re: Delonte West sage should lead to a massive reform of pro sports

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The bulk of athletes who go broke after their pro careers didn't just simply make poor choices. They got taken advantage of because they purely didn't know any better

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They got taken advantage of because they made poor choices when it was time for them to take advantage of the free education handed to them their entire life. Chickens come home to roost at some point.

I don't know if this one can be put down to simply a guy making poor choices, I think he's pretty clearly got some significant mental issues

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There's simply too much money being made by pro sports/owners that it's criminal they don't have vetted, permitted, & consistently reviewed financial advisers along with psychological evaluations & treatment for their players. You simply cannot continue to take these kids from the most average & below average of childhoods & into supreme professional sports popularity then just toss them in the streets when their careers are done. It's just not right. We have too much evidence that the "let them be adults" tactic isn't working.

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This may be one of the dumbest, most ill informed takes in the history of this site....including the OT Lounge.

The NBA Player's Association offers extensive education and recommends people but you cannot force a player to follow the advice. The NFLPA actually certifies financial planners. Why does the guy working in an office or on an oil platform have to be more responsible than a guy making millions?

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-basketball-players-association-chooses-personal-capital-to-enhance-players-financial-education-300280370.html

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don't know if this one can be put down to simply a guy making poor choices, I think he's pretty clearly got some significant mental issues

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Even with mental issues there are choices to be made that lead you to where Delonte is right now.

There’s bad choices to be made to exacerbate the issue: drugs, burning money waste fully etc

Then there’s good choices to be made to prevent the issue: rehab programs, prescribed drugs to help with the issues, mental health facilities/professionals to help etc

The good choices don’t stick unless the person affected is interested and invested in getting better. You can’t force the good choices on a person and expect them to stick

Look up JR Richard. He was a lights out pitcher for the Astros, then had a stroke. Team doctors thought he was just weak and didn’t want to push through an injury.

He lived under an overpass in Houston for some time. That’s a case where I’d say the organization should have taken care of him.

Delonte? He is just nuts. Why are you wanting to spend more money to help a guy out that thinks he’s a fricking green beret?

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He lived under an overpass in Houston for some time. That’s a case where I’d say the organization should have taken care of him.

Delonte? He is just nuts. Why are you wanting to spend more money to help a guy out that thinks he’s a fricking green beret?

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Because it's the right thing to do.

Why WOULDN'T owners/teams want to take care of their own. Keep their lives POSITIVE for all time. There is PLENTY of money to made off of helping people help themselves. The PR value alone of a strong alumni college base is in the billions, the same can be done for pro athletes who earn millions. Teams should take a serious look at this & find all of the ways the can profit. Hell, keeping veteran players around & involved in various charity work has to be worth millions in tax credits alone...

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The bulk of athletes who go broke after their pro careers didn't just simply make poor choices. They got taken advantage of because they purely didn't know any better. They didn't have anyone in their life to educate them on the leaches & hangers on who would show up, bleed them dry, & then disappear.

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I’m almost positive that the NFL has some sort of financial education class for rookies. If it isn’t mandatory, then it is at least available to them if they choose to partake. The class is led by both former players telling their own stories, and other professionals who teach basic financial concepts.

Assuming other leagues do something similar, what more can you do as a league? You offer the necessary learning tools to them, it’s up to them to be an adult and take it and/or expand even further on their own with other areas they need to know about. Do you want to offer some sort of financial diuretic to those who frick themselves up? Basically a get out of jail free card that would only incentivize players to be reckless financially knowing that if they go too far they have that plan to fall back into.

Nah.

These pro leagues are private corporations. They can impose whatever rules they want.

You want to play in our league & make millions? Cool. Here's the new rules for financial & personal stability.

Don't like it? Cool. Stay in college & graduate.

Msb: players don’t need to go to college. Make that money. NCAA is slavery.

Also msb: it’s total bullshite these athletes aren’t educated enough to not blow tens of millions of dollars.

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You want to play in our league & make millions? Cool. Here's the new rules for financial & personal stability.

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What rules?? Actually give something tangible.

Yelling into the void that it’s an issue does nothing. Please feel free to offer up a solution