NFL Lockout (yep it is true)

[BmoreAkuma]

Well for now until April 6.

Here is a google link

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=nfl+lockout&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=


The top story is that Ochocinco is trying out for a MLS team. I guess you have to stay in shape and get paid right?

What will happen to the players whom are waiting to get drafted? I've heard that the draft is still happening but unfortunately no contracts can be signed and well no money. This should be a learning lesson for some of these college kids with their hopes of "going pro". It would be best to finish those 4 years of college since the average NFL career is about 4 years depending on position.

The only sympathy I have are the college recruits ever so slightly but not too much. One of things I'm trying to understand is that if your average career in the NFL is 3-4 years why many don't have backup plans to make that money grow? Even a practice squad guy brings in 300K. Do you know what your avg person can do with 300K annually?

[Hypestyle]

I'd like to see the NFL and NBA adopt 4-year minimums before allowing student-athletes to enter the draft..

[Curtis Metcalf]

I'd like to see the NFL and NBA adopt 4-year minimums before allowing student-athletes to enter the draft..

Why is that? I imagine to encourage them to go to college...
Are there other reasons?

[Kimoyo]

I'd like to see the NFL and NBA adopt 4-year minimums before allowing student-athletes to enter the draft..

4 year minimums based on what; age, high school graduation/g.e.d. completion?

Peace,

Mont

[BmoreAkuma]

I would assume to complete their degree. Because in the NFL, the contract isn't guaranteed and your spot is always on the line. Don't forget many don't last no more than 3-4 years. They don't have options to "play internationally" like the other sports so they are f*cked.

[Hypestyle]

I'd like to see the NFL and NBA adopt 4-year minimums before allowing student-athletes to enter the draft..

Why is that? I imagine to encourage them to go to college...
Are there other reasons?

to, hopefuly, complete their degree or get as many credits as possible..  

regarding the current circumstances.. I wonder if some guys will head to the CFL, also the Arena Football League.. anybody follow those outfits?  Also I read where Chad Ochocinco might be trying out for Soccer.. for those who do, it could be interesting to give some attention back to that sport..

[Curtis Metcalf]

I'd like to see the NFL and NBA adopt 4-year minimums before allowing student-athletes to enter the draft..

Why is that? I imagine to encourage them to go to college...
Are there other reasons?

to, hopefuly, complete their degree or get as many credits as possible..  

But if they can get paid now, why shouldn't they? You can get hurt and have it all vanish. And you can always go to college. With financial security.

I'm against even the one-year rule for the NBA. All that does is enrich university sports programs. It's basically an indentured service system.

[Battle]

I'm against even the one-year rule for the NBA. All that does is enrich university sports programs. It's basically an indentured service system.

Also when you consider that players can get traded from team to team, it sounds almost like slavery...

[Curtis Metcalf]

I'm against even the one-year rule for the NBA. All that does is enrich university sports programs. It's basically an indentured service system.

Also when you consider that players can get traded from team to team, it sounds almost like slavery...

I wouldn't compare multi-million dollar contracts to slavery. It's a contract freely agreed to by both parties.
The one and done college thing on the other hand strikes me as fundamentally different. Sure, they get one year of "free" education but they are restricted from collecting millions. The millions go to the school instead.

[BmoreAkuma]

But if they can get paid now, why shouldn't they? You can get hurt and have it all vanish. And you can always go to college. With financial security.

I'm against even the one-year rule for the NBA. All that does is enrich university sports programs. It's basically an indentured service system.

The thing is in football it isn't guaranteed money. As for the one year in NBA it is a good thing. Too many scrubs come out of high school thinking they are ready to play with grown men and most of them aren't not. Some of the ones in college are just as scrubby. Barely have any experience in a "playoff atmostsphere" or played as many games in one year and they think they are ready? HA!

Look at the NBA Drafts of old regarding the one and done college. So many of them are far way in the bench or wind up being on the bench on some random Euroleague team. The High School crap didn't really reached it heights until Kevin Garnett was drafted. A year later Kobe and Jermaine. Then BAM! The high school scrubs came out thinking they were able to make it.

Many of the NBA greats stayed at least their Sophomore year or better yet were just that good. Kobe, Lebron & Kevin are the rare exceptions. By the NBA drafting international players more often in the first round more grown men with actually grown men experience are being selected.

When you are a team that passed up on Pau Gasol Tony Parker and Mehmet Okur for scrubby high schoolers, served your asses right that your team hasnt improved since then. ROFL

[Vic Vega]

The shelf life of a Pro Football player is really short. But I can also understand why a guy who does well in say, his junior year will want to come out sooner rather than later. Each additional season spent playing College Football for free is a season spent risking a career ending injury before you even get the chance to go pro.

Im not hyped about forcing these guys to stay in college. Nobody stops folks like Maria Sharapova from getting paid at an early age.

If College Football wasn't bound and determined to make as much money off these guys as possible while paying them nothing offically(even if they give you a car, it decreaces in value the second you take possesion of it), this wouldn't be an issue.

[BmoreAkuma]

The shelf life of a Pro Football player is really short. But I can also understand why a guy who does well in say, his junior year will want to come out sooner rather than later. Each additional season spent playing College Football for free is a season spent risking a career ending injury before you even get the chance to go pro.

Im not hyped about forcing these guys to stay in college. Nobody stops folks like Maria Sharapova from getting paid at an early age.

If College Football wasn't bound and determined to make as much money off these guys as possible while paying them nothing offically(even if they give you a car, it decreaces in value the second you take possesion of it), this wouldn't be an issue.

It isn't about "forcing", shouldn't be about getting as much as much life choices and adult decisions done correctly as early as possible?  If you are going to college only to go pro you are wasting your time. You're better off going to training camp tryouts like the rest whom don't get drafted and prove it on the field.

[Curtis Metcalf]

But if they can get paid now, why shouldn't they? You can get hurt and have it all vanish. And you can always go to college. With financial security.

I'm against even the one-year rule for the NBA. All that does is enrich university sports programs. It's basically an indentured service system.

The thing is in football it isn't guaranteed money. As for the one year in NBA it is a good thing. Too many scrubs come out of high school thinking they are ready to play with grown men and most of them aren't not. Some of the ones in college are just as scrubby. Barely have any experience in a "playoff atmostsphere" or played as many games in one year and they think they are ready? HA!

Look at the NBA Drafts of old regarding the one and done college. So many of them are far way in the bench or wind up being on the bench on some random Euroleague team. The High School crap didn't really reached it heights until Kevin Garnett was drafted. A year later Kobe and Jermaine. Then BAM! The high school scrubs came out thinking they were able to make it.

Many of the NBA greats stayed at least their Sophomore year or better yet were just that good. Kobe, Lebron & Kevin are the rare exceptions. By the NBA drafting international players more often in the first round more grown men with actually grown men experience are being selected.

When you are a team that passed up on Pau Gasol Tony Parker and Mehmet Okur for scrubby high schoolers, served your asses right that your team hasnt improved since then. ROFL

I think we mostly agree. I certainly agree that almost all high school athletes are not ready for the pros in either the NBA or the NFL. They would be better served going to college or perhaps a real minor league. The NBDL seems to be a step in that direction.

Overall, I'm for more choices, not fewer. Why should the ones that are ready be restricted from signing a contract with a willing employer? How was abusing college players for a year going to help LBJ?

I take your point that a lot of players declare too early and teams make bad draft choices. But you can't legislate against stupid.

[BmoreAkuma]

I think we mostly agree. I certainly agree that almost all high school athletes are not ready for the pros in either the NBA or the NFL. They would be better served going to college or perhaps a real minor league. The NBDL seems to be a step in that direction.

Overall, I'm for more choices, not fewer. Why should the ones that are ready be restricted from signing a contract with a willing employer? How was abusing college players for a year going to help LBJ?

I take your point that a lot of players declare too early and teams make bad draft choices. But you can't legislate against stupid.

That is true but after the success of Garnett, Bryant and O'neal (jermaine) who wouldn't take that risk if you think about it. Many teams did and unfortunately they suffered the consquences. The sh*tty decisions of Jordan for example affected the wizards for years to come. The restriction came imo based that things went out of hand. So many of them just wasn't that good at all. I mean terrible. DeShawn Stevenson is one of those overrated clowns ROFL. In comparion to High School Seniors vs College athletes the numbers of potential prospects increases and you just don't know how "good" they are looking at High Schoolers. Can one determine the "strength" of 4A in Baltimore vs 4A of Los Angeles? Nope not really.

[Curtis Metcalf]

I feel you on Kwame Brown. Still, teams make mistakes with college athletes too. Assessing risk and potential is just part of doing business. Enforcing the one year rule doesn't change the equation to me except for impacting college basketball.