Do you have a problem with Adidas/Louisville selling Kevin Ware shirts?

[TheDeuce]

People have been though. People have been stating for years that players should be paid. From Jay Bilas to Jay Williams. This isn't a new conversation. The players want tee shirts? Cool. Give them to the players only. Kind of like their shoes. Selling the shirts to the fans and making a profit off it is shameful IMO.

 

Then if this same discussion has been going on for so long, what is the point of this thread?

[TheDeuce]

Playing NCAA sports is a PRIVILEGE. As has been said, nobody makes these kids play ball. Universities always have and always will make money off athletes. And in my opinion, who cares? In college they are playing for the love of the game and to make it to the next level, right? As has been said, they get a free education, and some of the most incredible experiences you could ever imagine playing ball in college. Not to mention, for those good enough to make it, will make their millions one day anyway. If a player is THAT worried about how much money is being made off him/her playing ball, he/she doesn't have to play. Simple as that.

[02Ram54]

People have been though. People have been stating for years that players should be paid. From Jay Bilas to Jay Williams. This isn't a new conversation. The players want tee shirts? Cool. Give them to the players only. Kind of like their shoes. Selling the shirts to the fans and making a profit off it is shameful IMO.

That's not how the world works. If fans want to wear the same shirt, and they do, the only question is who will sell them. Either it will be adidas, or someone else will sell knockoffs.

[ColonelCrazy]

Playing NCAA sports is a PRIVILEGE. As has been said, nobody makes these kids play ball. Universities always have and always will make money off athletes. And in my opinion, who cares?

 

Obviously there's a contingent of players that care or they would not be suing the NCAA.

[TheDeuce]

Obviously there's a contingent of players that care or they would not be suing the NCAA.

 

We'll see how that works out for them. If they don't like it, don't play.

[ColonelCrazy]

We'll see how that works out for them. If they don't like it, don't play.

 

I haven't followed the case too closely, but it is mostly former players involved in the suit. Larry O'Bannon (UCLA) and a football player from Nebraska were the two that I've read about being most involved.

[ColonelCrazy]

The "they don't have to play", "life has consequences", "playing a sport is a privilege" rhetoric is nonsense. It deflects from the real issue, which is the NCAA making millions of dollars off of kids that don't ever see a dime.

 

For what it's worth, my problem is not specific to Adidas or Louisville profiting from the shirts re: Ware. The issue runs much deeper than Adidas, Louisville, and Ware.

[bugatti]

We'll see how that works out for them. If they don't like it, don't play.

 

Don't play? Come on.

 

From what I understand this Ware exploitation is going to be a feather in the cap for the athletes, O'Bannon, etc.

[Original Rookie]

Yes, it is. Did you start threads concerning Anthony Davis and Nerlens Noel t-shirts that were sold by UK and Nike? While they weren't injured, the principle is the same. Selling merchandise of a specific player, and that kid not getting "anything" for it...

 

This is where I disagree.

 

If you think I'm doing this only because it is Louisville then I can't help you much and really don't care. I'm also the one who posted that UL is taking no royalties :thumb:

[Cats3x]

There is no correct answer to the payment of players question. Schools like Louisville and Kentucky could do it but most could not. If Ware were to receive money from these shirts it would open up a box that would be messy for the NCAA to handle.

[Original Rookie]

We'll see how that works out for them. If they don't like it, don't play.

Yes, this is likely. :ohbrother:

[ColonelCrazy]

I'd love to know the terms of the agreement that allowed Louisville to waive its right to royalties from the t-shirt in exchange for a donation from Adidas...

[bugatti]

There is no correct answer to the payment of players question. Schools like Louisville and Kentucky could do it but most could not. If Ware were to receive money from these shirts it would open up a box that would be messy for the NCAA to handle.

 

If the NCAA is there for the kids then it shouldn't matter. If it requires more work and oversight then so be it. That is who they are there to serve since the NCAA makes no money.... well, ok, they enter in to multi-billion dollar contracts, but who is counting?

 

Darren Rovell had some solid ideas this morning. Say you do allow the kids to get a piece of merchandise sales. For starters, he said the amount they would receive would be relatively low, as in like 27 cents a shirt. But put that aside, his suggestion was to make it contingent upon their graduation when they would get paid. Maybe the money is set aside in a trust or whatever for 4-5 years until the "student-athlete" graduates.

[02Ram54]

Yeah, I'm sure the small schools will be ok with that.

[Getslow]

This is a big problem that goes far beyond just the selling of some shirts.

 

If professional sports in this country weren't operated as monopolies with HUGE barriers to entry then players would have more options and fans would benefit tremendously. I look to the English soccer pyramid for how professional basketball should be run in this country. But that's never going to happen, so we're stuck with this backward model in which college sports have tremendous pull and influence.

 

So it goes.