Pat Fitzgerald urges against union

[ABQCOWBOY]

I have seen no evidence, at all, that the American Football Coaches Association has ever or will ever participate in any kind of collective bargaining activities in any capacity what so ever. Unless there is some evidence that they intend to fill this role, I think it's save to say that the AFCA is not acting as a Labor Union in any way, shape or form.

 

[peplaw06]

From the article...

"I think a lot of guys feel the same as I do," said senior center Brandon Vitabile, a member of the team's leadership council. "Coach Fitz has done everything in his power and been a voice for us and he has gotten changes. He goes to [American Football Coaches Association] meetings and does act in our interests. I've had conversations with him before all this happened.

Fitzgerald is apparently telling the players that the AFCA acts in the players' interests... How does it do that? Bargaining perhaps?

And if the coach recognizes that the players need someone to act in the players' interests, why can't they act on their own behalf?

 

[peplaw06]

Anyone read the article about the SEC bag man? These SEC teams are already paying players... and the NCAA can't do anything about it. Just make it legal already and stop the charade.

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

 

[casmith07]

They don't want the players to unionize because it'll cut a piece of the pie for the universities.

College sports are going to change forever in the next 5 to 10 years.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

They don't want the players to unionize because it'll cut a piece of the pie for the universities.

College sports are going to change forever in the next 5 to 10 years.

They as in the NCAA or the Universities? I think there is a definite difference in what each might want here.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

And where did that land GM? THey wouldn't even be in existence anymore if it wasn't for the American taxpayer.
Oh really? Who said that? I'd love to see a link supporting that point (but no such link exists).

Apolgoy accepted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...p-uconns-napier-says-he-goes-to-bed-starving/

 

[casmith07]

They as in the NCAA or the Universities? I think there is a definite difference in what each might want here.

They as in the NCAA.

I think Universities would be okay with players unionizing. A lot of their recruiting tactics and more could end up being collectively bargained.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

They as in the NCAA.

I think Universities would be okay with players unionizing. A lot of their recruiting tactics and more could end up being collectively bargained.

I agree, I think the NCAA probably is against this for some of the reasons you state but I also think that they are concerned with how this might force them to react across all College Athletics. If I were them, I would be terrified of what that could mean.

As for the Universities, I think this is true for the upper echelon but I am not so sure that all of the rest agree with that.

 

[casmith07]

I agree with the lower tier universities. I think one solution would be to get the money out of college athletics entirely but that won't happen.

 

[Doomsday101]

I agree with the lower tier universities. I think one solution would be to get the money out of college athletics entirely but that won't happen.

It takes money to operate these programs and money brought in for football or baseketball also is used to help fund other athletics that tend not to bring in much money. However again the kids men and woman benifet by getting scholorships that allow them to attend college and for so many without that scholorship they would not have the means to attend in the frist place.

 

[peplaw06]

There's nothing stopping the lower tier universities from continuing to operate the way they do now. They are already at a recruiting disadvantage when compared to the big schools. Keep giving out scholarships to the players who want to play there and those who aren't recruited to the bigger schools.

I don't see any reason they can't keep doing that if the big schools start paying players -- or continue paying them, just legally.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I agree with the lower tier universities. I think one solution would be to get the money out of college athletics entirely but that won't happen.

Yeah, I agree. I also agree that it would never happen.

 

[peplaw06]

http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/bwjj0i/sports-disparity

http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/dmqmzy/sports-disparity---a-hero-s-salute

 

[Rogah]

Apolgoy accepted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...p-uconns-napier-says-he-goes-to-bed-starving/

Well thanks for showing us there really is a sucker born every minute, and you really can fool some of the people all of the time.

Guy has about $2,500 worth of tattoos on his arms alone, and you think he is a guy in some dorm room malnourished and dying of starvation.

 

[peplaw06]

Do you know how or when he got those tattoos?

 

[Rogah]

Do you know how or when he got those tattoos?

No clue, but someone had to pay for 'em (even if that "someone" was the tattoo artist himself like with Ohio State).

I watched the National Championship game. Sorry, but I can't say I thought those guys looked terribly malnourished out there. The guy was 100% full of **** when he said he sometimes went to bed starving - period, end of discussion. Those guys have free meal plans to go with their scholarships.

 

[peplaw06]

There's a wide gulf between occasionally going to bed hungry at night and being malnourished. When I was in college it was nothing to take some of my hard-earned cash and go to Whataburger or Taco Bell at 1:00 a.m. These guys don't have the ability to do that. They have meal plans, but those probably have to be used at the cafeteria or otherwise on campus... you think those places are open late?

I mean the NCAA is regulating whether Oklahoma football players eat more than the authorized amount of pasta at a dinner event. Is it really that far fetched to think that sometimes players have a late night hunger that goes unfed?

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I was hungry at times when I was young as well. It's not a good thing but it was probably more my fault thou. I don't really buy into the going to bed hungry thing either. If you are an athlete in a big time college sport, you don't get deprived of nourishment. That just doesn't ring true to me. If you want to say you don't have money to go out and catch a movie or wear new kicks or afford to fly home, any of those types of things I can believe. Not go hungry.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Well thanks for showing us there really is a sucker born every minute, and you really can fool some of the people all of the time.

Guy has about $2,500 worth of tattoos on his arms alone, and you think he is a guy in some dorm room malnourished and dying of starvation.

So you ask for a link and a name, you are provided one, and you still claim it is BS. About par for the course on this board.

 

[peplaw06]

I was hungry at times when I was young as well. It's not a good thing but it was probably more my fault thou. I don't really buy into the going to bed hungry thing either. If you are an athlete in a big time college sport, you don't get deprived of nourishment. That just doesn't ring true to me. If you want to say you don't have money to go out and catch a movie or wear new kicks or afford to fly home, any of those types of things I can believe. Not go hungry.

What evidence do any of you have that he's lying?

I mean I get it... you have to think he's lying since you think you're taking the high road in this debate, and hearing about an athlete going hungry goes against the morally superior position. But other than that, why would anyone doubt what he says? There are more athletes than just Napier who are saying this as well. Are they all lying?