Breaking: Ricky Gibson to the portal

[KTrain]

Give him his walking papers now.

If he hangs around and doesn't go through Spring practice. That puts UT in upper hand. Because if he leaves after classes conclude, he will go to a new system. He will need to learn a new system that their returning players already have down. How many times have I and others said I thought so and so would be getting starting reps because of his stature. Only to hear the refrain well he missed the Spring and it's just hard to hit the ground running when fall practice starts vs players that had multiple reps in the Spring. This will be interesting how it plays out. If he goes to a school after the 2025 Spring school calendar, I'll be interested to follow how his season goes or doesn't go. I mean he's a good player a former 3 star but he's no Travis Hunter type player that's a lock for NFL.

 

[Carp]

Hehehehe, keep digging your hole. For DECADES UT and other schools paid players under the table, against the NCAA rules. We all knew it and expected it so we could compete.

NOW...... you become concerned with morality. That's rich.

Something about 2 wrongs and a right and all that jazz.

Gibson is most certainly acting in bad faith here. It isn't "just business" when you came to a financial agreement roughly 2 months ago and then try to leverage more money after the fact. Would it be "just business" if another CB got hurt in spring practice and he tried to renegotiate again?

Again, I'm all for players making money and using leverage when it comes down to contract talks. But contract talks happened already and shake downs are ethically inappropriate in business.

 

[CAVPUT]

Give him his walking papers now.

Exactly. You can't make a short term decision that will likely bring long term consequences in your locker room and program. You trust your recruiting and coaches to develop what you have. At the same time, you were going to need at least one body from the portal at CB. Now I'd take two of the best you can get and roll with that room. Said it before. If you give in to Gibson today, he'll be back tomorrow. Baron comes to mind. In addition, you invite everyone else to do the same. No, this needs to be a line in the sand now. You make a deal for the coming year and we will stand by that deal. If you choose to "renegotiate", you need to find another place to play.

 

[CAVPUT]

If he hangs around and doesn't go through Spring practice. That puts UT in upper hand. Because if he leaves after classes conclude, he will go to a new system. He will need to learn a new system that their returning players already have down. How many times have I and others said I thought so and so would be getting starting reps because of his stature. Only to hear the refrain well he missed the Spring and it's just hard to hit the ground running when fall practice starts vs players that had multiple reps in the Spring. This will be interesting how it plays out. If he goes to a school after the 2025 Spring school calendar, I'll be interested to follow how his season goes or doesn't go. I mean he's a good player a former 3 star but he's no Travis Hunter type player that's a lock for NFL.

I disagree. He's made his play. He's shown his word cannot be trusted. IMO, the bridge is burned no matter what he "says" about the spring. I think you need to move forward and consider him gone. You go to the portal and prepare to be without Gibson and McCoy. If one or both are available, great. Heupel is making a huge mistake if he gives in on this. IMO, it will be his Kelly Washington moment.

 

[utchs81]

Exactly. You can't make a short term decision that will likely bring long term consequences in your locker room and program. You trust your recruiting and coaches to develop what you have. At the same time, you were going to need at least one body from the portal at CB. Now I'd take two of the best you can get and roll with that room. Said it before. If you give in to Gibson today, he'll be back tomorrow. Baron comes to mind. In addition, you invite everyone else to do the same. No, this needs to be a line in the sand now. You make a deal for the coming year and we will stand by that deal. If you choose to "renegotiate", you need to find another place to play.

Couldn't agree with you more Cav , but then again I am a boomer.

 

[CAVPUT]

Couldn't agree with you more Cav , but then again I am a boomer.

Sadly, I think Heupel will pay him. He knows what's at stake this season....his first with the staff and entire roster HE assembled. You got a glimpse of it with the big OT from LSU. He's hired coaches who he's comfortable with, but IMO, some aren't so good at evals/recruiting/developing so he's forced to cover for them via the portal. This isn't year 1 or 2 for Heupel. Let's be honest. Gibson wasn't an all-conference performer last year. Hard to believe can't find someone on the roster who can be "serviceable" on this roster.....after 4 years of recruiting no less. Where is the recruiting? Where is the development? Hate to say it, but I think this is very reminiscent of his stay at UCF. Even if it costs us and we end up a 7 win team, there's no way I set a precedent like this especially for an average CB like Gibson. Stand firm Heupel.

 

[DaddyChad]

Something about 2 wrongs and a right and all that jazz.

Gibson is most certainly acting in bad faith here. It isn't "just business" when you came to financial agreement roughly 2 months ago. Would it be "just business" if another CB got hurt in spring practice and he tried to renegotiate again?

Again, I'm all for players making money and using leverage when it comes down to contract talks. But shake downs are ethically inappropriate in business.

Exactly. And in business when a party negotiates in bad faith you do not deal with them again. I’m all for a player getting fair value or even above value but when you negotiate a good deal you stick to it.

 

[patrick]

Ugh.

Cut him loose - otherwise you will have 84 other guys wanting to "renegotiate" their NIL deals...... Let's just renegotiate NIL deals after each game.... or each practice.... where does it end??? LOL

 

[gule]

do these portal wannabe's still get to partake of all the team benifits(meals, tutors, trainers, etc. etc.) ? I'd cut them off as soon as they declare for the portal. I'm petty like that. lol

 

[KTrain]

I disagree. He's made his play. He's shown his word cannot be trusted. IMO, the bridge is burned no matter what he "says" about the spring. I think you need to move forward and consider him gone. You go to the portal and prepare to be without Gibson and McCoy. If one or both are available, great. Heupel is making a huge mistake if he gives in on this. IMO, it will be his Kelly Washington moment.

I agree, it sets a bad precedent. I mean after Spring UT can say is he worth the team morale degrade and jimmy and Joe looked great this Spring. Especially thinking that there are going to be a lot of new guardrails set up in the future to try to corral the wild west atmosphere. I do believe this is it for him making money off of football. He showed vs OSU that he cant shutdown or stay with future NFL lock wide receivers. The biggest head scratcher is he got a bump in NIL and then saw and opening via a teammate injury. Then went for more even though things like this disrupts the whole program and makes players, coaches as well as fans pick sides and divide and lose in this mantra.

 

[overseasorange2]

 

[TrapVol]

No way I could be a college football coach in today’s environment… I would lose my patience with these athletes and their agents.

The irony is, all of this is happening because of money… And yet, college football is going to start losing money because of apathetic fans losing interest. Speaking for myself, the apathy has already started to settle in.

If they don’t reign it in somehow, the very thing that started all of this will be the thing that ruins college football.

 

[CAVPUT]

do these portal wannabe's still get to partake of all the team benifits(meals, tutors, trainers, etc. etc.) ? I'd cut them off as soon as they declare for the portal. I'm petty like that. lol

Well, he hasn't "entered" the portal since it's not open, but he went public and declared his intentions. For me, that's crossing a line, and I'd consider him gone. He and his group knew exactly what they were doing by going public at this point in time. Pressure tactic. If I were Heupel, it would ruffle my feathers for sure.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

I meant program in the general sense. Nobody is crying. The fact is he chose TN and we have him the opportunity. The players don’t deserve to hold all the power either. That’s not how business works. His timing is ridiculous. Like I said he has put us in a freaking bind. Even AP said it.

Yes I am demeaning him because it’s warranted. What’s he done to deserve a raise? Nothing. Business decisions should be merit based. You think Heupel would have gotten a raise for going 8-4 in year 2? Nope. Sorry you are wrong. Gibson and his crew are essentially saying even though I haven’t earned it, give me my lonely or I walk. If you owned a business and an employee who hasn’t earned it comes to you and says give me more money or I walk, what do you do?

You need to take your blinders off. You called this a business. Fine. In business the business owner and board members run things. Not the employees. Gibson is not a generational lock down CB. He isn’t honey badger or Jalen Ramsey. The only leverage he has is he is a starter. Pulling this move is a b!tch move. Let him go to another team where he can pull this trash.

If he isn't worth a raise then let him walk. But you're here demeaning him because you want him to stay cause you know he's good. If he wasn't good nobody would be saying a word. We would just be wishing him well in his future endeavors.

Whether you like it or not he's justified in trying to make as much money as possible for his talents. Just like you are at your job. It's not his job to placate the interests of the University of Tennessee football program. Sure this puts us in a bind but that's our problem not his or his family.

Once again yall are holding these kids to standards you don't hold anyone else. The football program can recruit over Rickey Gibson if he fails to perform on the field but he's not allowed to leave to seek better compensation? You can't have it both ways. You can't be in favor of us trying to field the best team every year but yet get mad if the players want more money.

 

[KTrain]

No way I could be a college football coach in today’s environment… I would lose my patience with these athletes and their agents.

The irony is, all of this is happening because of money… And yet, college football is going to start losing money because of apathetic fans losing interest. Speaking for myself, the apathy has already started to settle in.

If they don’t reign it in somehow, the very thing that started all of this will be the thing that ruins college football.

That's what some coach Nick Saban said.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

If he isn't worth a raise then let him walk. But you're here demeaning him because you want him to stay cause you know he's good. If he wasn't good nobody would be saying a word. We would just be wishing him well in his future endeavors.

Whether you like it or not he's justified in trying to make as much money as possible for his talents. Just like you are at your job. It's not his job to placate the interests of the University of Tennessee football program. Sure this puts us in a bind but that's our problem not his or his family.

Once again yall are holding these kids to standards you don't hold anyone else. The football program can recruit over Rickey Gibson if he fails to perform on the field but he's not allowed to leave to seek better compensation? You can't have it both ways. You can't be in favor of us trying to field the best team every year but yet get mad if the players want more money.

Get your point but this has the makings of creating a lot of bad blood between players who may disagree with what he is doing and/or taking NIL money from others. A coach has to consider the team chemistry here. Maybe its not going to just saying..............

 

[Voltopia]

I disagree. He's made his play. He's shown his word cannot be trusted. IMO, the bridge is burned no matter what he "says" about the spring. I think you need to move forward and consider him gone. You go to the portal and prepare to be without Gibson and McCoy. If one or both are available, great. Heupel is making a huge mistake if he gives in on this. IMO, it will be his Kelly Washington moment.

This is what I would come back to. If you make a deal with him, you have to make that deal knowing that if anything happens in the secondary next year, or if there's some other sort of opportunity, he'll be back to put the squeeze on you again.

It has the same scent as Quinshon Judkins trying to demand more NIL money to play the second half of an Ole Miss game several years back. And yeah, they called his bluff that time, sure, but it represents an ongoing risk.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Something about 2 wrongs and a right and all that jazz.

Gibson is most certainly acting in bad faith here. It isn't "just business" when you came to a financial agreement roughly 2 months ago and then try to leverage more money after the fact. Would it be "just business" if another CB got hurt in spring practice and he tried to renegotiate again?

Again, I'm all for players making money and using leverage when it comes down to contract talks. But contract talks happened already and shake downs are ethically inappropriate in business.

Leverage is leverage and the smart move since most guys never see NFL money is to maximize your college money.

Expecting ethics in college athletics NOW is where I just laugh at people. Where have all of you been for the last 50 years?

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Get your point but this has the makings of creating a lot of bad blood between players who may disagree with what he is doing and/or taking NIL money from others. A coach has to consider the team chemistry here. Maybe its not going to just saying..............

Players know its a business. It's the fans that are hung up on the whole team pride thing. You don't see NFL players get mad when their teammates leave as free agents for a better payday. Similarly I doubt the players are gonna hold it against Rickey for getting paid. We just Squirrel leave for a better payday and I didn't see a player revolt.

What Rickey is doing is a problem for fans not the players. The players understand it's a business. It's fans like you that need to get with the program.

 

[Jaxon_Vol2017]

Well, he hasn't "entered" the portal since it's not open, but he went public and declared his intentions. For me, that's crossing a line, and I'd consider him gone. He and his group knew exactly what they were doing by going public at this point in time. Pressure tactic. If I were Heupel, it would ruffle my feathers for sure.

100%. Dude is a scum bag in opinion. Had he not already got a new deal then fine, renegotiate. He's 100% taking advantage of a teammate being hurt. I'm really curious how other players feel about that kinda move.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Leverage is leverage and the smart move since most guys never see NFL money is to maximize your college money.

Expecting ethics in college athletics NOW is where I just laugh at people. Where have all of you been for the last 50 years?

Is there a more perfect quote to apply to this situation than what Jay-Z said in H to the Izzo?

I'm overcharging n***** for what they did to the Cold Crush
Pay us like you owe us for all the years that you h*ed us
We can talk, but money talks, so talk mo' bucks

College football players are simply overcharging now for what they were owed for all those years they were getting screwed over. I'm definitely not gonna hate on them for taking advantage of their leverage after having no leverage for so long.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

This is what I would come back to. If you make a deal with him, you have to make that deal knowing that if anything happens in the secondary next year, or if there's some other sort of opportunity, he'll be back to put the squeeze on you again.

It has the same scent as Quinshon Judkins trying to demand more NIL money to play the second half of an Ole Miss game several years back. And yeah, they called his bluff that time, sure, but it represents an ongoing risk.

This all just highlights how broken UT and other schools have helped make college football. Blame Rickey Gibson all day long but I'll bet Coach Heupel was consulted when UT and the State of TN decided to join the lawsuit which forced the NCAA to create multiple transfers with no penalty.

Gibson is just using the leverage UT wanted him to have and NOW you want to complain that he is?

These young players didn't create this crap show of pro football masquerading as amateur college sports. They didn't create NIL, the portal, the transfer rules...... none of the mess that college football has become.

It's as though you left all your food just sitting in your tent in the Smokies and now you want the bear put down because he smelled it, showed up, and took it.

 

[Carp]

Leverage is leverage and the smart move since most guys never see NFL money is to maximize your college money.

Expecting ethics in college athletics NOW is where I just laugh at people. Where have all of you been for the last 50 years?

Again, 2 wrongs don't make a right. And I supported schools getting penalized when they got caught breaking those rules, even TN after Pruitt.

Leverage is leverage but ethics are ethics. And bad ethics aren't something that should be rewarded or praised.

I think all parties acting in good faith is something we should expect, no?

 

[Voltopia]

This all just highlights how broken UT and other schools have helped make college football. Blame Rickey Gibson all day long but I'll bet Coach Heupel was consulted when UT and the State of TN decided to join the lawsuit which forced the NCAA to create multiple transfers with no penalty.

Gibson is just using the leverage UT wanted him to have and NOW you want to complain that he is?

These young players didn't create this crap show of pro football masquerading as amateur college sports. They didn't create NIL, the portal, the transfer rules...... none of the mess that college football has become.

It's as though you left all your food just sitting in your tent in the Smokies and now you want the bear put down because he smelled it, showed up, and took it.

Did I make the new rules - or lack thereof? Did I create NIL? Did I create the portal? Did I initiate Tennessee's lawsuit?

Stop holding me to their decisions. Stop laying it at my feet, I never agreed to it. There's no way for me to even speak to that. Saying "NOW you want to complain" isn't even remotely fair.

I understand how broken the system is. I've said it was broken for years. Hell I didn't even like the CFP - or even the BCS. I've been solidly on the "don't let TV buy the sport" side since the BCS.

If Ricky Gibson is looking at Tennessee's situation and saying "sorry about Jermod, how about another raise?" then that's what it is.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I disagree. He's made his play. He's shown his word cannot be trusted. IMO, the bridge is burned no matter what he "says" about the spring. I think you need to move forward and consider him gone. You go to the portal and prepare to be without Gibson and McCoy. If one or both are available, great. Heupel is making a huge mistake if he gives in on this. IMO, it will be his Kelly Washington moment.

You run into a situation where someone as sly as Kiffin thinks:

"They won't try to keep a guy who tests the portal waters. All I need to do is get to their agent with a better offer and I've got a shot to pull a guy from them without a fight. Hey, Nico .... we can offer you more money AND a decent offensive line. Announce you're in considering the portal. We got you covered."

Once UT looks soft to tampering, the wolves will come.