a school that I walked on to. Had cash in hand by close of Freshman year. Bottom line it happens...if it happens a DIII hockey it most defintely happens all the time in DI revenue generators. Thats all I got.

 

[TheCusian]

I don't doubt that it happens and I don't think it's right that the NCAA and schools and coaches all get rich, while the athlete has to remain an "amateur" - but my biggest beef is with the idea that it's fair.

So the SEC talks about being the best conference - but it's all bought and sold, bags of money? How does that prove anything? "We have the best team" is much different that "We have the best team, including our illegal boosters and car dealerships?"

The bag guy was like "I'm a die hard and I contributed to to this investment in my team" or you tried to tilt the balance in your favor by means clearly outlawed by the games governing body. Guy is shelling bags of money - but the lies he tells himself is the real awe inspiring take away from the article.

 

[CuseOnly]

I don't doubt that it happens and I don't think it's right that the NCAA and schools and coaches all get rich, while the athlete has to remain an "amateur" - but my biggest beef is with the idea that it's fair.

So the SEC talks about being the best conference - but it's all bought and sold, bags of money? How does that prove anything? "We have the best team" is much different that "We have the best team, including our illegal boosters and car dealerships?"

The bag guy was like "I'm a die hard and I contributed to to this investment in my team" or you tried to tilt the balance in your favor by means clearly outlawed by the games governing body. Guy is shelling bags of money - but the lies he tells himself is the real awe inspiring take away from the article.

It proves that everything has it's price, nothing is sacred and happiness can be bought in the sense that it makes boosters happy that they can buy players for their teams.

This is the "get on the bus or get run over by it" mentality. There is a reason the SEC is the best conference, they pay the most and have the most fans willing to pay.

 

[TheCusian]

It proves that everything has it's price, nothing is sacred and happiness can be bought in the sense that it makes boosters happy that they can buy players for their teams. This is the "get on the bus or get run over by it" mentality. There is a reason the SEC is the best conference, they pay the most and have the most fans willing to pay.

Agreed.

It's just a shame that they don't realize they are damaging the sport. It's similar to the NBA ref that was throwing games. Fairness and the truest, purist competition on and off the field should be the goal. Not "we cheated better."

 

[longislandcuse]

I live in Georgia. If a major car dealership was owned by a guy who snitched on UGA, he would go out of business.

I honestly have no issue with the bag men/shadow boosters outlined in the article. The NCAA by its non-pursuit of this practice allows it. These kids are taken care of even after they graduate or leave the school. I don't see anything immoral about it. Anyone who gets offended by this article should stop following major CFB and CBB because its big business, and big business isn't always pretty.

 

[jvbj01]

it's amazing how little the SEC cares about basketball. you get a lot more bang for your buck paying a couple basketball players.

Kentucky

 

[TheCusian]

I live in Georgia. If a major car dealership was owned by a guy who snitched on UGA, he would go out of business. I honestly have no issue with the bag men/shadow boosters outlined in the article. The NCAA by its non-pursuit of this practice allows it. These kids are taken care of even after they graduate or leave the school. I don't see anything immoral about it. Anyone who gets offended by this article should stop following major CFB and CBB because its big business, and big business isn't always pretty.

Do you think the NCAA would turn a blind eye if they had the resources to successfully investigate these things? I think it's less a matter of them not wanting to enforce it as it is a lack of resources and any real power to dig (subpoenas, etc).

It's not an immoral act towards the kids or for the boosters - the victim is the game itself.

 

[CuseOnly]

It proves that everything has it's price, nothing is sacred and happiness can be bought in the sense that it makes boosters happy that they can buy players for their teams.

This is the "get on the bus or get run over by it" mentality. There is a reason the SEC is the best conference, they pay the most and have the most fans willing to pay.

I agree as well...but we live in the really real world where nothing is as it seems and there is no virtue. It is what it is and like I said, you either play the game he way it is played or get passed by.

If I ever win the lotto, I would be a bagman extrordinaire

 

[CuseOnly]

Do you think the NCAA would turn a blind eye if they had the resources to successfully investigate these things? I think it's less a matter of them not wanting to enforce it as it is a lack of resources and any real power to dig (subpoenas, etc).

It's not an immoral act towards the kids or for the boosters - the victim is the game itself.

Resources are one thing, legality is another. A private entity like the NCAA, IBM, Microsoft or Apple will never be granted wiretaps making what you are asking impossible or they would use them for corporate espionage, not catching athletes getting paid a few grand under the table.