re: Jay Bilas calls out the NCAA's hypocrisy.

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Bottom line: the NCAA shouldn't be making a goddamn mint off of "amateur" players, then telling the players if they try to make money on the side from their own successes they will get suspended or booted off the team or ruled ineligible.

If the players can't make money off their own success, particularly in an era of college sports when literally tens of millions of dollars are made every year due to the on the field success of players, then the NCAA shouldn't be able to make money off them either. That includes selling replica jerseys or video games with player likenesses.

The more and more egregious this becomes, the more and more I agree with the sentiment that the modern college athlete, particularly the modern day college football player, is also the modern day indentured servant, or, in the sense of Roman gladiators, modern slaves. They're given plush accommodations for being good, but their stardom makes their owners way more money than the plush accommodations given to them.

Players like Johnny Manziel and Tryann Mathieu elevated themselves to pop status through their on-the-field play and the creativity of fans. Manziel is "Johnny Football" or "Johnny Heisman" and Mathieu is "the Honey Badger." I'm not sure any other college athlete has reached such stardom prior to going to the NFL. Maybe Tebow or Andrew Luck, but I feel like such reverence for college football players on such a grand scale is a much more recent phenomenon and the NCAA is cashing in in the worst way.

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I disagree with all of this. It is absurd.

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But, hell, the other side is compelling, too, I guess. I get paid $X to work for my law firm, but I bring in $Y every year and Y is far greater than X. Perhaps I should start selling my services on the side... Here's the thing, though - I could and no one could really stop me.

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They could stop you from working at the law firm...which is exactly what the NCAA is doing. It isn't preventing Manziel from selling his autograph...just playing NCAA football if he decides to sell his autograph.

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So CFB is cool to make alllllllll of the money off of these kids because they can sign an NFL contract?

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No, CFB is cool to make allllllllll of the money off of these adults because these adults legally consent to a contract that specifically states that they are playing an amateur game.

If a person would like to make money playing football, then he probably should join the NCAA since the NCAA sponsors only amateur games.

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The rule is not absurd. It makes tons of sense from the NCAA's standpoint.

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Correct.

And nothing is stopping all these adults from starting their own professional league where you can play right out of high school...or during high school, for that matter.

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The rule is not absurd. It makes tons of sense from the NCAA's standpoint.

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Federal court will firmly establish the rule's absurdity.

This MSB always amazes me when it comes to money. Majority on here is always on the owners' side, even during a lockout.

And now, the NCAA, largely considered the most inept, red taped, overly bureaucratic sports org. in the world has people falling all over themselves to defend it against all these money grubbing athletes who need to learn da meanin' of a contract

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See my earlier post on these kids that you're acting like have all the opportunities and successes and great inspiratoins in their lives around to make such huge decisions.

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Bleeding heart. The kids choose to take part in the NCAA and can get out whenever they want.

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It doesn't make sense to have the rule and the NCAA also say they care about the student athletes.

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meh. That's a subjective argument and you've done nothing to support it. And, it's meaningless.

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It's called reality, man. You can choose to ignore it, but it's reality.

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The reality is that you want to players to be able to have their cake and eat it to...to the detriment of the NCAA.

The NCAA affords eligibility within NCAA sanctioned events (in addition to other things like scholarship, room/board, etc.) in exchange for the player following the rules.

The player can choose to accept...or not. And, at any point, if he feels he can do better by no longer being a part of the NCAA (even though much of what he has gained was the result of the NCAA), he can decide to separate and make money off of his status/image.

That is reality.

The NCAA and NFL have created a monopoly within the US that basically prevents a player from pursuing other options. The federal courts are going to come down hard on the NCAA when it's all said and done. The NCAA can see the writing on the wall with their recent changes in marketing as cases are being fought. 1 of 2 things will occur in the next ten years: NFL will adopt an NBA or MLB type draft system giving players out of highschool more flexibility in their decisions or major college football teams will break from the NCAA and create their own league that pays players.