Wolverine247 Board

Do you really think college football would remain in competitive balance if recruits were treated like free agent?

There would only be a hand full of schools who could afford to continue to compete killing the sport and the future of these athletes in sports. I think that is asinine. A high school kid who has proved absolutely nothing but he has talent should be given a contract?

You originally retorted to; "what is the best way to become a professional football player?"

Enroll in college work hard at your game and hope you get drafted.

What is the best way to become an electrician? Become an apprentice for a few years, exploited until you learn enough and put in your time achieving journeymen status.

What is the best way to become a plumber, architect, doctor, mason, carpenter, etc.

Wow, serious exploitation!

However, if it happens this way in sports it is completely ridiculous and causing rampant exploitation of student athletes? I got an idea why don't you, dkerns and the rest of the pay to play party start a semi pro league like the Junior A and B hockey leagues they run in Canada. Give the athletes a choice, play semi pro until draft time or become terribly exploited while you get an education and play hockey. You guys can sell shirts, pins, cups, anything your heart desires and make sure there is no exploitation.

You shouldn't cheat....never, never, never....and I'm an OSU fan believe it or not. When I was younger I used to play a lot of golf. There were times when I used the old "foot wedge". Believe it or not to this day I regret doing that and have told some of my old playing partners that I used to do it from time to time. Unfortunately in our society the old mantra that says "If your not cheating, your not trying" seems to be winning out far too often. I watch sports for what I see on the field or court. So my interest is only in winning or losing. But sadly I believe cheating is happening everywhere in all sports. How about steroids or other performance enhancers? How many kids are using those to get the chance to play at a Michigan, OSU, etc. That's cheating and should not be condoned. Cheating, short-cuts or whatever else you want to call them should never be condoned or endorsed. How do you stop the cheating? To me you ban players, programs, etc. for cheating but that will never happen....too much money involved. I will still root for OSU as I've been a fan for over 50 years and you can't teach an old dog new tricks. It's just kind of sad really.

Ohio State fan here. I truly am not being a troll, but I assume with your responses in terms of "doing it the right way," all Michigan fans will disavow any relationships with the Fab 5.

As stated, I am an OSU fan, but not one of Tressel. I actually have repeatedly called him a liar and a cheater and have been hammered on several forums for it. While the Fab 5 was obviously basketball-related, they still were "Michigan Men." Webber and crew certainly did not live up to the lofty standards set by your fan base. I take it most Michigan fans are content with not having the Final 4 banners hanging in Chrisler Arena.

There is absolutely no possible way that the NCAA would ever handle managing something like that. The NCAA can't even handle not paying the players. Wake up! All the Blue chip kids would be in Miami, New York, So Cal, and several other metropolises with in a few years. The mafia would be reincarnated. Are you affiliated?

Please show one thread of evidence that this is the case. All the issues at tOSU involved players that were already in the program. You are just assuming that somehow recruits were lured to campus with the promise of extra benefits. That's reckless and irresponsible without evidence.

my friend, you should not speak michigan, and integrity in the same sentence. need I remind everyone of the fab 5? michigan got hit with the largest fines the ncaa has ever handed down. but as typical of meechigan fans, you all have memory loss when it comes to your team. not to mention your football teams recent probation for extra practice time. but go ahead, and talk all you will about integrity if it helps you sleep at night. I am not saying what tressel did was right, but your program is not without its flaws. but you tell me, where were the benefits on the field, for selling personal items? I think an athlete benefits much more by extra practice time.

1.) I keep seeing OSU fans say "fab 5" over and over. Learn a little history as to who was actually involved in the scandal.

2.) The majority of the punishment (and by far the harshest of the penalties, and all of the fines) were actually self imposed by Michigan and not the NCAA. That sure as hell sounds like some integrity to me. Compare that to OSU's responses throughout the years.

3.) Nobody has said our program is without flaw.

You and the rest of your lame-brain friends need to understand that what went on at the Ohio State University football program is also taking place at most, if not all, programs in this USA. If you think not then you have your hand buried in the sand. The media took this small happening and built it into a news story of magnitude proportions, selling newspapers, magazines and mega online time. BUT don't you, for one moment, think that all is kosher with your foosball program because it just hasn't been investigated and unveiled. GO BUCKEYES

Actually our program was investigated not long ago and all they found was extra stretching,
You mad???
By the way, our staff didn't lie about it.

I love you all, ..... No I really mean that. But we got busted for selling personal property for tattoos, you got busted for taking extra "mandatory" "voluntary" practice time. Ours had no advantage on the field advantage and yours did no good on the field. Gents, seriously, get off your effing high horses. Now with that said we both move on, you have a new coach that shows promise and give you at least second place in the B1G which is cool by me and we have a new coach who I really haven't liked since his days at Utah but he seems to have trimmed the fat off the big uglies and actually give us a friggin passing game, [panick] plus has recruited the best DL class in the country which is the secret of the SEC run the NCG. So all I can say is LET'S GET IT ON

Splitting hairs IMHO busted is busted especially if your coaches licked windows cause they taste like cotton candy and can't file "paper work", your own players were the whistle blowers

Not splitting here.

YOU implied that we were forcing players to attend extra voluntary practices, which is no where near what happened.

And a lousy newspaper with an actual agenda (unlike the one that tOSU fans think that ESPN has out for them) lied a great deal about what happened, and a lot of what originally was said was proven to be wrong. A lot of the "anon" players that the newspaper used were, in fact, fake.