Why I can’t be mad at A.J. Green
I’ll be honest. My first reaction when I heard of A.J. Green’s four-game suspension was one of anger.
And it wasn’t because Green owes any of us anything. I want to see the guy play because he’s a great player. And when there is a big game like Saturday’s between Georgia and South Carolina I want both teams to have all of their weapons. I love college football and I want to see great players play. And we’ve got too many guys who are not playing right now because of NCAA rules violations.
No, I was angry at A.J. because it seems so unnecessary. Early next year A.J. Green is going to be a very wealthy man because he is going to turn pro. So the money was coming. A.J. is a smart kid and he knew that there is no level where selling his jersey for a lousy $1,000 bucks was not a rules violation. The risk/reward/punishment equation for doing this just didn’t add up.
If this NCAA ruling stands (three more games on suspension), and it shouldn’t because it’s excessive, what should be an unforgettable junior season for Green will be forever tainted with “Yeah, he was good but he missed four games.” That made me sad and, at first, angry.
But I learned a long time ago that it’s easy for us adults to wag our fingers and say “Hey, those are the rules. You gotta follow them.” We’re not in the kid’s shoes. We don’t have to watch while the schools fill the stadiums, accept millions from television and make more millions from selling his jersey (with his name on it) while the system pats us on the head and assures us that our day is coming if we’ll only be patient. We really only learn that kind of patience as an adult. Youth, by its very defintion, is not patient.
Understand that the NCAA makes these rules not to regulate what actually happens, like one kid selling a jersey for $1,000. The rules are in place to control what COULD happen–like a kid selling 500 jerseys (provided to him by an agent) for $1,000 each. The NCAA punishes the nickle and dime stuff in hopes of preventing something really big and bad from happening.
When Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant lied to investigators about his relationship with Deion Sanders, the NCAA banned him for the rest of his junior season. Bryant was not truthful but was his lie REALLY that bad? Well, no but the move sent a chilling message to other athletes: Lie to NCAA investigators and you’re done. That message was received and understood. Now before every interview with the NCAA the kid has the fear of God put in him. That was by design.
Yes, the financial end of college athletics is certainly to the benefit of the schools. It’s all one big double standard, we know that. But certain things are just a blatant slap in the face to these guys. The fact that A.J. Green may lose a third of his junior season for selling a jersey while the University Bookstore sells a bunch of them is a double slap. It’s the establishment telling these kids: We can make money off your talent and fame in every damn way we please. If you try it, though, we’ll use the rules to take you out and to keep you in line.
The NCAA enforcement people have been working overtime this summer trying to keep a lid on a bunch of these issues from Agent Gate to Hotel Gate. At the core of all of them is a system where the athletes realize on a daily basis that they are getting a raw deal. They get to the point where they don’t care any more. It’s “hey, if they catch me they catch me but I’m not taking this any more.”
We as fans wonder where the loyalty is to the institution. But through the eyes of a young kid from modest or poor circumstances, that loyalty street seems to only run one way.
I don’t have a lot of answers for you this morning but I would suggest this: A school like Georgia should be able to sell all of the No. 8 jerseys it wants. The jersey and the number belong to the school.
But when some schools–and I am told that Georgia is not one of them–start putting name on the back on the jersey then you have crossed an ethical line. What the kid did on the field made that jersey more valuable than a generic one. He created that extra value and cannot share in it. So the school shouldn’t share in it either.
So let’s just end that practice. Is it a little thing in the grand scheme of things? Absolutely. But it would be one less slap in the face to a group of people who are getting tired of being pushed around.
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847 comments Add your comment
rollins
September 9th, 2010
1:41 pm
amg,
who all was fired a few years back after Tech had the then biggest academic scandal in ACC history? Just curious
PMC
September 9th, 2010
1:41 pm
Boo Boo. That’s a good call. Make everything like division 3.
Give me a break
September 9th, 2010
1:42 pm
under the porch, ramblinwrecker is not one of us. I can assure you of that. He’s a closet Georgia fan trying to stir the pot. Pretty obvious to anybody with half a brain.
peaches peach
September 9th, 2010
1:43 pm
under the porch,
I second that
kerryb
September 9th, 2010
1:43 pm
I wonder if any Tech players will be able to sell a game jersey from the blue turf bowl this year for $5.
GT Alum
September 9th, 2010
1:43 pm
RamblinWrecker,
Blame it on the Athens police and our ability to better hide crimes? Any more conspiracy theories? You should be a detective. P.S. I don’t believe for a second you are a GT alum or even a fan!
RamblinWrecker
September 9th, 2010
1:44 pm
give me a break,
Yes, please give me a break. I’m more of a Jacket than you could ever possibly dream of being.
typical
September 9th, 2010
1:45 pm
Ramblinwrecker = Cool honest dude
give me a break = Typical whiny, bitchy, slimey nerd fan
RamblinWrecker
September 9th, 2010
1:46 pm
GT Alum,
How many athletes did you have in your classes? I had more than I can remember, and half the time they were never there on test days. Not to mention the countless number of times I’ve been forced to cringe at the sound of our better athletes attempting to “speak” to the media.
Give me a break
September 9th, 2010
1:47 pm
I played for Tech fool which would make you wrong AGAIN. And typical, the only thing typical is that Ramblinwrecker(closet Dawg fan) is making excuses for his team. Its never the players’ fault, only the over-zealous police in Athens and NCAA. Nothing to see here!!
BETt
September 9th, 2010
1:47 pm
You guys are crazy if you think these kids are brought to these universities for education. The schools use these young people, if it were really about education why does the AD and football coaches make more money than the Dean for the university. Even the NFL has a hand in this because of their age requiremnt which basically forces a kid to play college footbal before they can go pro. They school school pay these kids plain and simple.
takedowndawg
September 9th, 2010
1:47 pm
gator mike, What is you win-loss prediction for your gators for the season. I would think that you might want to adjust it somewhat after last Saturday’s performance. Maybe, lose one for the year? One? Two? Or, run the table!
amg
September 9th, 2010
1:48 pm
Rollins, The AD was and that was the beginning of the end for the coach. The problem Tech had was switching from Quarters to semesters, some of the players were not far enough along to continue playing. There was no cheating, no police, but never the less and BIG blemish on Tech. Now compare that to UGA now . . . they take there third straight Fullmer award and it just keeps getting worse and there is not a mention from the Alumni about it other than, hope we win at football. At Tech two thirds of the Alumni were pissed off and wanted the coach canned.
Smurf Bowl committee member
September 9th, 2010
1:48 pm
We have already drafted your invention!!! We are so looking forward to welcoming you back home this winter!!!
Delbert D.
September 9th, 2010
1:48 pm
87dawg – Rational though and faith cannot be reconciled absolutely. 3,500 years of philosophers’ work have not come up with absolute proofs. Here is a quote that expresses what I abide by:
“I am not going to question your opinions. I am not going to meddle with your belief. I am not going to dictate to you mine. All that I say is, examine, inquire. Look into the nature of things. Search out the grounds of your opinions, the for and the against. Know why you believe, understand what you believe, and possess a reason for the faith that is in you.”
— Frances Wright, Divisions of Knowledge, 1828.
rollins
September 9th, 2010
1:49 pm
amg,
So there are police involved with Green? No cheating? Not according to the NCAA. Tech was allowing D’s to pass as C’s. I remember the case quite well even though you clearly don’t.
BhamRick
September 9th, 2010
1:50 pm
If you like to watch players that get paid, there is an option for you. It’s called the NFL. Go cover it.
College football is popular. It’s not exploitation. Only about 80% of schools even make money. Yet they ALL provide a lot of benefits to the players, over and above the education, which I know people like you discount. The fame, opportunity and enjoyment they receive is ample compensation. If you don’t think so, you’re not one of millions of atheletes (like me) who are not good enough to play at that level but would trade places with them in a heartbeat. A lot of us would pay for the opportunity that all you can do is scoff at.
Go cover the NFL.
Smurf Bowl committee member
September 9th, 2010
1:50 pm
oops, I meant INVITATION, but close enough!!! Can’t wait to see you all again!!!
GT Alum
September 9th, 2010
1:52 pm
GT Alum, Your argument is taking too many twists and turns. I don’t have all day to spend on this blog. I do not think all of our Football players are of great intelligence or worthy of a GT diploma. However, I know that they do not disgrace our school consistently with criminal acts, and we do not have a coach that would roll over and let it happen (like Richt).
jones
September 9th, 2010
1:52 pm
Tech is an engineering school, yet less than 5% of their football team are engineering majors. Go figure.
RamblinWrecker
September 9th, 2010
1:54 pm
GT Alum,
I’m guessing you just outed yourself for switching handles since you just, well, addressed yourself. It was a good effort though.
GT Alum
September 9th, 2010
1:55 pm
I think as an Institution we deservingly get more respect than UGA in all areas. Point Blank. Everyone knows it.
amg
September 9th, 2010
1:55 pm
Rollins,Green was not involved with police but 12 other players this year alone have been, thus the Fullmer award goes to UGA again, three straight and 5 out of six years running. The article explains that according to the NCAA the player could play with a d or higher as long as his GPA did not go below a 2.0. The Tech player had a D and a 2.6 GPA. GEorgia Tech rules were they would not allow a player to play if he made a D, and the player was removed from the team for this reason.
tom chandler
September 9th, 2010
1:55 pm
The Bama kid reported himself, the Georgia kid didn’t–makes a real difference when you step up and take responsibility as opposed to “oh, was that what you were asking me about?’
Vol Fan in Ga
September 9th, 2010
1:55 pm
AJ Green cheated, UGA football suffers, Tony Barnhart complains. AJ Green should have known better to have not sold his jersey in the first place, much less to an agent. I know UGA educates its players on whats right and wrong. AJ knew it was wrong and spit in the face of Mark Richt, the compliance dept and the NCAA rule book. He should be punished!
GT Alum
September 9th, 2010
1:56 pm
Jones, Our business program is now ranked leaps and bounds above Terry, and is ranked equally with Emory..so go figure what?
Give me a break
September 9th, 2010
1:58 pm
Hey jones, so is it safe to assume that most of Georgia’s players are pre-med students or studying to be rocket scientists? I’m sure none of your guys are taking any cupcake classes like what Jim Harrick Jr was teaching while he was there! I can tell you this much 14 years after graduating- I’d take my management degree over an engineering degree any day of the week.
reasonable
September 9th, 2010
1:58 pm
1. Yes, I asked you to discuss the facts. If you dispute them do so but be prepared for being asked to justify your comments.
2. As to my point number 5, I wish I had a solution at hand. I suspect this whole agent mess will force the NCAA to finally look at the economics of the scholarships and some sort of increase in stipends. Paying players does not make sense for some of the reasons outlined here. But surely some of the rules on sale of autographed goods and off-season work can be adjusted.
I have been a fan of UGA for a long time and also root for them. This issue as this summer should reveal is bigger than just UGA.
amg
September 9th, 2010
1:59 pm
I must echo GT Alums comments with one more point. I think as an Institution we deservingly get more respect than UGA in all areas. Point Blank. Everyone knows it. The one more point. Everyone knows UGA is becoming more and more worthless as an academic university, it did win the bigest party school. Congrats UGA and I hope your inmates play good football, but don’t try and pretend UGA is a school.
pez
September 9th, 2010
1:59 pm
gt alum,
don’t forget your humanities department that you guys shamefully established in the 90’s
Give me a break
September 9th, 2010
2:01 pm
Ramblinwrecker, you’re schtick is getting old and you’re still not fooling anyone. But in the slim chance you did attend GT, did a football player beat you up while you were on campus or steal your girlfriend?
YOU GIVE ME THE BREAK
September 9th, 2010
2:02 pm
amg,
You are just sounding angry, stupid and jealous now. UGA is always right around the top 50 in the Princeton Review top universities rankings, which we are proud of. Go sell crazy else where.
Delbert D.
September 9th, 2010
2:02 pm
“RamblinWrecker
September 9th, 2010
1:32 pm
Delbert D. –
46 years of life lived in the great state of Georgia is my evidence.”
That is only the basis for your opinions. I was a teenager when schools were desegregated. I also remember the infamous “Dixie Mafia” of A.D. Allen and Billy Birt all too well. I had former classmates that were murdered. A client of my father was blown up in his car the day he was to present evidence in court against a member in Jackson County. There is where you’ll find real corruption; do some more research; it’s far more interesting than these minor current events.
Another Dawg
September 9th, 2010
2:04 pm
Well this article is another idiotic one from someone who studied “journalism” instead of a meaningful subject, like economics.
Will a 4 game suspension hurt AJ Green at all? Will a blemish on his record affect his top 5 draft status and his Round 1 guaranteed money? Look at Dez Bryant–all it cost him was a chance to get injured.
The problem isn’t the NCAA, it’s the NFL. It doesn’t provide any teeth to the players the NCAA tries most to control. A player who is clearly NFL-bound has no reason to obey the rules (and they frequently don’t bother.) Once his last year is done, the NFL doesn’t penalize him in the least. They welcome him in with open arms and $30 mil guaranteed. Obeying the rules is for the guys who are struggling to make the roster, not the Thursday night guys.
Of course, Tony Barnhart has always been a slow, poor journalist; if he had any grasp of economics, he’d have found a meaningful profession in which he could trade other people’s ideas.
court
September 9th, 2010
2:04 pm
Vol in Ga,
AJ didn’t “cheat” moron. He broke a rule. Which is more than we can say about that gang of hoodlums you people try and pass off as “student athletes” up there.
How many innocent locals were mugged or beat up last night in Knoxville?
amg
September 9th, 2010
2:04 pm
You give me a break, you were number one in the Princeton Review . . . of top party schools and you were not listed in the top 100 schools for top Universities. UGA was not mentioned at all. Tech was, look it up.
Give me a break
September 9th, 2010
2:06 pm
amg is right and once again a Georgia fan is wrong. And in other news, the sun will be setting in the west today.
endzone zed
September 9th, 2010
2:06 pm
ramblinwrecker,
I too have to doubt your authenticity. Only because you sound too honest, rationale and sane. Not some typical socially awkward, jerkoff outcast Tech fan like we are accustom to.
busted again
September 9th, 2010
2:08 pm
amg,
UGA was ranked in the mid 50’s, where they usually are. And yes, number one in partying. All that means is that it’s a great school that has fun as well. That must hurt, ehh tool?
Justaguy
September 9th, 2010
2:09 pm
In response to banders, who probably won’t read this, it is extremely different than a blue collar apprentice program. An apprentice welder works for less money because while he is learning the ropes, he is not as productive as he would be if he knew all his stuff and there is a certain amount of liability inherent in his inexperience, both great reasons for a smaller paycheck.
As far as college athletics goes, these programs and the NCAA are making millions of dollars off of these kids’ talent, hard work, and their willingness to put their bodies on the line. I think the comment about an institution’s loyalty to the athlete was a tad unfair since it’s the NCAA that makes these rules. There are a multitude of people that would be more than willing to pay them to do what they do, but the rules forbid it. Most of the scholarship packages available to the athletes boil down to them making less than minimum wage if you factor in all the hours they spend doing athletic-themed activities, and if they get injured, you can forget the millions of dollars that you brought in wowing screaming, paying fans because you’ll never see a dime of it. It’s such raw deal it’s unbelievable, and I’m glad kids are making money under the table. I just hope most of this stuff goes unnoticed.
Delbert D.
September 9th, 2010
2:10 pm
reasonable – The NCAA rules are what they are. Quote from NCAA.org: “The NCAA is a membership organization composed mainly of four-year higher education institutions and collections of institutions known as conferences. Representatives from those institutions and conferences create NCAA rules and policies. “
Vol Fan in Ga
September 9th, 2010
2:10 pm
Will a UGA fan please admit that AJ brought this on himself and should be punished accordingly?
Panties red
September 9th, 2010
2:10 pm
Sorry endzone red, I couldn’t resist. Its just too easy to make fun of Georgia fans these days.
GT Alum
September 9th, 2010
2:10 pm
Pez,
are you slamming our Humanities Department (who cares?)
Or bragging about the Humanities Department at UGA ( its a humanities department..laugh…who cares)
Call me when a degree in women’s studies makes you any $$.
amg
September 9th, 2010
2:10 pm
It is obvious to me that you did not graduate from UGA. It is past 2 in the afternoon. If you went to UGA you would be drunk and too stupid to use a computer and far too stupid to look up the Princeton review.
Facts must suck
September 9th, 2010
2:11 pm
In the much regarded and respected U.S. News and World Report college rankings, UGA is currently number 56.
Suck on that dorks.
rikes
September 9th, 2010
2:12 pm
vol in ga,
As soon as you admit that HBO could do a gang documentary on your athletes.
GT Alum
September 9th, 2010
2:13 pm
Busted again.. you must be referring to the USNEWS rankings for UGA being mid 50’s (check out the scoring criteria and well have a chat)
gdawginkalamazoo
September 9th, 2010
2:14 pm
#1) He broke the rules he pays the price. So called “fair” or not the penalty for breaking this rule is 4 games suspension. Sit and learn
#2) I don’t want to hear any complaints about the players not getting paid for playing football. Nobody makes them go to college. They get their education paid for all the way through for playing a sport. Look at it as a job that pays for your education. People wait tables, wash cars, pour drinks, dance on tables to get their school paid for, these kids play football/basektball/tennis etc.
Life is about opportunities and your ability to take advantage of them. If these football players take advantage of their ability while in college the rewards are tremendous. If they don’t then they at least get a college degree to carry them through life.
#3) The NCAA is enforcing its rules in relation to AJ Green and his situation which it has the right to do and which I happen to agree with.
#4) AJ isn’t our only receiver, Murray hit 10 different ones in the first game plus Tavarres is coming back which gives him 11. If those 11 cannot get it done against SC and Ark then we need to quit football.
RamblinWrecker
September 9th, 2010
2:14 pm
This is the exact problem I am talking about with our base. We are more concerned about UGA’s problems than our own!!! We have players that don’t even have a elementary grasp of the English language and you celebrate it. So what? Our guys aren’t getting busted driving a car with a headlight out or improper tags? That makes us elite in your minds? You all need to seriously grow up.