New NCAA policy regarding agents & "testing the waters"

[MuMark]

The NBAPA thinks a degree is important for agents yet the NCAA is wrong for the same standard?

I swear all the whining about everything the NCAA does is a little much......Doug Gottlieb had a good segment on this today.

[Cheeks]

The NBAPA thinks a degree is important for agents yet the NCAA is wrong for the same standard?

I swear all the whining about everything the NCAA does is a little much......Doug Gottlieb had a good segment on this today.

We have a bingo!!!


People just love to pile on the NCaA and their bootlickers apparently.  Half the time they have no idea what they are even talking about.  Loved the NCAA response, and considering a friend of mine is in their media relations dept it made me smile even more.

[Cheeks]

Was wondering who would bring race into this discussion first.

Why are you sure the race card has been played? Certain people always worry that the race card will affect their own privilege.

It was played yesterday and not at all surprising that it was.  The go to playbook these days. Great response by NCAA today....all the facts, no emotion, just put that statement out and go out for a glass of wine.

Sincerely,

NCAA bootlicker

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Then how is Rich Paul an agent?  Is he not certified?  Did they change the rule?  Waive it?

If the NBPA added such a requirement, then that's foolhardy as well.

And the idea the NCAA needs stricter criteria than the NBPA is laughable - especially since the NBPA criteria were good enough for this year.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

nm

[MuMark]

https://twitter.com/amydashtv/status/1159265571495731211?s=21

[Pakuni]

The NBAPA thinks a degree is important for agents yet the NCAA is wrong for the same standard?

Given that the NBAPA has certified many agents without a college degree (such as Rich Paul), they obviously don't think it's terribly important.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

https://twitter.com/amydashtv/status/1159265571495731211?s=21

The point is that the NBPA already certifies refs.  The NCAA doesn't need another process.

[cheebs09]

Then how is Rich Paul an agent?  Is he not certified?  Did they change the rule?  Waive it?

If the NBPA added such a requirement, then that's foolhardy as well.

And the idea the NCAA needs stricter criteria than the NBPA is laughable - especially since the NBPA criteria were good enough for this year.

https://twitter.com/robdauster/status/1159256191429746688?s=21

This thread explains it a little. Also, shows the number of NBA guys not represented by firms is fairly low. But I’d imagine a higher percentage of the high schoolers and college kids wouldn’t be repped by firms.

[The Lens]

Maybe it is because I have to deal with them on a weekly basis, but agents are an interesting crew....I will leave it at that.

I’ve been on both sides of the agent coin.  I’ve worked to represent athletes in their marketing efforts and have needed to hold out / counter to maximize their worth on a project.  I’ve also served as a talent buyer and had to contract with agents (NFL, MLB & NBA certified) for various projects.  I’ve dealt with mom & pops, I’ve dealt with CAA & Wasserman.  Guys with Harvard Law degrees and guys from commuter colleges. Some are like negotiating with your best friend, some are absolute slime balls. What I learned is agents are really no different than other aspects of society.  The gross generalizations are just that, gross.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

https://twitter.com/robdauster/status/1159256191429746688?s=21

This thread explains it a little. Also, shows the number of NBA guys not represented by firms is fairly low. But I’d imagine a higher percentage of the high schoolers and college kids wouldn’t be repped by firms.

OK just what I suspected.  The bachelor's degree requirement isn't really a requirement.

And Dauster is 100% right.  The NCAA could have made it simple, but they didn't.

[Pakuni]

The Athletic nails it.

What these rules do — particularly the need for a bachelor’s degree and the need to have been a certified agent for three years — is create unnecessary barriers to entry for people trying to get into the agency business. The best way for agents breaking into the business to get clients — if you’re not Paul and grew up 20 minutes from LeBron — is to get guys on the borderline, build your business by evaluating well and hitting on those guys, then continuing to sustainably move up into bigger players as you become more well-known throughout the industry. The three-year certification barrier takes a huge pool of borderline players out of the mix for these new, incoming agents, and makes it much harder for them to find success.

And as I’m sure Paul would argue, the need for a degree is largely superfluous to an agency’s business. There isn’t a school in the country offering training on how to be a sports agent. And if they do offer something like it, it certainly wouldn’t actually prepare anyone for the actual profession. Beyond that, the reasoning for these rules paint agents with a broad brush of malice, and allows the agencies that have been institutionalized already to maintain the status quo.

And if we believe these rules are set up to maintain the status quo, that means they are maintaining a status quo that is predominantly made up of white males. Currently, only three of the 12 agents who represent players totaling $100 million in yearly salaries are African-American (Paul, Austin Brown and Bill Duffy), despite the fact that about 74 percent of all players in the league are African-American. Essentially, by putting more power in the hands of those who are already established, these rules — particularly the three years an agent must be NBPA-certified for prior to becoming eligible to be NCAA-certified — keeps things the same, which actively hinders the ability of the agency industry to become more diverse, which is something that it desperately needs. Paul has shown that over the last five years.

https://theathletic.com/1121724/2019/08/07/vecenie-ncaas-rich-paul-rule-isnt-about-this-rich-paul-but-the-next-one/

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

So let me get this straight.

One organization who has a vested interest in retaining the status quo, consulted with a bunch of people who have a similar interest, and they come up with something that concentrates power and access to those who already have it, and Cheeks is cheering them all on?

I am shocked.

[MU82]

The Athletic nails it.

What these rules do — particularly the need for a bachelor’s degree and the need to have been a certified agent for three years — is create unnecessary barriers to entry for people trying to get into the agency business. The best way for agents breaking into the business to get clients — if you’re not Paul and grew up 20 minutes from LeBron — is to get guys on the borderline, build your business by evaluating well and hitting on those guys, then continuing to sustainably move up into bigger players as you become more well-known throughout the industry. The three-year certification barrier takes a huge pool of borderline players out of the mix for these new, incoming agents, and makes it much harder for them to find success.

And as I’m sure Paul would argue, the need for a degree is largely superfluous to an agency’s business. There isn’t a school in the country offering training on how to be a sports agent. And if they do offer something like it, it certainly wouldn’t actually prepare anyone for the actual profession. Beyond that, the reasoning for these rules paint agents with a broad brush of malice, and allows the agencies that have been institutionalized already to maintain the status quo.

And if we believe these rules are set up to maintain the status quo, that means they are maintaining a status quo that is predominantly made up of white males. Currently, only three of the 12 agents who represent players totaling $100 million in yearly salaries are African-American (Paul, Austin Brown and Bill Duffy), despite the fact that about 74 percent of all players in the league are African-American. Essentially, by putting more power in the hands of those who are already established, these rules — particularly the three years an agent must be NBPA-certified for prior to becoming eligible to be NCAA-certified — keeps things the same, which actively hinders the ability of the agency industry to become more diverse, which is something that it desperately needs. Paul has shown that over the last five years.

https://theathletic.com/1121724/2019/08/07/vecenie-ncaas-rich-paul-rule-isnt-about-this-rich-paul-but-the-next-one/

Thanks for providing this, Pakuni.

[wadesworld]

Just cheat baby, we’ll clean it up later if we are caught.   Ah yes

I'm just glad all those people with 4 year degrees are protecting these innocent student athletes.  Thank God schools like USC and Wake Forrest require all employees to have a 4 year degree or else they might have employees taking bribes to put student "athletes" onto their athletics team without ever playing the sports that they are on a roster for.  Phew!  Definitely avoided a possible catastrophe there!  The student athletes at these schools can rest assured that they are all very deserving of their spot because their coaches and administrators all have 4 year degrees which makes them no risk to do anything shady that might hurt their chances of success!

[Cheeks]

So let me get this straight.

One organization who has a vested interest in retaining the status quo, consulted with a bunch of people who have a similar interest, and they come up with something that concentrates power and access to those who already have it, and Cheeks is cheering them all on?

I am shocked.

LOL

The NCAA could cure cancer tomorrow and make a billion donation to the homeless and you guys would bitch.

First of all, they took the Rice Commission recommendations which is not the status quo, so I don’t know how you get there.  Second, if they didn’t consult with the agent community for some input, what would have happened?  Hmm, the bitching left and right for not taking their POV would have been the theme for the day of our lovely media and talking heads.  No matter what they lose and get hammered regardless.  Classic, absolutely classic.

Stick to your guns NCAA, if the people that are bitching about it remain those that are, you are doing it absolutely correct.  Tough titties and they can get bent.

[Cheeks]

The Athletic nails it.

What these rules do — particularly the need for a bachelor’s degree and the need to have been a certified agent for three years — is create unnecessary barriers to entry for people trying to get into the agency business. The best way for agents breaking into the business to get clients — if you’re not Paul and grew up 20 minutes from LeBron — is to get guys on the borderline, build your business by evaluating well and hitting on those guys, then continuing to sustainably move up into bigger players as you become more well-known throughout the industry. The three-year certification barrier takes a huge pool of borderline players out of the mix for these new, incoming agents, and makes it much harder for them to find success.

And as I’m sure Paul would argue, the need for a degree is largely superfluous to an agency’s business. There isn’t a school in the country offering training on how to be a sports agent. And if they do offer something like it, it certainly wouldn’t actually prepare anyone for the actual profession. Beyond that, the reasoning for these rules paint agents with a broad brush of malice, and allows the agencies that have been institutionalized already to maintain the status quo.

And if we believe these rules are set up to maintain the status quo, that means they are maintaining a status quo that is predominantly made up of white males. Currently, only three of the 12 agents who represent players totaling $100 million in yearly salaries are African-American (Paul, Austin Brown and Bill Duffy), despite the fact that about 74 percent of all players in the league are African-American. Essentially, by putting more power in the hands of those who are already established, these rules — particularly the three years an agent must be NBPA-certified for prior to becoming eligible to be NCAA-certified — keeps things the same, which actively hinders the ability of the agency industry to become more diverse, which is something that it desperately needs. Paul has shown that over the last five years.

https://theathletic.com/1121724/2019/08/07/vecenie-ncaas-rich-paul-rule-isnt-about-this-rich-paul-but-the-next-one/

Sam playing the race card, it’s what Sam does....right out of his playbook.  Libs eating it up of course.  Mindless drones droning on.

Sam would have been smarter to say this is a chess move to force the NBA to change the CBA, but Sam went for the cheap laughs and the lame argument that the 40% will buy no matter what.

[Cheeks]

I'm just glad all those people with 4 year degrees are protecting these innocent student athletes.  Thank God schools like USC and Wake Forrest require all employees to have a 4 year degree or else they might have employees taking bribes to put student "athletes" onto their athletics team without ever playing the sports that they are on a roster for.  Phew!  Definitely avoided a possible catastrophe there!  The student athletes at these schools can rest assured that they are all very deserving of their spot because their coaches and administrators all have 4 year degrees which makes them no risk to do anything shady that might hurt their chances of success!

Excellent.  Thoughts and prayers, too.  Excellent excellent stuff having exceptions prove out the rule, sure you want to play that game?

[Pakuni]

Someone's becoming unhinged.

[wadesworld]

Excellent.  Thoughts and prayers, too.  Excellent excellent stuff having exceptions prove out the rule, sure you want to play that game?

Exceptions? Someone’s been living under a rock...

Tough titties baby! Get bent son!

(How’s my street cred? Am I hard? - JB it’s teed up for you...)

[Dr. Blackheart]

Just cheat baby, we’ll clean it up later if we are caught.   Ah yes

As long as the NCAA members agree!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Personally, I think it's better if agents don't have bachelor's degrees. That way when they cheat, they won't be smart enough not to get caught!

I honestly don't have a dog in this fight. As a general rule, I think less degree requirements is better than more, but it's not something that gets me hot and bothered

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

LOL

The NCAA could cure cancer tomorrow and make a billion donation to the homeless and you guys would bitch.

First of all, they took the Rice Commission recommendations which is not the status quo, so I don’t know how you get there.  Second, if they didn’t consult with the agent community for some input, what would have happened?  Hmm, the bitching left and right for not taking their POV would have been the theme for the day of our lovely media and talking heads.  No matter what they lose and get hammered regardless.  Classic, absolutely classic.

Stick to your guns NCAA, if the people that are bitching about it remain those that are, you are doing it absolutely correct.  Tough titties and they can get bent.

The Rice Commission is a example of making as little change as possible, while basically maintaining the status quo.  It was a disaster.

[wadesworld]

Gary Parrish brings up a good point on his podcast.  A hockey player can get drafted in the NHL Draft, decide he doesn't like his situation (for any reason at all), and head off to college and be eligible to play NCAA hockey.  Same deal for a baseball player.  But not only can a basketball player not return to school after he leaves his name in the NBA Draft (even if he goes undrafted), if he hires an agent that doesn't have a 4 year college degree to help him through the Draft process he is permanently ineligible from playing NCAA basketball.

Thank God the NCAA requires everyone it employs to have a 4 year degree or we might not have rules that make sense like this!  Protect the kids from all those shady characters without an education!

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

It's not a bad idea to require a prospect to consult with an agent that is somehow qualified.  It's just that having a certification process that is different than the one the NBPA uses is non-sensical.  Rich Paul is one of the top agents in the NBA right now.  Yet he cannot advise a student athlete of their draft status because he doesn't have a college degree.  That makes no sense, and just incentiviizes behavior to undermine the rules. 

The NCAA yet again managed to f*ck up a process that should be fairly easy and straight-forward.