agent orange

July 21st, 2010 | By boadurichard

Something has to give in college football it seems every day, student athletes in major programs are committing rules violations relating to “extra benefits”. Maurkice Pouncey, former star offensive lineman at the University of Florida is under investigation this week for allegedly taking 100,000 dollars from an agent prior to the Sugar Bowl this past year. Furthermore, the Reggie Bush scandal has left USC in shambles after having to return Bush’s Heisman Trophy and losing longtime athletic director Mike Garrett. For USC, the worst of all a crippling probation levied against the school is that it will most assuredly remove the Trojans from the ranks of college football elite for some time.

Also today, it was revealed that agents may have provided transportation, lodging, food and other expenses for some of the elite players in college football for a party in South Beach Miami. North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin, South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders and Alabama defensive tackle Marcel Dareus are all reported to have attended the party. What is crazy is that Austin may have ended his career at UNC early by tweeting about the experience and basically broadcasted his wrongdoing to the world. It is rumored that UNC may be shaken to the core regarding this party as, wide receiver Greg Little, safety Deunta Williams, cornerback Kendric Burney and linebackers Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant may have attended or received extra benefits as well. It remains unclear if the other UNC players attended the party or are just under investigation or were simply being questioned regarding alleged violations regarding Austin. The National Football Post is reporting that Austin will indeed be suspended for the year.

It seems that if the NCAA continues to punish amateur athletes (see Dez Bryant) for their involvement with agents or receiving extra benefits. In my opinion, the NCAA should step up to the plate and hold agents as well as athletes responsible for their actions that not only hurt the athletes prospects for the future but directly affect not only their current team but in some cases future teams at the institution, ask USC about this. I think that if the NCAA is going to punish athletes and remove their amateur status they should cut the problem off at the neck and punish agents as well. Have you ever seen an episode of National Geographic where the Elephants are being chastised for being poached for their ivory? The answer to this question is a firm no. College athletes with bright futures in the NFL are bright targets for the sleazy underworld that sports agents inhabit. Until some responsibility is required of the agents then these types of stories are going to be a regular occurrence. I think that every student athlete involved understands what they are risking when they take these types of chances involving extra benefits. You have to maintain some type of accountability for the student athlete, but in all honesty if you have never had something and somebody ….. anybody offers you a substantial amount of money would it not be hard to take it? Several options could be set up to reduce these types of happenings in sports because it looks like a promising UNC team will now be decimated because of the decisions of a few that will affect the whole football team in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Here are some theoretical solutions to the problem, keep in mind they would all be instituted separately or possibly in conjuction with each other.

Options for Change:
1. Suspend agents caught giving money to student athletes from their profession for two years and when they return they must pay any amount given to a student athlete to a fund which helps NCAA reduce “extra benefits” problems as such.

2. NCAA sanctioned monies for prospective student athletes with NFL potential. This one is quirky but have the NCAA establish that after a players sophomore year of eligibility that a player may receive a predetermined amount of money that does not exceed 1/8 of an insurance policy totaling no more than 2 million dollars if a player has a presumed draft status of second round or higher. This one will be tough but will at least regulate this issue if players can “legally” access future earnings from the NFL without losing eligibility.

3. If a player is caught receiving monies from an agent they should have to repay the sum of these monies plus ten points to a continuing education fund at the institution for athletes to finish their degrees after their playing days are over. No eligibility will be lost but monies are due when the player reaches the NFL. If the player does not then they would owe what in essence would be “community service” educating future athletes what can happen if you interact with agents in an illegal manor.

4. Lastly, eliminate contact with Agents after the junior year of eligibility, this is only asking for problems. The NFL does not get to evaluate athletes until the combine why should agents get early access?

I hope that these young men are exonerated for the sake of their individual character, the livelihood of their prospective teams and alumni bases of the respective schools, as well as the fans that would love to see them perform this fall. I hate to see the NCAA “throw away” young men every year regarding this victimless crime. I think that agents should be persecuted at the highest levels and the reprimand of individual universities of the guilty party be minimized. For example, I really don’t think that current USC players who were in Jr. High when Reggie Bush was suiting up for the Trojans should suffer for the acts of somebody who screwed up 5 years ago. Most importantly the student athletes should take responsibility for their actions because at the moment the consequences are very steep. Just ask Tommy Heisman 05’ who is in the trash somewhere in L.A. as we speak. Lastly, it is TIME FOR THE NCAA STEP UP THE PLATE AND PROTECT THE AMETURE STATUS OF THE ATHLETES THAT PROVIDES ALL THE INCOME AND TAX BREAKS IT IS AFFORDED, its time to stop the finger pointing and take action.

MY TWO CENTS,

CLAUDE CLAYBORNE.

Monday Morning Cornerback: Week 11

November 16th, 2009 | By boadurichard

Yo yo, what’s good. Ricky Writer here. These are my quick cuts and jukes over this past weekend of football.

In the newly storied rivalry that is Rutgers and USF, USF got their asses hand to em one time each quarter. You all wanted to annoint USF Frosh QB, B.J. Daniels as the next best thing, and yes, he is good, but he is still a Freshman. If Matt Barkley is struggling in So Cal you can bet Mr. Daniels is as well. The Frosh QB we should be talking about is Rutgers QB, Tom Savage. They boy has 10 tds and 2 picks on the whole year.

If you look at the score of the Cincinnati vs. West Virginia game, you’d say uh-oh Cincy is gonna go down real soon. They barely got by WVU. But it was an off game for the Bearcats who made uncharacteristic mistakes and still found a way to win. Tony Pike will lead the Bearcats the rest of the way. He stepped in and threw 4 passes to knock the rust off and tossed 2 tds. After watching this game, I think Cincy stays undefeated through the regular season.

This is where it gets painful. is it bad if the three brand name undefeated teams bore me and I’m only excited by the off-brand three undefeated teams?

Florida struggled up until the 4th quarter to be South Carolina. Yes the Gamecocks have a great defense, but these are the Florida Gators. Just signs of how much this college football season sucks, but we have to give the Gators some love, that’s 20 victories in a row. I wonder if Steve Spurrier ever regrets leaving Florida? He’d never admit it but I think he does. He could be sitting pretty like A-Rod, and setting himself up to overthrow Joe Paterno with the most victories.

It’s not what’s on the outside that counts, it’s what’s on the inside. Mississippi State wore some cool new black uniforms in hopes of defeating #2 Alabama. No bueno! 31-3 rout at home, not a good look.

Do I really have to talk about Texas drilling Baylor? I mean Robert Griffin is not playing so you know how the game was going to turn out.

Now I get excited…

The TCU vs. Utah game was supposed to be a mini-bowl game for all the MWC marbles. TCU took Utah’s marbles and cookies. LIke I’ve said before no one wants to see that TCU 4-2-5 defense or offense. TCU QB,  Andy Dalton, is lighting up the scoreboard. I”ll be honest, I don’t think Cincy or Boise St. can really hang with the big boys this year, but TCU is foreal.

Yes the Idaho vs. Boise State is actually a rivalry although it hasnt been with the rise of the Broncos and fall of the Vandals. But the coming in the Vandals were 7-3 and bowl eligible. But Boise St. let them know who runs that state in a 63-25 rout to remain undefeated but still on the outside looking in as far as the BCS title game is concerned.

GA Tech puts a smile on my face. Their option attack is unparalleled and it takes me back to the old school Wishbone, Triple Option, Wing-T days when I was a young lad in the 90s. They clinched a spot in the ACC title game by defeating the newly respectable Duke Blue Devils 49-10. GA Tech will likely face Clemson. It should be a good one. Congrats Yellow Jackets.

LSU is not LSU anymore. Yes they have injuries but it’s evident they aren’t as dominant as no one has been in this weak ass college football season. They barely beat LA Tech 24-16.

USC got beat by Stanford. Am I surprised, no. I am surprised that they got drilled at home though, 55-21. Standford coach, Jim Harbaugh, is a serious ball coach, and I expect Michigan to buy out Rich Rodriguez’s contract and bring the ex-Wolverine Harbaugh back to Ann Arbor. The biggest mistake Pete Carroll made was not being able to convince Mark Sanchez to stay but replacing Steve Sarkisian with Jeremy Bates who hasn’t done much in his career other than latch onto Mike Shanahan.

Ohio State is going to the BCS after their victory over Iowa. It’s not that impressive to do anymore when you are the dominant team in the Big Ten. Let’s give them props, and my boy Terrelle Pryor is coming into his own now they they are opening up the playbook to him, as he went 14/17 against the Hawkeyes.

I’m a little confused by the rankings, which has Iowa being dropped two spots to #15 which is fine seeing as to how they lost. But Penn State, which Iowa beat on the road jumped five spots from #17 to #12 and is three spots ahead of a team they lost too?!?! Not to mention another team in which Iowa beat, the Wisconsin Badgers are #14, one slot ahead of the Hawkeyes. This is the stupidity that I find with the polls. I don’t think these writers watch to games to be honest.

Dion Lewis, Heisman? Anyone agree? He has carried the offense on his back to be honest. Notre Dame’s fall as predicted by 6Magazine’s Claude Clayborne is happening before our eyes. Michael Floyd has been back two weeks now for the Irish but I can’t tell because Golden Tate is playing like he’s the number #1 receiver.

Pardon me while I’ve just realized I haven’t been giving you quick cuts and jukes. It’s been more like methodical four and five yard gains down the field. I just passed the 50 yard line, so I’ma get my Barry Sanders on again if you don’t mind.

I don’t know why people continue to hate on Oregon’s uniforms, they are tight every week.

Miami Hurricanes met their maker, Butch Davis this past weekend.

The Houston Cougars are slowly starting to hurt my feelings.

Because of Penn St. and Wisconsin robbing Iowa of ranking spots, I will not mention or bold them in this week’s Monday Morning Cornerback.

C.J. Spiller is the nation’s most exciting and valuable player, therefore he should win the Heisman trophy.

NFL

Maybe Josh McDaniels was right about Jay Cutler…..

Matt Ryan meet the sophomore slump. She’s a cruel daughter of a bitch. Why is Carolina WR, Steve Smith, complaining about offensive involvement when he caught 4 balls for 34 yards and 2tds?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Bengals, Colts, and Patriots but does anyone really want to play the Dolphins in the playoffs? Yes, they are 4-5, but they will be in the playoffs, watch!

Duh, Lions vs. Vikings you know who won, but did you see this. WTH!

Mark Sanchez meet the Rookie Ridicule. It happens, you’re gonna suck in your rookie season unless you’re Ben Roethlisberger or Dan Marino. You’ll bounce back the last half of the season we promise. The Jags are flying under the radar this year, but their defense has been amazing.

Not sure what it is, but the Bengals have the Steelers number and they better not face them in the Wildcard game if they know what is good for them.

I keep saying it. The Saints don’t have a run defense. I don’t care if people were injured or not, when those guys are healthy they still had the same problems. Look at the stats on the Carolina and St. Louis games. But 9-0 is 9-0.

T.O.’s mid-season melt down came right on cue. ESPN AFC East blogger, Tim Graham,  now actually have valid reasons to provoke T.O. Chris Johnson doesn’t have much of an o-line and leads the league in rushing. So why are we giving Adrian Peterson all the MVP considerations?

The Redskins won? Ge the fuck outta here! Man…saying anything would be ruining the moment.

Do I really have to talk about Kansas City vs. Oakland?

Bad Kurt Warner stayed home and Good Kurt Warner came to play. My fantasy team thanks him.

Charles Woodson beat the Dallas Cowboys all by himself.

I think Andy Reid’s welcome in slowly fading.

When you kick Bill Belichick in the balls you normally brake your foot and have to have two or three toes amputated and he will not apologize or pay your medical bills.

That’s All I got,

Ricky Writer