Mo Couch explains the money situation...

[utvolpj]

I know you can't prepare for everything, but people do things backwards today, and then look for the easy way out. Maybe I'm off here, but I always have had to work for what I had. That was the way I was raised. I worked at least 30 hours a week while in school.

so football players putting in more than your 30hrs aren't working for what they've got?

 

[YorkVol]

I know you can't prepare for everything, but people do things backwards today, and then look for the easy way out. Maybe I'm off here, but I always have had to work for what I had. That was the way I was raised. I worked at least 30 hours a week while in school.

And for the birth control comment, yes birth control isn't 100% effective. But the real question is did they even bother to use any protection!

Well that is another assumption based on nothing. Also, just because he wasn't getting paid to play football doesn't mean he wasn't working. An unpaid intern at a business is working toward their future profession, right? Why is it any different for a football player with NFL potential? He was on an internship for the pros.

 

[whobethis16]

You sound jealous.

And you sound like a dumb***, but I'm not judging you or attempting to belittle you.

I don't put athletes on a pedestal and give them special privileges for shiggles. Until they remove athletics from the universities and make them a farm system for the professional ranks, I'll treat them like I'd treat any other student who has a kid. Make it work within the rules.

 

[utvolpj]

And you sound like a dumb***, but I'm not judging you or attempting to belittle you.

I don't put athletes on a pedestal and give them special privileges for shiggles. Until they remove athletics from the universities and make them a farm system for the professional ranks, I'll treat them like I'd treat any other student who has a kid. Make it work within the rules.

what are these rules for just any student with a kid?

 

[Jeepkuntry]

So now we're comparing an internship to football? An unpaid intern usually has enough sense to actually save up some money beforehand. Or should they just blow there money and expect somebody else to pay there bills? Let's not forget that an "unpaid" intern doesn't receive free medical care, meals, tuition, room and board, tutors, the best that the university has to offer.

 

[YorkVol]

And you sound like a dumb***, but I'm not judging you or attempting to belittle you.

I don't put athletes on a pedestal and give them special privileges for shiggles. Until they remove athletics from the universities and make them a farm system for the professional ranks, I'll treat them like I'd treat any other student who has a kid. Make it work within the rules.

If you feel belittled by me pointing out that you sound jealous, then maybe you need to do some self reflection.

I agree with most of the second paragraph. I don't see sports moving out of the schools, but it would certainly take the hypocrisy out of the system. So would paying the players, or allowing them to earn money from their image and name at least. As it stands now, the rules are arbitrarily enforced and most often ignored by the enforcement agency, until someone gets caught. I would imagine it would be very hard for players to fully respect a system like the one the NCAA has in place. Ideally they should but in practical terms, it must be challenging.

 

[GAVol]

So much knee-jerk moralizing in this thread. The system is broken. It enriches everyone except the players themselves, throws up every obstacle possible to keep the players from having any money at all, and then forces them to buy into it in order to have any shot at a professional career. It's easy to see why any of these players have a mercenary attitude about it, much less one who's trying to support a family until he can get a shot at an NFL paycheck.

The real takeaway is that if a marginal guy like Mo Couch is getting some cash from an agent, what percentage of other SEC players are too? Are they all selfish jackasses who hate their programs too?

/thread

 

[whobethis16]

what are these rules for just any student with a kid?

Any type of internship, job, required volunteer work, etc. If a "normie" is really working to become a lawyer, and they all have to do an unpaid internship, I expect him to do it. He should not get a pass just because he has a kid. I know plenty of people that got married or had kids in undergrad and every time the started complaining about how hard it is financially, I tell them they made the choice. Work through it.

 

[YorkVol]

So now we're comparing an internship to football? An unpaid intern usually has enough sense to actually save up some money beforehand. Or should they just blow there money and expect somebody else to pay there bills? Let's not forget that an "unpaid" intern doesn't receive free medical care, meals, tuition, room and board, tutors, the best that the university has to offer.

How could you argue any differently? D1 players are working toward their shot in the league. They do it by earning a scholarship and working their butts off to be one of the 300 or so players invited to the combine or one of the 600 or so drafted.

Your last sentence is way off. My college roommate was interning for NASA while an undergraduate. He alternated quarters between Knoxville and Coco Beach Fl, was on scholarship that provided tuition, room, board and medical benefits. He was part of a very small select group of interns that NASA had at the time--very similar to the athletes on scholarship.

 

[utvolpj]

Any type of internship, job, required volunteer work, etc. If a "normie" is really working to become a lawyer, and they all have to do an unpaid internship, I expect him to do it. He should not get a pass just because he has a kid. I know plenty of people that got married or had kids in undergrad and every time the started complaining about how hard it is financially, I tell them they made the choice. Work through it.

none of those are required for all regular students. They put in hours like a full time job during the season yet have a limit on their earning power. This is a limit no regular student is forced to operate under.

as Verc posted, for every Couch, Bray, Dix, Fluker, etc there are so many more you will never hear about. To drag him through the mud while turning a blind eye to all the others is pretty hypocritical

 

[whobethis16]

none of those are required for all regular students. They put in hours like a full time job during the season yet have a limit on their earning power. This is a limit no regular student is forced to operate under.

as Verc posted, for every Couch, Bray, Dix, Fluker, etc there are so many more you will never hear about. To drag him through the mud while turning a blind eye to all the others is pretty hypocritical

Depends on the school and the program. The fact is that he (and all others) KNOW that it is against the rules and if they want to play professionally, this is the route. So, they need to abide by the rules. And yes, I know the NCAA needs to be more consistent. But just because it isn't, doesn't give them the right/freedom to disregard the rules.

 

[Vol Catdaddy]

I understand what he did. It was wrong what he did and he didn't have to start a family while he was in college. Hope he has a better future.

 

[DaddyChad]

So now we're comparing an internship to football? An unpaid intern usually has enough sense to actually save up some money beforehand. Or should they just blow there money and expect somebody else to pay there bills? Let's not forget that an "unpaid" intern doesn't receive free medical care, meals, tuition, room and board, tutors, the best that the university has to offer.

Are you sure you're not just stereotyping these athletes? I guess all these players are just a bunch of dumbass idiots running around with their fancy entitlements and their unprotected sex.

 

[deaconkane]

BS - no one forced him to get married and have a child while still being a student. There are also many players on the D1 level that are either married, have a child, or both and are not breaking the rules like Mo did.

Everybody is a Damn saint on this site.

 

[VFL34]

Most of players that are playing in the big time have accepted something at some point. A lot of them have come from broken house holds and bad backgrounds. I agree players should get some sort of money. U got I class all day get out run through practice. Wake up go to practice an workouts, class all day then go to film room. It's a 15-17 hour job being a student athlete. We never had time for a job or anything. We never had money either. So it was a blessing when someone did something for you. What Arian said is true. You get three meals a day but our metabolisms run fast from the work we put in. Your hungry after 6:30. You can't expect an athlete to not eat. It's a grind. You have to make sure your on top of your education through everything, so it's non stop.

 

[bamawriter]

none of those are required for all regular students. They put in hours like a full time job during the season yet have a limit on their earning power. This is a limit no regular student is forced to operate under.

as Verc posted, for every Couch, Bray, Dix, Fluker, etc there are so many more you will never hear about. To drag him through the mud while turning a blind eye to all the others is pretty hypocritical

Some people want to pretend that these guys should just stay broke while others are making millions off their efforts, and they should just be happy about it.

 

[Vercingetorix]

I'd have a lot less sympathy for these kids if there were any other route to the NFL besides going through the motions of being a college student and committing to a life of semi-poverty for three years. But there is not.

 

[knoxvols11]

Character issues!

 

[rockymountainvol]

I believe this kid did more to help his family than intentionally try to hurt the program. Tyler Bray is a different story. He didnt have a family to support. If all the money he received was $1300, then the NCAA really has issues with suspensions when Manziel (without video proof) signed autographs for 5 figures. NCAA thrives on double standards.

 

[VFL34]

While the other kids going out on dates and things, if you took your team serious, you never had time for any of that. It was strictly business. When your 18-21 it is tough putting in that work. For a lot of players they never had a shot at the NFL either. We generate billions for the NCAA, and are on video games. We sell all their merchandise. We got taken advantage of.

 

[utvolpj]

While the other kids going out on dates and things, if you took your team serious, you never had time for any of that. It was strictly business.

that's not true at all and I saw some very successful players having plenty of fun at UT

 

[VFL34]

that's not true at all and I saw some very successful players having plenty of fun at UT

I didn't say u don't have fun, I am saying it is work. You may get free time but if your someone like bray, you aren't a winner. When they were having fun it isn't at their own expense.

 

[VFL34]

that's not true at all and I saw some very successful players having plenty of fun at UT

What year were u there?

 

[Lexvol]

Vercy hit the nail on the head…Couch got caught with his hand in the cookie jar….while there are crumbs from devoured cookies all over every athletic dorm in the US.

The real lesson in all of this is that AA loves low hanging fruit.

 

[utvolpj]

I didn't say u don't have fun, I am saying it is work. You may get free time but if your someone like bray, you aren't a winner. When they were having fun it isn't at their own expense.

you said players don't have time for dates and stuff because it's all work and that's simply not true. I realize the hours put in but don't act like there's no free time (especially in the spring and summer)

What year were u there?

93-98