Did the punishment fit the crime?

[PonyTales]

Anyone else surprised that Georgia WR A.J. Green, who sat out his team's opener, only got another three games' suspension after he sold his game-worn jersey on eBay?

Somehow I'm guessing that if he weren't a star — he is expected to go in the top 10 of next April's NFL Draft — his punishment would have been more severe.

[Get_Some_Ponies]

Ok. Is this THAT big a deal? Some teams get new jerseys every game. Who gives a crap if you give it to hour mom, put it on your wall or sell it on eBay? I'd guess you can get a replica jersey with his number from the Georgia fan shop.

[PerunaPunch]

Ok. Is this THAT big a deal?

Well, once upon a time we fired a head coach for buying a kid a cheeseburger and some laundry soap -- or so the story goes.

If he sold the jersey on eBay for $100, is that any different than taking a $100 advance from an agent? If he did the latter, he'd probably never play college ball again.

So I'd say it was a big deal... Or less so, evidently, if you're a star at Georgia.

[WSGJ]

Somehow I'm guessing that if he weren't a star — he is expected to go in the top 10 of next April's NFL Draft — his punishment would have been more severe.

If he wasn't a star, I doubt there would be much demand for his game worn jersey.

[mrydel]

If this were allowed, what would keep an agent or booster from bidding and buying it for say $100,000? No real way to police it so best to just disallow.

[Get_Some_Ponies]

Just want to confirm that everyone sees the utter [deleted] hypocrisy here. The University of Georgia along with Nike and the NCAA can and do sell thousands of replica jerseys with his number but not his name. This kid sells something that he owns and is hit with the same suspension that the NFL hands out to alleged rapists. I hear your "an agent could bid 50k argument" but the punishment is absurd. Firing coaches for buying cheeseburgers=stupid and suspending this guy is dumb.

[Bergermeister]

disagree

[mrydel]

He can sell any and all jerseys after he leaves school. Just not while he is under scholarship.

[Harry0569]

The reason he is being suspended is that he sold it to an agent. UGA players got in trouble a few years ago, when a few of them sold their SEC Championship rings on E-bay.

I think it is ridiculous that Green gets 4 games, while Dareus from 'bama gets everything paid for him on a trip to Miami and only gets 2 games, AND Masoli steals and gets caught with pot, yet nothing happens...?

The NCAA is so back asswards in their rulings.

Here's a link to an interesting article from the Atlanta Journal's Mark Bradley
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/ ... adley_blog

[Get_Some_Ponies]

That's a good piece and I get the problem that an agent paid a premium price for it. In the comments on the article someone asks why the agents never get lured/ punished by the NFL for tampering with students.

Do you think this stuff would be alleviated if universities just bit the bullet and paid players? I mean they rep students and the school just as much as someone working in a medical lab or at the bookstore or in the registrar's office. Let's just call it work study and give them $10/ hr for a max of 20 hrs/ week. They get stipends and per disks for away games so its not a total leap.

[Dutch]

Do you think this stuff would be alleviated if universities just bit the bullet and paid players?

no, b/c it wouldn't be enough. someone will always want more, and someone will always pay more.

[huskerpony]

If this were allowed, what would keep an agent or booster from bidding and buying it for say $100,000? No real way to police it so best to just disallow.

That is exactly what happened. He sold it to an agent for $1000.

He really should have lost all of his eligibility. A 3 game suspension is a joke, and as far as this kid is concerned, it's probably even a benefit--3 less games to risk getting injured in before the draft.

[Longtime]

I'm guessing there's more to this story than merely selling a jersey -- for $1,000 -- to an agent. By the way, the NCAA defines an agent as anyone who "promotes" a player. It might not have even been an actual "agent" as in someone who negotiaties NFL contracts.

So anyway, the punishment is way too severe, compared to what's been handed out for more serious violations. Unless there really is more to the story, four games for selling a jersey is ridiculously harsh.

And I think the original poster has it backwards: If he hadn't been a star, he would have only gotten a 1 or 2 game suspension.

[Mestengo]

Come on people if you’re broke and your parents have no cash let me pimp the US government to you. It’s legal and free. $2000 a year you don’t have to pay back is more than that dirty shirt is going to bring you.


Federal Pell Grant Program

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html