Northwestern University Football Team Unionizes

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > The Football Funhouse > Northwestern University Football Team Unionizes

kayakyakr: Feb 16, 2004; Kayak is true

axeil posted:

This is a really great article. The only remotely controversial demand is #8. And I think when you realize that NCAA athletes can't seem to take any kind of job to earn money to do things their scholarship doesn't provide it's no longer controversial. I've heard about players being unable to afford food or other basic life necessities because they can't work a job due to their hours and yet their scholarship doesn't provide for those items.

I have a slight issue with #10. This should be limited to not within a conference or to an opponent on the next 2 year's schedule. Formalize that tradition to a rule and then allow open transfers elsewhere.

Also think that a lot of this could be funded through licensing of player names/likenesses, and the union could be the start of being able to do that.

# ¿ Jan 30, 2014 00:51

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 01:22

kayakyakr: Feb 16, 2004; Kayak is true

Thoguh posted:

So let the top players that don't have any interest in school go to a minor league, and let everybody else get a free ride to school while they play, get a degree, and then move on with their lives. What's the problem with that? That seems to me like a great solution. Sounds like Hockey has a good system.

Because the NFL has been unable to establish a developmental league and has been unwilling to bankroll it as it struggles to break even. AFL and Canadian are technically minor leagues, but there isn't a HS to AFL or HS to Canadian path.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2014 04:43

kayakyakr: Feb 16, 2004; Kayak is true

HappyHelmet posted:

To my knowledge the NFL has never really tried to establish a minor league though. They have no reason to really because they can just use the college system for free.

Edit: I think the NFL could absolutely bankroll a minor league if they really wanted too.

College Basketball, College Hockey, and College Baseball all exist, are popular, and each of those major leagues runs a minor league system.

NFL had NFL Europe and has worked with many of the minor leagues in the past. They avoid giving any help to any minor league and will happily watch them fail.

HS football is much more popular a spectator sport, though, so there's not much room for people to go watch bad football. College football does make more money too, and the powerbrokers don't want their talent base diluted by minor league NFL teams.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2014 06:14

kayakyakr: Feb 16, 2004; Kayak is true

axeil posted:

So for this you'd have the 32 top college teams as the minor leagues and then a separate bunch of schools as the actual college game now? I think the idea has some merit but I think people would be rather pissed if the BCS championship or whatever was no longer eligible to be won by OSU/USC/Texas/etc. If you made another NFL Minor League Championship or whatever it'd probably go down easier.

I was thinking a similar line except my number was ~80 teams, corresponding to the current Big 5 + a few more. Teams would be attached to the universities, but would operate as for-profit entities owned by those universities. Players would be offered a team-funded education while being paid like a minor leaguer.

Recruiting season would have to be structured a bit differently and player trades/transfers would be done with consideration toward the university attachment. Max team size would be structured on age... you can have up to 20 players from each year and players wouldn't "age out", though they'd be encouraged to not hang out in the minors if they've used it to earn a degree and will never make it in the NFL. Mostly by being cut if they suck. Maybe you limit that to 10 per year past age 25? *shrug* lots of issues to figure out in this strange scenario.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2014 14:38

kayakyakr: Feb 16, 2004; Kayak is true

Thoguh posted:

Why would a minor league need to have any association at all with colleges?

Because a pure minor league pays some players, but leaves the colleges with a very profitable football league made up by a bunch of players like those playing for northwestern that does not pay any players and doesn't change the situation that those who formed the union that prompted this thread are in.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2014 15:35

kayakyakr: Feb 16, 2004; Kayak is true

swickles posted:

Again, for all you people saying this is going to end college sports and result in paying players, here is an excellent article which goes over their stated goals:

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/1/28/5354718/college-football-players-union-pay-for-play

In case you are lazy, here are the bullet points:

1. Minimize college athletes' brain trauma risks.
2. Raise the scholarship amount.
3. Prevent players from being stuck paying sports-related medical expenses.
4. Increase graduation rates.
5. Protect educational opportunities for student-athletes in good standing.
6. Prohibit universities from using a permanent injury suffered during athletics as a reason to reduce/eliminate a scholarship.
7. Establish and enforce uniform safety guidelines in all sports to help prevent serious injuries and avoidable deaths.
8. Eliminate restrictions on legitimate employment and players ability to directly benefit from commercial opportunities.
9. Prohibit the punishment of college athletes that have not committed a violation.
10. Guarantee that college athletes are granted an athletic release from their university if they wish to transfer schools.
11. Allow college athletes of all sports the ability to transfer schools one time without punishment.

edit: The only one I even partially object to, or I guess pause to think about is number 8, only because it can and likely will create an imbalance in recruiting. Even then the argument that it would happen isn't 100%.

I'm for it all except 10. I think 10 should be standardized where a student is granted an athletic release to any school not in the same conference. 9 is a little strange. The rest is fine by me.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2014 06:09

kayakyakr: Feb 16, 2004; Kayak is true

swickles posted:

Nine is basically saying don't punish players for the violations committed by the coaching staff or athletic department or other players on the team. Things like bowl bans and scholarship reductions hurt the players. Instead, the coach should be fined/suspended/show caused based on the severity of his crime, and the people who work in the athletic department should be somehow held to a higher standard to make sure they do what they are supposed to. If a player commits violations, punish the player more severely but leave the rest of the team alone.

Also, I don't see why there should be any restriction on transferring. I mean, I understand the "oh, we will have to play them!" argument, but it doesn't make much sense to me. Especially when players transfer its either because they can't crack the depth chart or for family reasons. Well, if they can't crack your depth chart, then why are you afraid of playing them? If its for family reasons, chances are the next school that is geographically close is also going to be in your conference (Big 12 aside).

It's the whole "spy" thing. That player knows your entire playbook and how you look at film and it wouldn't be too hard to share things that you'd prefer to keep quiet about your game planning.

Also it'd be pretty poor if your team just up and left if you've had a bad season or if your coach leaves and your new coach comes in to a 30 man roster after players jump ship.

There are reasons for limitations on transfer. Right now, the ones who actually do transfer are those who have a legit reason (buried on the depth chart and are willing to sit out a year, family issues, etc), but I can see the source of the fear that if open transfers are allowed, that will change very quickly.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2014 06:27

kayakyakr: Feb 16, 2004; Kayak is true

I just want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that ttu has a lazy river on our campus.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2014 12:01

kayakyakr: Feb 16, 2004; Kayak is true

Dusseldorf posted:

I assume Lubbock is dry or something but do they allow drinking in that thing?

Lubbock is no longer dry, but I don't believe that they have any alcohol in there. Consider that your primary audience is 60-75% under 21... Won't work.

# ¿ Mar 31, 2014 01:37

kayakyakr: Feb 16, 2004; Kayak is true

NCAAF would be a better game if it was just a skin on Madden. At least up until the last time I paid attention, NCAAF was its own engine and lagged about 2 years behind Madden.

Would be interesting if they just combined them into one giant game, allowing you to play both levels.

# ¿ Apr 8, 2014 23:17

kayakyakr: Feb 16, 2004; Kayak is true

Trin Tragula posted:

As long as the hail waits until *after* the end of overtime in the championship game, I'll take that deal.

I've got a question. I've heard some people off the back of the NRLB finding that the players are employees claiming that this means the IRS could/would come along and declare athletic scholarships a form of income paid to an employee, and start expecting athletes to pay income tax on them. Is this just barrack-room lawyering or could there be something to it?

While they probably could consider scholarships income, they'll probably declare it as untaxable income and just keep going.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2014 16:10

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 01:22

kayakyakr: Feb 16, 2004; Kayak is true

Early indications are that NW voted against unionizing, with something like 60-15 votes.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2014 00:12

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