This SI Oklahoma State article is crazy

[Alsacs]

If this stuff is true and I don't doubt it how can the NCAA not give the Oklahoma State football the death penalty. This is SMU all over again. DeForest is an idiot for commenting just say no comment rather than lie when the article has so many former players on the record. Les Miles is going to take a huge hit as well with Gundy and I love that T. Boone Pickens only the wealthiest booster of them all wasn't identified.

Part I SI on Oklahoma State

 

[RF2044]

Pretty damaging stuff. Although--having no perspective on the players who came forward--I have no idea if these guys are legit or merely disgruntled former players with an ax to grind.

It seems like a strange coincidence that several of the people implicated are now dead--that's convenient, and doesn't sit well with me [again, making no judgement on the validity of what the players are alleging]. But on face value, if all five aspects of this expose are on par with this first installment, they've got big problems in Stillwater.

 

[MikeSU02]

If this stuff is true and I don't doubt it how can the NCAA not give the Oklahoma State football the death penalty. This is SMU all over again. DeForest is an idiot for commenting just say no comment rather than lie when the article has so many former players on the record. Les Miles is going to take a huge hit as well with Gundy and I love that T. Boone Pickens only the wealthiest booster of them all wasn't identified.

Part I SI on Oklahoma State

First, it's basic cash payments. Second, the story is being sustained by disgruntled ex players that have been paid. And third, Thayer Evans has been fired for creating stories.

Not saying this isn't true, but there is a lot to question. And, one final thing, as Deadspin pointed out, the most important paragraph is this:

At Oklahoma State the bonus system, the booster and coach payouts, and the bogus jobs provided players with money that was seldom spent on extravagances. One or two standouts bought a new car or expensive jewelry, team members say, but the vast majority of the players used the extra cash to purchase everyday items — food, clothing, tickets to a movie. "There were some athletes who were almost starving," says Carter. "Wherever the money came from, they were like, Yeah, I'll take that."

How dare these scoundrels!

 

[JKinPhilly]

I'm very skeptical that any program would be cheating in such an obvious way. not saying it didn't happen, but this seems like a scene straight out of a movie. As we've seen first hand, you always have to question the motive of the sources in a story like this.

That said, if I was a fan of that program right now I would be sh*$ing bricks waiting for the next installment.

 

[Alsacs]

I don't think there is anything wrong with players getting a stipend. I think football and basketball player's help fund the scholarships for the other sports which don't produce revenue and if schools wanted to give those players a couple extra thousand dollars a semester I would have no problem, but this story is very damning to Oklahoma State and if these players were paid to play then this is SMU 2.0.

 

[TexanMark]

but the vast majority of the players used the extra cash to purchase everyday items — food, clothing, tickets to a movie. "There were some athletes who were almost starving," says Carter. "Wherever the money came from, they were like, Yeah, I'll take that."

How dare these scoundrels!

So you're to allow me to beleive that the players at OSU are almost starving? I call BS. Sure they want money for Midnight Pizza...but most seem to have no issues spending money on Tats, jewerly and cars.

 

[rrlbees]

"There were some athletes who were almost starving," says Carter.

I call BS on that one. If you're a scholarship athlete the meal plan is included. How could you almost be starving?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BlazeOrange]

For those that haven't looked at the article yet, select the commericial for the pulled pork or whatever it is. That Brooklyn Nine-Nine preview is brutal.

 

[Frozen]

Don't athletic schollies include three squares a day on campus, postgame meals, and meal money when on road trips? Not sure how any scholarship player, especially at a school like Okie State, could be "starving." I was once on line behind Marius Janulis in Kimmel, and he had over $1,000 on his meal card.

 

[MikeSU02]

So you're to allow me to beleive that the players at OSU are almost starving? I call BS. Sure they want money for Midnight Pizza...but most seem to have no issues spending money on Tats, jewerly and cars.

Is that what your "gut" is telling you? Do you reallly think $200 gets you tats, jewelry and cars?

Maybe you have, but your statement reeks of never having a serious lack of money.

You can call BS, but you have nothing to back it up. A lot of these kids are seriously poor. Like insanely poor. And yes, being able to go out to eat at Applebees or to a movie is what that money probably paid for most of the time.

You can't live like Diddy for the amounts they were receiving.

 

[rrlbees]

Is that what your "gut" is telling you? Do you reallly think $200 gets you tats, jewelry and cars?

Maybe you have, but your statement reeks of never having a serious lack of money.

You can call BS, but you have nothing to back it up. A lot of these kids are seriously poor. Like insanely poor. And yes, being able to go out to eat at Applebees or to a movie is what that money probably paid for most of the time.

You can't live like Diddy for the amounts they were receiving.

Meal plan?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SUinNYC]

THIS x 100,000,000

The Most Important Part Of SI's Oklahoma State Shamestravaganza

Beneath all of the handwringing and pearl clutching that is laced throughout Sports Illustrated's story on Oklahoma State's pay-for-play schemes is this, the final paragraph:

At Oklahoma State the bonus system, the booster and coach payouts, and the bogus jobs provided players with money that was seldom spent on extravagances. One or two standouts bought a new car or expensive jewelry, team members say, but the vast majority of the players used the extra cash to purchase everyday items — food, clothing, tickets to a movie. "There were some athletes who were almost starving," says Carter. "Wherever the money came from, they were like, Yeah, I'll take that."

After 3,000 words about wads of money being stuffed into envelopes and socks—after all that scandalous B-movie imagery—we are finally told the only thing that really matters about this story: All that money was going towards clothes and food for college kids who otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford either. Everything else is just useless muckraking on behalf of the exploiters at the NCAA.

[SI]

http://deadspin.com/the-most-important-part-of-sis-oklahoma-state-shamestr-1283436204


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - http://tapatalk.com/m/

 

[TexanMark]

Is that what your "gut" is telling you? Do you reallly think $200 gets you tats, jewelry and cars?

Maybe you have, but your statement reeks of never having a serious lack of money.

You can call BS, but you have nothing to back it up. A lot of these kids are seriously poor. Like insanely poor. And yes, being able to go out to eat at Applebees or to a movie is what that money probably paid for most of the time.

You can't live like Diddy for the amounts they were receiving.

My statement reeks of common sense. If a kid is destitude and offered a scholie, meals, travel stipends, etc...he/she needs to be thankful he/she has a chance to get educated but also needs to budget accordingly. I had a budget in college and I spent wisely. It is all about priorities. When a kid's body is littered with tattoo's I think his priorities are out of whack if he is taking money because he is starving.

 

[shandeezy7]

Is that what your "gut" is telling you? Do you reallly think $200 gets you tats, jewelry and cars?

Maybe you have, but your statement reeks of never having a serious lack of money.

You can call BS, but you have nothing to back it up. A lot of these kids are seriously poor. Like insanely poor. And yes, being able to go out to eat at Applebees or to a movie is what that money probably paid for most of the time.

You can't live like Diddy for the amounts they were receiving.

If they are insanely poor, then they should know the difference between "borderline starving" and enjoying three meals a day (all you can eat I'm sure, mind you) plus the meal spending cash that is included in these meal plans.

If you (not you specifically) want to bring up other issues regarding athletes being paid, then fine, go for it. But high-level D1 athletes that are "borderline starving" is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard regarding college athletics.

 

[MikeSU02]

My statement reeks of common sense. If a kid is destitude and offered a scholie, meals, travel stipends, etc...he/she needs to be thankful he/she has a chance to get educated but also needs to budget accordingly. I had a budget in college and I spent wisely. It is all about priorities. When a kid's body is littered with tattoo's I think his priorities are out of whack.

No, it doesn't. I'm not going to continue down this line of arguing after this, but you clearly have never been at or below the poverty line.

You also seem to have a very ignorant stance on what transpires during these recruiting processes and what is said and what is expected when kids get to campus. Being thankful for the education? budget accordingly? Come on.

TM, you seem like a smart guy, great guy, etc. I'm not trying to take a shot at you personally, but there is the reality for these kids and then there is our reality as fans of the program.

If this program got caught, fine. So be it. But this is the way it goes for big time programs. Big time programs are big time for a reason.

And for those talking about the meal plan, I'm talking the overall scope of what a player can spend with the numbers being reported. And, I don't think it's crazy to think a kid may want to eat out once in a while and feel like a human being.

 

[cuseincincy]

If they are insanely poor, then they should know the difference between "borderline starving" and enjoying three meals a day (all you can eat I'm sure, mind you) plus the meal spending cash that is included in these meal plans.

If you (not you specifically) want to bring up other issues regarding athletes being paid, then fine, go for it. But high-level D1 athletes that are "borderline starving" is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard regarding college athletics.

Its not just the starving part thats BS. They have no clothes?? 90% of the athletes I see walking around college campuses are wearing clothes given to them by the university. T's hoodies, sweats, shorts, sneakers, slides. Thats almost all they ever wear anyhow, by choice.

 

[Lawrinson14]

So what type of story will ESPN create after getting out scooped again?

By the way, having to watch an ad before reading the story is infuriating.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Not all schools/scholarships are the same. They aren't all getting 3 meals a day for the entire year. If a student-athlete lives off-campus, they can get room/board checks instead of a meal plan. Is it possible some of these guys were taking these checks and sending money home for their own kids/families instead of keeping it all to themselves? Not saying it is the case, but it is possible.

It's also possible that Carter equates "borderline starving" with not being able to go out to an off-campus place with teammates, or having money for beer and wings on a Sunday. Remember that Chris Webber said something similar to explain why he took cash from Martin, so it could just be how these guys justified taking an extra benefit.

I don't disagree with TexanMark about priorities and budgets, and the schools should be doing more since we know all to well about the numerous broke ex-athletes.

 

[Timonen]

And third, Thayer Evans has been fired for creating stories.

The Whitlock machine is picking up steam on this point!

 

[cuseclappy]

If Miami didnt get the death penalty for all the evidence that came out against them last year. Then no matter how bad this looks for OSU, i'd be floored if they received the death penalty.

 

[DoctorBombay]

That giant sucking sound you hear is the death knell of the NCAA.
IMO, this is not an indictment against OSU specifically, since these shenanigans are probably taking place in programs all over the country. This just puts more nails in the NCAA's coffin. I mean, seriously...what good are they anyway?
The groundwork is being laid for that split this coming January, & all these stories coming out serve as justifications for that action.
Good riddance.

 

[upperdeck]

if these kids come from poor families then they get free pell grants worth thousands a year. go see movies on campus which are dirt cheap most campuses.

 

[SU2NASA]

Middle Tennessee State is going to get nuked because of this.

 

[Full_Rebar]

if these kids come from poor families then they get free pell grants worth thousands a year. go see movies on campus which are dirt cheap most campuses.

Not if you are already a full athletic scholarship. In that case, you get a stipend for clothing/shoes, and have to turn in receipts to document how you spent the money. That's why schools are pushing to allow for athletic scholarships to be full cost of attendance, like academic scholarships.

Just another one of those NCAA things that makes no sense.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Meal plan?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think you are assuming that meal plans are all you can eat and open 24 hrs. My University changed it my Senior year that they weigh the food. You pretty much were always over the amount alotted and had to pay cash for the overage. Also the times were very stringent and playing baseball in college I wasn't able to eat two meals a day a lot because of my class and baseball schedule.

I couldn't imagine how football players who eat a lot more, have brutal schedules, and are less well off manage it. I don't know what the fix is for paying players but just stating how it was in my college. I know players from my school wouldn't turn down money from friends (our age, friends of the program or other wealthy parents) for meals, hair cuts, and some amenities.