Urban Meyer Quote on School

[GlideCat]

Link to Full Article

I understand that Urban Meyer is trying to help Cardale Jones with an NFL career. I also understand that I am biased and prone to read more into word choices than most. But the following quote from Urban Meyer seems telling:

"...now he doesn’t have to worry about classes and going to school and all that stuff."

Does his wording indicate to anyone else an acceptance on his part of football as primary and school as secondary (at best)?

 

[Sheffielder]

It's the "[Cardale] wasn't necessarily very good at school" remark that's the smoking gun here. In my opinion, Meyer should be embarrassed for saying it and Jones should be embarrassed for putting himself in a position to make it an accurate statement.

The quote you mentioned, I actually thought was perfectly appropriate in the context of a college player transitioning to the pros.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Well Cardale Jones was the guy who said they ain't there to play school. So, the reference to school as secondary is not valid. Even at best.

At best, Jones is fulfilling the only objective anyone who ever ends up at dOSU - which is to take a shot at the league. If they end up with an education, it would be by accident.

 

[Fitz51]

Well Cardale Jones was the guy who said they ain't there to play school. So, the reference to school as secondary is not valid. Even at best.

At best, Jones is fulfilling the only objective anyone who ever ends up at dOSU - which is to take a shot at the league. If they end up with an education, it would be by accident.

This is correct, and it is the case for a lot more players at a lot more schools than we would like to admit as fans, I think.

 

[Windy City Cat Fan]

It's not the kids fault the system is stupid. If he was a prodigy musician or artist or golfer or actor or hockey player etc. he could pursue his career and start making money on it. But in order to keep feeding the NCAA pig if you are really good at basketball or football you have to attend your English 101 classes for 2 years while making millions for your school and do the whole song and dance to stay eligible and pretend to be a student-athlete.

 

[TheC]

It's not the kids fault the system is stupid. If he was a prodigy musician or artist or golfer or actor or hockey player etc. he could pursue his career and start making money on it. But in order to keep feeding the NCAA pig if you are really good at basketball or football you have to attend your English 101 classes for 2 years while making millions for your school and do the whole song and dance to stay eligible and pretend to be a student-athlete.

If you were a musician or an artist, you could also make some money (not much, but some) on the side by offering to teach private lessons. I wonder what would stop a college football player from offering to teach private football skills lessons for money. Or how about just give a speech to a local business? I am ok with players not getting paid for playing football for their school, but they should be allowed to get paid for their individual talents if someone values that enough to pay them. Granted, I've thought about this position for all of 90 seconds, so I'm sure there are problems with this idea. I'm sure this system would be quite corruptible and probably favor the football factories, but it should be explored. You might keep some kids in school longer if they were allowed to, for example, make some money in the summer running a camp or.. even playing in a semi-pro league during the off-season.

 

[GlideCat]

If you were a musician or an artist, you could also make some money (not much, but some) on the side by offering to teach private lessons. I wonder what would stop a college football player from offering to teach private football skills lessons for money. Or how about just give a speech to a local business? I am ok with players not getting paid for playing football for their school, but they should be allowed to get paid for their individual talents if someone values that enough to pay them. Granted, I've thought about this position for all of 90 seconds, so I'm sure there are problems with this idea. I'm sure this system would be quite corruptible and probably favor the football factories, but it should be explored. You might keep some kids in school longer if they were allowed to, for example, make some money in the summer running a camp or.. even playing in a semi-pro league during the off-season.

Logistically, the NCAA would have to set a rate schedule for what athletes could be paid for speaking engagements and then they would have to define things like how much and what types of food the athlete could accept and what travel arrangements to the engagement were acceptable, hotels, etc... They would then have to enforce all of these regulations. Easier for the NCAA just to say "no."

Philosophically, what would be the value of the athlete as a speaker without the NCAA media juggernaut?

 

[NUCat320]

Logistically, the NCAA would have to set a rate schedule for what athletes could be paid for speaking engagements and then they would have to define things like how much and what types of food the athlete could accept and what travel arrangements to the engagement were acceptable, hotels, etc... They would then have to enforce all of these regulations. Easier for the NCAA just to say "no."

Philosophically, what would be the value of the athlete as a speaker without the NCAA media juggernaut?

Easier for 'minor league football' and 'college' to be mutually exclusive terms, but then the nfl would have to invest in player development.

Cardale Jones shouldn't have been forced to play school.

 

[chicagocatfan24]

DOOOOOONNNNNNNTTTTTTT CCCCCAAAAARRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 

[GlideCat]

Easier for 'minor league football' and 'college' to be mutually exclusive terms, but then the nfl would have to invest in player development.

Cardale Jones shouldn't have been forced to play school.

What do you think Maurice Clarett's career trajectory would have been if he could have skipped being a "student-athlete" under the NCAA rules and gone directly into an NFL minor league?

How much are the truly gifted athletes being hurt by being forced to attend a university and take classes toward a degree about which they are indifferent and unlikely to pursue to completion?

 

[NUCat320]

What do you think Maurice Clarett's career trajectory would have been if he could have skipped being a "student-athlete" under the NCAA rules and gone directly into an NFL minor league?

How much are the truly gifted athletes being hurt by being forced to attend a university and take classes toward a degree about which they are indifferent and unlikely to pursue to completion?

Cardale Jones could have been making actual money and devoting himself full time to becoming a professional football player. He's been slighted three years of pay, if nothing else.

There are 50 rounds in the baseball draft, roughly the first week of June. About half the kids drafted in the first ten rounds will be high potential high school players. If these players choose, they may become part time players and full time students, or they can sign a contract and fly to Arizona or Florida or Helena or Johnson City and become a pro, while also getting paid for their effort.

(I wrote about this extensively in the Cardale Jones thread last week... I'll link to it if I remember.)

(Also, are you stating that Maurice Clarett, I assume still in prison, was somehow saved by the ncaa? Oh the tragedy if he had just been getting paid commensurate to his skills.)

 

[willycat]

Easier for 'minor league football' and 'college' to be mutually exclusive terms, but then the nfl would have to invest in player development.

Cardale Jones shouldn't have been forced to play school.

How did Mr. Jones stay eligible? Sorry I forgot this is Ohio St. were talking about. Aids awareness anyone?

 

[Windy City Cat Fan]

How did Mr. Jones stay eligible? Sorry I forgot this is Ohio St. were talking about. Aids awareness anyone?

Isn't that the point - if he knows he will be a professional football player, he has the skills and that is the career path he wants to take, why in the sam hill should he have to pretend like he's pursuing a degree in African Studies or Communications or Kenisielogy etc. He wants to be a football player and if someone is willing to hire him based on his current or potential skill set as a football player, why shouldn't he be allowed to do that until he is 3 years removed from high school? Any reason other than the fact that it would kill the golden goose that the NCAA and NFL/NBA (free minor league system) has is just not honest.

 

[Fitz51]

Any reason other than the fact that it would kill the golden goose that the NCAA and NFL/NBA (free minor league system) has is just not honest.

Bingo. 100% money. 0% any academic integrity or concern.

 

[willycat]

Isn't that the point - if he knows he will be a professional football player, he has the skills and that is the career path he wants to take, why in the sam hill should he have to pretend like he's pursuing a degree in African Studies or Communications or Kenisielogy etc. He wants to be a football player and if someone is willing to hire him based on his current or potential skill set as a football player, why shouldn't he be allowed to do that until he is 3 years removed from high school? Any reason other than the fact that it would kill the golden goose that the NCAA and NFL/NBA (free minor league system) has is just not honest.

Agree that he or anyone else should not be stopped from shopping their talents at any age. This b.s. that their H.S. class has to be X amount of years from the past or that they have to be out of H.S. for one year is bogus. It just saves the NFL and NBA from forming and paying for an actual minor leagues and it puts money in the pockets of NCAA honchos and university administrators. Notice the player gets nothing.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Isn't that the point - if he knows he will be a professional football player, he has the skills and that is the career path he wants to take, why in the sam hill should he have to pretend like he's pursuing a degree in African Studies or Communications or Kenisielogy etc. He wants to be a football player and if someone is willing to hire him based on his current or potential skill set as a football player, why shouldn't he be allowed to do that until he is 3 years removed from high school? Any reason other than the fact that it would kill the golden goose that the NCAA and NFL/NBA (free minor league system) has is just not honest.

It sure is the golden goose of the free minor league system. Why else would you prevent a LeBron or Garnett from going pro in the NBA? NFL doesn't have to support a minor league team either. If there was minor league football for kids right out of HS or fringe college players the league would need subsidized by the NFL. See minor league baseball model. Who will be in attendance when there are NFL, NCAA options. Why give up a part of your riches when you don't have too? I know a lot of people feel a college education is ample compensation for being a player on a power 5 school. They sometimes base this on their experience as a paying struggling student. To that I say, bolder dash. These recruits are judged to be the best at what they do and represent a very small percentage of the athletic population out there. Pay them a reasonable consistent stipend supported by the insane profits most school make, let them declare for the draft at any time, and accept the fact that some stars will leave to a pro payday.

 

[GlideCat]

(Also, are you stating that Maurice Clarett, I assume still in prison, was somehow saved by the ncaa? Oh the tragedy if he had just been getting paid commensurate to his skills.)

Maurice Clarett does not appear to be in prison at the present time. However, he was convicted of DUI in February. My point was sort of the opposite. Clarett clearly was indifferent to school and forcing him to follow that charade was pointless. Granted, immaturity is immaturity but I can't help but think that he would have had a better chance of success without the pretense of trying to appear to be a student-athlete.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Maurice Clarett does not appear to be in prison at the present time. However, he was convicted of DUI in February. My point was sort of the opposite. Clarett clearly was indifferent to school and forcing him to follow that charade was pointless. Granted, immaturity is immaturity but I can't help but think that he would have had a better chance of success without the pretense of trying to appear to be a student-athlete.

Actually, DUI aside, the turnaround that Clarrett has made in his life has been quite impressive. He's going around doing motivational speeches and trying to help kids avoid the same mistakes he made. Let's not make Clarrett into a demon the way dOSU boosters would have you believe. He is a product of the institution, and his lifepath was influenced by choosing to be in the environment that is in Columbus, and to his credit, he has cleansed himself since separating from that cesspool.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Actually, DUI aside, the turnaround that Clarrett has made in his life has been quite impressive. He's going around doing motivational speeches and trying to help kids avoid the same mistakes he made. Let's not make Clarrett into a demon the way dOSU boosters would have you believe. He is a product of the institution, and his lifepath was influenced by choosing to be in the environment that is in Columbus, and to his credit, he has cleansed himself since separating from that cesspool.

Ironically, and sadly, prison had a greater and more postiive benefit to Maurice Clarrett than being at dOSU.

 

[NURoseBowl]

Bingo. 100% money. 0% any academic integrity or concern.

Hammer, meet nail. And that, right there, is the damned shame of it all.