[Paint Touches] Free Agent Tracker

[GGGG]

Three) The end of the grad transfer exception. Make them sit a year in residence and add a year to their clock.

Cam Johnson comes off as spoiled and entitled.  Truth is there are rules in life and, no they aren't always fair.  If Cam over plays his hand, he might hurt the rest of the players in the long run.

Personally, I favor revenue sport athletes getting a portion of those revenues, i.e., increasing stipends.

However, there are still rules.  Same as employers can put no compete clauses in contracts, schools can limit player movement.  I don't think Pitt is being unreasonable.  Cam Johnson is presented two choices: Go to UNC (or another ACC school) and sit out a year or go anywhere else and be immediately eligible.  Suing because "it's just not fair" is weak and ill-conceived in my opinion.  If there was a violation of the equal protection clause, then it would be a different story.  But that is not the case here.

"Rules are rules" people will sympathize with Pitt.

"Dumb rules are dumb" people will sympathize with Cam.

[brewcity77]

Unpaid?  Sorry, but I worked 2 jobs to pay for my MU education.  I would have loved to have free scholarship and R&B while I got to play sports.

False equivalency. They don't get paychecks.

Suing because "it's just not fair" is weak and ill-conceived in my opinion.  If there was a violation of the equal protection clause, then it would be a different story.  But that is not the case here.

That's not why they'd be suing. They'd be suing because Johnson is being discriminated against because of the sport he plays. If he were a track athlete, he wouldn't have to sit out, but because he plays basketball he does? Pitt needs to drop this because the courts would destroy them. It's laughable to think grad transfers would be further restricted.

I get the tradition that we think transfers will stay status quo, but that's just unrealistic. At some point someone will push rules that don't really make legal sense.

[Lennys Tap]

"Rules are rules" people will sympathize with Pitt.

"Dumb rules are dumb" people will sympathize with Cam.

Anyone who has a modicum of respect for/belief in the rule of law believes that "rules are rules". If they think a particular rule is "dumb" they advocate to change it.

What you're saying - "If I think a rule is dumb that makes it so" - is great if anarchy is your thing.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

"Rules are rules" people will sympathize with Pitt.

"Dumb rules are dumb" people will sympathize with Cam.

I'm usually in the dumb rules are dumb camp (still follow them but try to change them as Lenny suggested). But I personally don't think a school restricting inter-conference transfers is dumb. They restricted less than 4% of his Division 1 options. He has ample opportunity to play and study at literally hundreds of universities.

I am a fan of getting rid of the year in residence requirement, but I would still support universities' ability to restrict (within reason) where a player can transfer to.

[GGGG]

Anyone who has a modicum of respect for/belief in the rule of law believes that "rules are rules". If they think a particular rule is "dumb" they advocate to change it.

What you're saying - "If I think a rule is dumb that makes it so" - is great if anarchy is your thing.

A little Henry David Thoreau mindset is good for a free society. 

[We R Final Four]

They restricted less than 4% of his Division 1 options. He has ample opportunity to play and study at literally hundreds of universities.

If a player of CJs caliber is transferring to a blue blood school such as defending natl champ UNC, he is realistically transferring to maybe 4-6 schools. If his final five include the likes of Duke and UNC, to restrict him access at those schools would be restricting 40% of his realistic choices.
You are correct in that he could attend Grambling St. or Elon or Wright St. and a hundreds of other low to mid majors which make up a large portion of the 96% of schools he could play for, but I'm guessing he won't.

*I do not know if CJ even has a final five list, and if he did, which schools were even on the list.

[Jockey]

Anyone who has a modicum of respect for/belief in the rule of law believes that "rules are rules". If they think a particular rule is "dumb" they advocate to change it.

What you're saying - "If I think a rule is dumb that makes it so" - is great if anarchy is your thing.

Wow, you sound like an old guy, Lennie

There is a huge difference between rules and laws.

"If I think a rule is dumb that makes it so" may not be the proper way to look at it, but is probably generally true. Most rules are made just for the convenience of the rule maker.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

If a player of CJs caliber is transferring to a blue blood school such as defending natl champ UNC, he is realistically transferring to maybe 4-6 schools. If his final five include the likes of Duke and UNC, to restrict him access at those schools would be restricting 40% of his realistic choices.
You are correct in that he could attend Grambling St. or Elon or Wright St. and a hundreds of other low to mid majors which make up a large portion of the 96% of schools he could play for, but I'm guessing he won't.

*I do not know if CJ even has a final five list, and if he did, which schools were even on the list.

I don't think 4-6 schools is accurate. There have been many transfers at his level who have gone to a variety of non-blue blooded schools. More importantly, I don't care about his ability to play for a blue blooded school. I just care if he has the ability to play basketball and study. He has literally 100s of options. Just because he doesn't like most of them doesn't mean he doesn't have those options.

[brewcity77]

I'm usually in the dumb rules are dumb camp (still follow them but try to change them as Lenny suggested). But I personally don't think a school restricting inter-conference transfers is dumb. They restricted less than 4% of his Division 1 options. He has ample opportunity to play and study at literally hundreds of universities.

I am a fan of getting rid of the year in residence requirement, but I would still support universities' ability to restrict (within reason) where a player can transfer to.

I'm in favor of the ability to restrain in conference transfers. I just don't see any way it would hold up in court. Maybe if they try to argue it like a no-compete clause.

Pitt should just let him go, because the long term ramifications of this could change everything. NCAA member institutions do not want this argued in court.

[We R Final Four]

He had more than 6 schools in his final list? If he did, then it's inaccurate--as I said I don't follow the kid and don't know.
The kid wants to play at a top 1-2% bball school. He chose UNC. He didn't chose a non-blue blood like others have. He chose UNC.
He may get his wish he may not, but Grambling St. maybe technically an option, but it's not an option for a 1%.

[Lennys Tap]

Wow, you sound like an old guy, Lennie

There is a huge difference between rules and laws.

"If I think a rule is dumb that makes it so" may not be the proper way to look at it, but is probably generally true. Most rules are made just for the convenience of the rule maker.

Older than dirt, Brandie

Rules and laws can be very different or synonymous. In this case they're the latter. Schools voluntarily join the NCAA and freely choose their conference affiliation. Don't like the rules/laws that your own organization enacts? Try to win enough hearts and minds to change them. If you fail, and the majority decides that you're the dumb one, live with it or go elsewhere.

[bilsu]

I don't think 4-6 schools is accurate. There have been many transfers at his level who have gone to a variety of non-blue blooded schools. More importantly, I don't care about his ability to play for a blue blooded school. I just care if he has the ability to play basketball and study. He has literally 100s of options. Just because he doesn't like most of them doesn't mean he doesn't have those options.

He picked North Carolina who should be (will not) penalized for fake classes.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

He had more than 6 schools in his final list? If he did, then it's inaccurate--as I said I don't follow the kid and don't know.
The kid wants to play at a top 1-2% bball school. He chose UNC. He didn't chose a non-blue blood like others have. He chose UNC.
He may get his wish he may not, but Grambling St. maybe technically an option, but it's not an option for a 1%.

That's great. I personally don't care if he wants to play in the top 1% of schools. I just care that he has a reasonable amount options to play and study somewhere. In this case, he has literally hundreds.

[GGGG]

I'm in favor of the ability to restrain in conference transfers. I just don't see any way it would hold up in court. Maybe if they try to argue it like a no-compete clause.

Pretty hard to argue that when the conference specifically allows it.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Pretty hard to argue that when the conference specifically allows it.

I'm pretty sure they allow it because the rule wasnt updated after grad transfers became a thing and no one tried to use it until last year.

[GGGG]

I'm pretty sure they allow it because the rule wasnt updated after grad transfers became a thing and no one tried to use it until last year.

It was updated in 2006 to specifically craft out an exemption for graduate transfers intra-conference.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/acc/genrel/auto_pdf/ACCEligibilityRules.pdf

a. Exception. A student-athlete who receives a baccalaureate degree at one
member institution and who has been admitted into a degree program at another
member institution may transfer to another member institution without being
subject to the intra-conference transfer rule. NCAA transfer regulations would
apply. (Revised: February 2006)

"The intra-conference transfer rule" referenced is one that requires a two semester in residence.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I stand corrected.

[MU82]

Finally, one kind of student-athlete - the great student, the hard worker who is able to be a full-time basketball player AND get his degree in 3 years - has an advantage over the institution.

And the institution responds by doing everything in its power to restrict the student.

Just about all of these coaches and ADs and university presidents would love to get rid of the graduate transfer rule. Which is a strong reason why I love the rule - because it pisses off the power.

[MU82]

Well, Pitt granted the release, and Johnson can play at UNC next season (unless UNC gets the death penalty - ha!).

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/19582818/pittsburgh-panthers-clears-cameron-johnson-transfer-north-carolina-tar-heels

The article quotes Johnson's father:

"It's been a frustrating couple of months. But I'm a true believer in generally people end up doing the right things more times than not, especially by a young man who has given the university everything he could over the past three years. So I was prayerful that Pitt would do the right thing and allow him to pursue his dreams."

Chalk up another victory to prayer! It's been a busy June for God. The Johnsons are very lucky she or he made the time for this important situation.

Snark aside, Pitt realized it really had little to gain from sticking to its no-UNC-for-you stance. A courtroom defense would have been expensive and quite possibly unsuccessful. The kid gave the school 3 great years, stuck around through a coaching change, boosted the team GPA, and graduated with honors a year ahead of schedule. The decent thing to do was to let him control his own destiny. I'm glad Pitt's leaders decided to be decent - or at least be both practical and financially wise.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

I think Pitt is choosing what is in their best interest, not to "do the right thing." A costly legal battle is more harmful than the results of 2 or 3 basketball games.

Congrats to Cam Johnson.  He got what he wanted.  Unfortunately, this further exacerbates what I feel is a real problem in our society: Don't like the rules, sue to get your way.

[Jay Bee]

The poor kids, oh the poor kids! It's all so unfair!

The benefits & power they have is far more significant than most believe

Go Pitt, massacre UNC

[MU82]

The poor kids, oh the poor kids! It's all so unfair!

The poor institutions, oh the poor institutions! The put-upon university presidents and athletic directors and, especially, coaches! It's all so unfair!

There ... is that better?

I mean, Kevin Stallings just can't catch a break - as long as one doesn't consider it a break that a guy who has accomplished nothing as a college coach landed an eight-figure contract.

Screw the kids! They get everything their way!!!!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Probably not anything Marquette related, but its a slow news period so figured I'd share.

After nearly a month of the grad transfer market being comatose, two impact grad transfers made themselves available today.

Randy Onwuasor, a former Texas Tech Red Raider, averaged 23.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals a game for lowly Southern Utah last season. Led the Thunderbirds in all those stats too. Had originally declared for the draft but pulled out before the deadline. No idea why he's leaving now.

Jack Whitman was the starting center for a solid low major in William and Mary. He managed 10.1 points and 5.4 rebounds a game while shooting 66% from the floor. He also has an epic porn stache. He originally grad transferred to Kansas which I thought was a reach for him. Don't know why but he's suddenly announced that he won't be going to Kansas and is looking for a new program. My guess is he too realized that Kansas was a reach.

I doubt Marquette gets involved with either, it was just interesting to see two impact grad transfers pop up on the same day this late in the game.