Another example of why we need to pay college athletes

[Piggie Smalls]

To me the Hogs basketball players being arrested all comes down to one thing: money. Obviously if they were being taken care of by the university like they should be they wouldn't have had to resort to that to put a little extra money in their pockets. When athletes commit assualt or hit a woman or get popped for drugs or something like that, that's just them being a knucklehead. But when it comes to something involving money, like robbery or something of this nature, that's different. A lot of these guys aren't well off before they go to college, and when it comes to them needing money it just should not come to this. The colleges get rich off the backs of these guys, and while it has gotten better, it's still not where it needs to be. And I'm not just talking about these particular guys. I really believe Portis and Qualls (those are just the latest examples) could've been persuaded to come back if the money was there and improve their draft stock. Same goes for Darius Philon. A little money now (but not as much as they could've made later by staying) is better than no money at all.  As long as this issue is not adequately addressed you're going to continue to see cases like this.

[ricepig]

A.C. is working at the Catfish Hole, where were these guys working? I've known guys that washed cars at Superior??, and had other jobs, that's where the money comes from.

[RzRbAcK18]

Absolutely not. I didn't get handed money when I was in college. I made pizzas to get buy. I understand they have less time due to practice and what not but they also get many other special privelages. Blaming crime on not being paid is absurd.

[LRRandy]

Not everyone that struggles financially commits a crime. They made a choice. They are criminals.

[Hoggish1]

Absolutely not. I didn't get handed money when I was in college. I made pizzas to get buy. I understand they have less time due to practice and what not but they also get many other special privelages. Blaming crime on not being paid is absurd.

[Hook 'em Hogs]

Paying players is not the answer to poor moral choices.  In fact, I would say that sometimes paying players IS a bad moral choice.  Bielema mentioned this somewhere around media days-giving a kid that's never had money $2,000 is a bad decision.  I don't know if these guys did what everyone's saying they did, but being broke isn't an excuse.  If these guys did this with full knowledge, and knew how much was at stake, this is a reason to not pay college athletes. 

[WilsonHog]

A.C. is working at the Catfish Hole, where were these guys working? I've known guys that washed cars at Superior??, and had other jobs, that's where the money comes from.

The last time I was in the Catfish Hole, earlier this summer, several of our football players were working.

When I hear that those three basketball players were gainfully employed, I might feel differently. Well, no I wouldn't; not having is no excuse for stealing from someone who has.

[BadHog]

No excuse for committing a crime! Bad choices have bad consequences. This may just have been a life altering choice for these three. Hope not but it sure looks that way.

[nwahogfan1]

To me the Hogs basketball players being arrested all comes down to one thing: money. Obviously if they were being taken care of by the university like they should be they wouldn't have had to resort to that to put a little extra money in their pockets. When athletes commit assualt or hit a woman or get popped for drugs or something like that, that's just them being a knucklehead. But when it comes to something involving money, like robbery or something of this nature, that's different. A lot of these guys aren't well off before they go to college, and when it comes to them needing money it just should not come to this. The colleges get rich off the backs of these guys, and while it has gotten better, it's still not where it needs to be. And I'm not just talking about these particular guys. I really believe Portis and Qualls (those are just the latest examples) could've been persuaded to come back if the money was there and improve their draft stock. Same goes for Darius Philon. A little money now (but not as much as they could've made later by staying) is better than no money at all.  As long as this issue is not adequately addressed you're going to continue to see cases like this.

No excuses for bad behavior.   Time they learn that their decisions have consequences.  Both good and bad.

[Athog]

That is no reason to pay college athletes is to keep them from committing crime !! Are you kidding me?? Great logic. Maybe we should do the same for the prison population.

[Steef]

Paying college athletes would kill college athletics.

[jackflash]

I would not use this act as reason to pay college athletes.

[Razorback_Mack]

Not everyone that struggles financially commits a crime. They made a choice. They are criminals.

OK, Judge Mathis. I didn't know you hit the gavel yet but I'm informed now.

[WorfHog]

Paying college athletes would kill college athletics.

I got bad news for you steef...

[BigSexyHog]

I am not gonna say the are innocent or guilty but paying the athletes won't stop them from doing stupid things at times.  Not sure which side of the fence I am on about paying them either.  I see both good and bad in it

[RazorPiggie]

Pay them, that's fine. Make them pay their tuition, room and board, books, meals, gym memberships, trainer fees, all that cheap Nike clothing and shoes, etc if they don't graduate.

[HF#1]

No excuse for the crime they committed.  There are plenty of broke college athletes that don't resort to xeroxing money. They deserve whatever punishment they get and I don't expect any of them to return to the team.

[widespreadsooie]

I think it's safe to say the OP didn't necessarily consider all angles of his theory

[GatorHog]

I want to see one of these 50s. I imagine them as comically fake, with like Dusty Hannahs in an English judge's wig or something. 

[HF#1]

I want to see one of these 50s. I imagine them as comically fake, with like Dusty Hannahs in an English judge's wig or something. 

I saw a fake $10 one time.  It was about half the size of a normal bill.  I laughed and gave it to the police.

[widespreadsooie]

I picture the bills being created thru photo shop and/or Microsoft paint and them being printed off in Mullins Library

[ricepig]

I picture the bills being created thru photo shop and/or Microsoft paint and them being printed off in Mullins Library

I figure the bills were handed to them from some acquaintances from the past.

[GatorHog]

If I counterfeited, I would go with 1s and 5s.  Nobody cares about that crap.  No marker check.  Free chipotle's errday?  Sign me up. 

[Hawghiggs]

Paying college athletes would kill college athletics.

Paying athletes isn't what is killing college athletics. What's killing it is constant realignment to get market shares for conference networks. Its having a playoff game instead of just an exhibition bowl game. If you run college sports teams like professional teams, don't get mad when the help wants a cut.

[mizzouman]

What's killing college athletics is the same thing that puts the SEC on top.  TV money.

But, I think that it's hit the max.  ESPN is struggling and while the other networks are catching up, the rise in money floating around for college athletics cannot be sustained.

[Pork Twain]

Players committing crime is not a reason to pay players.

[Brandon72]

Yeah, because the prisons are full of people that only stole because they were poor. 

Federal prisons are overflowing with millionaires that are crooks and just plain criminals. 

You can always come up with an excuse for criminal conduct; in fact, some might have some merit to them, but at the end of the day, excusing criminal conduct because one is poor is just b.s.

[The Hogfather]

Paying college athletes would kill college athletics.

It certainly would.  It would do waaaay more harm than it would good, to the athletes and the schools they are playing for.

[NaturalStateReb]

To me the Hogs basketball players being arrested all comes down to one thing: money. Obviously if they were being taken care of by the university like they should be they wouldn't have had to resort to that to put a little extra money in their pockets. When athletes commit assualt or hit a woman or get popped for drugs or something like that, that's just them being a knucklehead. But when it comes to something involving money, like robbery or something of this nature, that's different. A lot of these guys aren't well off before they go to college, and when it comes to them needing money it just should not come to this. The colleges get rich off the backs of these guys, and while it has gotten better, it's still not where it needs to be. And I'm not just talking about these particular guys. I really believe Portis and Qualls (those are just the latest examples) could've been persuaded to come back if the money was there and improve their draft stock. Same goes for Darius Philon. A little money now (but not as much as they could've made later by staying) is better than no money at all.  As long as this issue is not adequately addressed you're going to continue to see cases like this.

Yes.  The problem with these guys wasn't that they made a conscious decision to take criminal action, it's that their stay in a publicly financed educational resort just wasn't posh enough.

Geez. 

[NaturalStateReb]

What's killing college athletics is the same thing that puts the SEC on top.  TV money.

But, I think that it's hit the max.  ESPN is struggling and while the other networks are catching up, the rise in money floating around for college athletics cannot be sustained.

At some point your product hits a point of diminishing returns.  There's no reason to believe that the economic expansion we've seen lately can be sustained long-term.  None.  Doesn't mean the money's going away, but every TV deal from here on out isn't going to be some totally insane TV deal.

The fact of the matter is that college athletics was an undervalued entertainment commodity.  Now it's getting fair market value.  There's no reason to expect broadcasters to pay above that FMV in the future.

[hogfan10]

To me the Hogs basketball players being arrested all comes down to one thing: money. Obviously if they were being taken care of by the university like they should be they wouldn't have had to resort to that to put a little extra money in their pockets. When athletes commit assualt or hit a woman or get popped for drugs or something like that, that's just them being a knucklehead. But when it comes to something involving money, like robbery or something of this nature, that's different. A lot of these guys aren't well off before they go to college, and when it comes to them needing money it just should not come to this. The colleges get rich off the backs of these guys, and while it has gotten better, it's still not where it needs to be. And I'm not just talking about these particular guys. I really believe Portis and Qualls (those are just the latest examples) could've been persuaded to come back if the money was there and improve their draft stock. Same goes for Darius Philon. A little money now (but not as much as they could've made later by staying) is better than no money at all.  As long as this issue is not adequately addressed you're going to continue to see cases like this.

The problem is; whatever amount is paid will never be enough. They get paid "stipends" as it is now. How did these "kids" afford to pay for their multiple tattoos, polo shirts, sneakers, cars, etc.; but they aren't "paid" enough to see a movie, buy a pizza, go bowling. Getting larger stipends will only result in more tattoos, bigger stereos/rims, and nicer sneakers. It most likely won't be used on the essentials; then we can just restart the "these athletes need to be paid more" all over again.

[hawginbigd1]

Please pay me what they are already receiving to work 20 hours a week and travel the country first class. Feed me, clothe me, look after me like my parents are going to school with me. Paying them a little extra is not a problem to me, because they do have less opportunity to get a cash paying job, my problem is it somehow seems that they are being treated unfairly, and that is BS IMO. 

[The_Iceman]

$Tuition
$Meal Plan
$Housing
$Books
$Tutoring
$Nike Gear

These players are definitely getting paid, they just don't know how to live within their means.

[The Hogfather]

$Tuition
$Meal Plan
$Housing
$Books
$Tutoring
$Nike Gear

These players are definitely getting paid, they just don't know how to live within their means.

Exactly.  Whatever is paid to the student athletes will have to be cut from existing budgets, whether it is facilities/training/coaches/equipment/food/travel, etc.

[ricepig]

Exactly.  Whatever is paid to the student athletes will have to be cut from existing budgets, whether it is facilities/training/coaches/equipment/food/travel, etc.

Yep, coming out of the surplus.

[Torqued pork]

If you need to pay players to keep them from breaking laws you simply recruited the wrong players. This notion that every poor perp is just a helpless victim is beyond old.

[hobhog]

If you need to pay players to keep them from breaking laws you simply recruited the wrong players. This notion that every poor perp is just a helpless victim is beyond old.

This. Pay thiefs and they won't steal? Some peoples logic is baffling.....

[moses_007]

If I counterfeited, I would go with 1s and 5s.  Nobody cares about that crap.  No marker check.  Free chipotle's errday?  Sign me up. 

The feds will be after you for putting an afro on George Washington. 

[bigred223]

Please, other college students pay their way so they can get a job after college. These guys have a free education and get to showcase their skills on the national stage. If they have what it takes, they can make money playing professionally. I'm tired of hearing "oh the schools make so much money" blah, blah, blah. Guess what? The school makes money from tuition from regular college students as well. It's a privilege to play a major college sport, and no one is forcing them to do it.

Now when it comes to say selling autographs, I can see the argument there. However, the vast majority of college players do not have a "brand" per say. The top academic scholarships at Arkansas pay out a stipend of $2000 a semester, I believe. That may be reasonable for athletes, but anything more is absurd.

[LSUFan]

The bag man cometh

[TRUHOG718]

To me the Hogs basketball players being arrested all comes down to one thing: money. Obviously if they were being taken care of by the university like they should be they wouldn't have had to resort to that to put a little extra money in their pockets. When athletes commit assualt or hit a woman or get popped for drugs or something like that, that's just them being a knucklehead. But when it comes to something involving money, like robbery or something of this nature, that's different. A lot of these guys aren't well off before they go to college, and when it comes to them needing money it just should not come to this. The colleges get rich off the backs of these guys, and while it has gotten better, it's still not where it needs to be. And I'm not just talking about these particular guys. I really believe Portis and Qualls (those are just the latest examples) could've been persuaded to come back if the money was there and improve their draft stock. Same goes for Darius Philon. A little money now (but not as much as they could've made later by staying) is better than no money at all.  As long as this issue is not adequately addressed you're going to continue to see cases like this.

I respectfully disagree with this reasoning. I to was a student athlete and my parents were anything but affluent with the purse.  Being broke is never a reason to commit a felony and jeopardize future employment post college. my parents worked too hard for me to be at school goofing off and these young men have to understand being a student athlete is a privilege not a right.  They let the university, their teammates, family, and fans down. Hopefully they learn from this and never do anything this foolish again.

[longtimeHogfan]

I picture the bills being created thru photo shop and/or Microsoft paint and them being printed off in Mullins Library

[(notOM)Rebel123]

To me the Hogs basketball players being arrested all comes down to one thing: money. Obviously if they were being taken care of by the university like they should be they wouldn't have had to resort to that to put a little extra money in their pockets. When athletes commit assualt or hit a woman or get popped for drugs or something like that, that's just them being a knucklehead. But when it comes to something involving money, like robbery or something of this nature, that's different. A lot of these guys aren't well off before they go to college, and when it comes to them needing money it just should not come to this. The colleges get rich off the backs of these guys, and while it has gotten better, it's still not where it needs to be. And I'm not just talking about these particular guys. I really believe Portis and Qualls (those are just the latest examples) could've been persuaded to come back if the money was there and improve their draft stock. Same goes for Darius Philon. A little money now (but not as much as they could've made later by staying) is better than no money at all.  As long as this issue is not adequately addressed you're going to continue to see cases like this.

Yeah, rich professional athletes never commit crimes. Must be the money, right?

[ChicoHog]

The problem is; whatever amount is paid will never be enough. They get paid "stipends" as it is now. How did these "kids" afford to pay for their multiple tattoos, polo shirts, sneakers, cars, etc.; but they aren't "paid" enough to see a movie, buy a pizza, go bowling. Getting larger stipends will only result in more tattoos, bigger stereos/rims, and nicer sneakers. It most likely won't be used on the essentials; then we can just restart the "these athletes need to be paid more" all over again.

exactly.  They get money to live off campus in an apartment, get as much food as they want, tons of athletic gear, feebies from bowls, etc.,  I've know many college athletes and none of them were hurting so bad they could not afford to have the basics. 

[naturalbornpigger]

If you want to be paid for playing ball, they have leagues for that.  Just go to work in one of those.

[Rzbakfromwaybak]

To me the Hogs basketball players being arrested all comes down to one thing: money. Obviously if they were being taken care of by the university like they should be they wouldn't have had to resort to that to put a little extra money in their pockets. When athletes commit assualt or hit a woman or get popped for drugs or something like that, that's just them being a knucklehead. But when it comes to something involvingmoney, like robbery or something of this nature, that's different. A lot of these guys aren't well off before they go to college, and when it comes to them needing money it just should not come to this. The colleges get rich off the backs of these guys, and while it has gotten better, it's still not where it needs to be. And I'm not just talking about these particular guys. I really believe Portis and Qualls (those are just the latest examples) could've been persuaded to come back if the money was there and improve their draft stock. Same goes for Darius Philon. A little money now (but not as much as they could've made later by staying) is better than no money at all.  As long as this issue is not adequately addressed you're going to continue to see cases like this.

Lol.  I sure hope all the University's across the country read the above post.  If they had only known that giving college athletes more money would wipe out counterfeiting, & theft at college... they could have stopped those crimes from being necessary. Shame on them.

Bet if the govt. would have given all the criminals that are now in prison, monthly allowance checks....they wouldn't have had to rob & steal all that property that put them in jail in the first place.  After all, they just needed to put a little extra money in their pockets.   

[jesterzzn]

We should pay players so that they won't commit or be tempted to commit felony forgery?  Shirley, you can't be serious.

[BigSexyHog]

Kinda at a loss for words

[Fatty McGee]

Absolutely not. I didn't get handed money when I was in college. I made pizzas to get buy. I understand they have less time due to practice and what not but they also get many other special privelages. Blaming crime on not being paid is absurd.

Telling me you didn't get paid doesn't mean much, because you didn't really have a special skill that made the college a lot of money.

[Fatty McGee]

Please, other college students pay their way so they can get a job after college. These guys have a free education and get to showcase their skills on the national stage. If they have what it takes, they can make money playing professionally. I'm tired of hearing "oh the schools make so much money" blah, blah, blah. Guess what? The school makes money from tuition from regular college students as well. It's a privilege to play a major college sport, and no one is forcing them to do it.

Now when it comes to say selling autographs, I can see the argument there. However, the vast majority of college players do not have a "brand" per say. The top academic scholarships at Arkansas pay out a stipend of $2000 a semester, I believe. That may be reasonable for athletes, but anything more is absurd.

Why in America is it absurd for a person to maximize the return on their talents?  Sounds quintessentially American.