#AskEmmert for tweeties

[bigsky]

Ya gotta follow that hashtag. Hilarious what free expression will do. Was supposedly a way to ask Emmert questions on the MIke&Mike show. Soon became a "if you found out UNC had imaginary classes for its athletes, would you just punish Enes Kanter again?" type questions

[Darrell KSR]

He has been blistered! Hysterical.

[Darrell KSR]

Here are a couple of stories that have already popped up on the "misguided" experiment by Mike & Mike.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...mming-national

http://extramustard.si.com/2014/04/1...mert-disaster/

http://deadspin.com/the-askemmert-q-...ium=socialflow

[Thedonnie123]

Red Cup Rebellion @RedCupRebellion
#askemmert how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck profited off of the work of unpaid labor under the guide of amateurism?

That may be my favorite.

[Catcookie]

Classic!

[Darrell KSR]

Ya gotta follow that hashtag. Hilarious what free expression will do. Was supposedly a way to ask Emmert questions on the MIke&Mike show. Soon became a "if you found out UNC had imaginary classes for its athletes, would you just punish Enes Kanter again?" type questions

Did you have your question answered, Mayor?

[MickintheHam]

Bomani Jones absolutely skewered him.

#askemmert hey, do you think we’re stupid, or do you really believe this stuff you say?
7:11 AM - 18 Apr 2014

[JPScott]

Just now listening to Emmert speak on the Mike & Mike show podcast.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=10801760

Within the first few minutes he repeats the fallacy of the NCAA returning over 90% of their revenue directly back to the schools.

I wish someone would call him on this because I just don't see where they get their numbers. By my count (based on the NCAA's IRS submissions) the amount of money returned to the schools in the form of grants is around 60%.

[CitizenBBN]

Bomani Jones absolutely skewered him.

#askemmert hey, do you think we’re stupid, or do you really believe this stuff you say?
7:11 AM - 18 Apr 2014

one of my favs for sure.

here's another, you almost never get to discuss the history of the Pinkerton men outside a history class. What a wonderful reference:

#AskEmmert Have you considered hired goons? Fire hoses? Pinkertons?


This one may be the most accurate:

#AskEmmert how does it feel to oversee the end of the @NCAA ?

[Catonahottinroof]

Absolute truth there.

This one may be the most accurate:

#AskEmmert how does it feel to oversee the end of the @NCAA ?

[Edward100]

Are we headed to a system that calls college sports what it is… a business? Will we be hiring players to play only? Will they have to pay for an education like other students? Will they do away with bogus UNC type classes? If so, how does that affect the low-profile players that really use the system to get an education?

[SalsaKat]

My contribution (probably not PC, but the truth):
#askemmert So what's it like being the rich white man with absolute power over the lives of young black men? Pretty ding-dong swell?

I do think that the best answer here, at least to start, is the Olympic model (not paying the athletes, but allowing them to take outside sources of income, such as endorsements). IMO there's nothing wrong with getting a mostly inclusive scholarship to a nice university as payment, but it's the restrictions they place on what you do outside the games and practices that are the real crime.

I like to use the analogy of my time in the marching band at UK. I didn't get paid to march, but I did get a scholarship for it (technically it was a music scholarship but the majority of wind and percussion scholarships included marching band so that the cost of the scholly could be paid by athletics instead of the school of music). However, nobody stopped me from seeking outside income. I got paid $200 to play Easter services at a church, as an example of a number of freelance gigs I took during that time, and yet I was still eligible to show up at that field the next fall and tromp around. Did I ruin the spirit of amateurism by taking outside income? Hardly. Going out and making money some other way is just life as a student.

Ultimately though, any system is going to create a dilemma. Unless you disband major college athletics and replace it with a European-style club system, bidding wars would be an unfortunate occurrence. You want these kids to earn what they're worth, and yet it's a bit disingenuous to attend a college simply because they were the highest bidder. And I realize that the Olympic model lends itself to just that kind of bidding war: Birmingham car dealer offers a $60K endorsement deal to a kid conditional on attending Bama, Atlanta car dealer counter-offers $65K endorsement if he attends Georgia, etc etc. But if you read the bag man article at SBNation you'll realize that kind of thing is already going on. At least that would put it above the table. Plus, as opposed to paying players directly, outside endorsements don't run into Title IX complications. But maybe the club system would be the best solution, since restricting what kids make is probably going to lead to some kind of black market deals no matter what.

edit: Oh hey, football season is over. I'm taking off that hat. It was pinching my big Vulcan ears anyway.

[kingcat]

Emmert can't function in his position with the NCAA much longer. His days if not the NCAA's itself, are numbered.