Official Gramps' Memorial Eternal OT Thread

#77,576
#77,576
AM64 said:
Finebaum has for once said something I can agree with - that TN's proposed "talent fee" added to the ticket price is "utterly disgraceful". I have no sympathy for football players or some of the other college athletes; they are coddled and pampered. Anyone who goes to college to prepare for the future has an expectation that he/she is paying for an education that will serve as the springboard to a lucrative career - you pay your dues and take your chances. Certainly not all athletes are going to turn pro and benefit richly from their college experience - being taught/coached the sport and given the spotlight to showcase talent leading to a professional career. However, many players move into coaching and related athletic endeavors and make the contacts that enhance or lead to other opportunities. ALL students pay their dues, and the cost that most students pay for tuition and room and board says that even an athletic scholarship is lucrative ... that's without considering the tutoring, meal service, etc athletes alone are provided. True, athletes don't have time to work, but at least scholarship players are now provided "cost of attendance" stipends.

NIL opened the doors to a world of abuse. It violates all that amateur sports stands for. The original sin was that player name, likeness, and image were being used in a way that benefitted people who made electronic games or sold items with the players name or image. Maybe the better solution was to forbid the use of names etc rather than saying players should be reimbursed. The reimbursement scheme cracked the door open for abuse ... almost like NIL has gone from a minor correction (defense) rapidly to a full blown offense with no sense of reality, no control, and to fully out of control abuse. Th GA governor has issued an executive order that says the NCAA has no control of NIL in the state. Others are bound to do the same which WILL further ignite the bidding war for college athletes ... not rewarding popular and proven athletes for the use of NIL, but all out bidding wars for unproven HS recruits. And NIL itself is spreading to the HS athletic world. Should we play the band? What about reimbursing unpaid students for anything that brings in money to the school?

Students are students whether in engineering, medicine, law, arts, education, or apparently sport. If we cannot decide student athletes are simply students, then it's probably time to divorce athletics at the collegiate level; and that would be a shame.
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This issue seems to be demarcated along age demographics.

As an engineering student on a full ride scholarship, you could earn money at a job if you desired. Additionally, as a scholly student, had you invented something of value to your university and they paid you 5 million for it, you would be heralded.
I see no difference for athletes.
 
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#77,580
#77,580
Grand Vol said:
And you'll want to part at the Lloyd-Noble Center (LNC) as the Sooner fan suggested in the FF and take the shuttle. But beware, traffic going out is pretty bad (only two lane roads coming into and off campus) regardless of where you park. But if you park at the LNC, you can jump on Highway 9 just south of the LNC and get back on 35 easily enough... relatively speaking. If you are inclined, you can also walk back to the LNC as it's a straight shot down Jenkins or Asp Ave, but it's close to a mile. Still have traffic to worry about though.

But...

If you happen to make some Vol friends at Sooner Village (the RV/camper lot on the back side of the LNC by the Tennis Complex), you can wait traffic out. The last time the Vols were in Norman, there was a pretty significant contingent of Vol fans that brought out their campers and RVs. Nice place to enjoy the after game when we win and wait out traffic. Most you can politely go up to and give them a "Go Vols" and they'll at least talk to you for a spell.

Gate 1 at the stadium is the "visitor" gate where the Vols will do the Vol Walk though it's on the opposite side of the stadium from the visitor team section (depending on where your seats are) which means you'll have to go around the entire venue to the back side.

What is your seating section? I can suggest where to quickly enter depending on where you're sitting. Despite being a visitor and them saying you have to enter Gate 1, you can enter any gate.

Be prepared for outrageous concession prices. I'd personally pregame the hell out of it at a tailgate and be selective when buying anything. Levy Concessions sucks.

Clear bag policies are strictly enforced. I'd advise against anything other than a clear bag. (and not a clear backpack or fanny pack)

Metal detectors are in use... like most places.

Bathroom lines are horrible. Especially at halftime. The concourse is packed and not easy to navigate. The south fan deck is likely your best place for refreshments and bathrooms.

The OU band will play the UT alma mater when the game concludes (or they have in the past at least). It's a nice thing they do for visiting teams since there isn't enough seating for the Pride of the Southland. It's worthy of sticking around and they do a good job.

Don't insult Toby Keith... the man is royalty out there. It would be like a Sooner fan coming into Neyland and insulting Peyton.

There's are pretty decent pregame festivities that goes on in the area north of the stadium between Gates 6 and the Field House. Live bands and whatnot (this is also where the Game Day presentation will be at)

Tailgate parties are on Lindsey, Jenkins and Brooks. It's a lively scene for sure.
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Thanks Grand!

Section 232
 
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#77,587
#77,587
McDad said:
This issue seems to be demarcated along age demographics.

As an engineering student on a full ride scholarship, you could earn money at a job if you desired. Additionally, as a scholly student, had you invented something of value to your university and they paid you 5 million for it, you would be heralded.
I see no difference for athletes.
Click to expand...

My real issue is that NIL opened the lid to Pandora's box without any thought to where it might lead or any measure of control. The NCAA wasn't and isn't blameless, although it has feebly attempted to keep college athletics on a semi-even level. This has bulldozed the NCAA into something less than a speedbump. The thing that differentiates sports from war is rules that keep it all respectably competitive and safe. Games are nothing without rules, and failure to manage NIL is destroying the NCAA as an effective rulemaking body. We all hate rules and rule makers, but we have to agree that chaos would exist without - consider what our roads would be without laws and enforcement. This is all headed to government legislation; that's never a good thing, and was avoidable until the courts jumped in. Worse it will be federal legislation since states are joining the competition while college sports are played nationally - think interstate commerce.
 
#77,590
#77,590
AM64 said:
My real issue is that NIL opened the lid to Pandora's box without any thought to where it might lead or any measure of control. The NCAA wasn't and isn't blameless, although it has feebly attempted to keep college athletics on a semi-even level. This has bulldozed the NCAA into something less than a speedbump. The thing that differentiates sports from war is rules that keep it all respectably competitive and safe. Games are nothing without rules, and failure to manage NIL is destroying the NCAA as an effective rulemaking body. We all hate rules and rule makers, but we have to agree that chaos would exist without - consider what our roads would be without laws and enforcement. This is all headed to government legislation; that's never a good thing, and was avoidable until the courts jumped in. Worse it will be federal legislation since states are joining the competition while college sports are played nationally - think interstate commerce.
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Those young men and women have as much right as anyone to use their talents and skills to earn money.
Denying someone earnings is evil.
 
#77,597
#77,597
McDad said:
This issue seems to be demarcated along age demographics.

As an engineering student on a full ride scholarship, you could earn money at a job if you desired. Additionally, as a scholly student, had you invented something of value to your university and they paid you 5 million for it, you would be heralded.
I see no difference for athletes.
Click to expand...

I've never really found that colleges were organized to reward students - generally the staff take credit. I did have a graduate assistantship, but that was pretty much in line with other grad students who teach, tutor, or work in university labs or facilities. UT makes a profit on football; most schools don't profit from sports; and without TV advertising revenue, no university sports might be profitable at this point. When costs aren't out of control, the cost of athletics is justifiable; but what happens if only a small handful of schools (probably the ones actually not losing on sports programs) decide it's worth it?
 
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#77,599
#77,599
AM64 said:
I've never really found that colleges were organized to reward students - generally the staff take credit. I did have a graduate assistantship, but that was pretty much in line with other grad students who teach, tutor, or work in university labs or facilities. UT makes a profit on football; most schools don't profit from sports; and without TV advertising revenue, no university sports might be profitable at this point. When costs aren't out of control, the cost of athletics is justifiable; but what happens if only a small handful of schools (probably the ones actually not losing on sports programs) decide it's worth it?
Click to expand...
Michael Dell started Dell computers in his dorm room.
Are you against that?
 
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