4 ms·

I'll never understand why people reject the most sensible answer: allow high school students to be drafted into the NFL. Even if they're not playing in the NFL

by nkozyra 11y ago

I'll never understand why people reject the most sensible answer: allow high school students to be drafted into the NFL. Even if they're not playing in the NFL for 2,3 or 4 years, pu them into a developmental league where they can earn $30K a year for a shot to make the league. Then college is reserved for people who want to go to college, not for people who have to go because that's the collusion that's been designed. It's been designed to protect the value of college football, which exploits poor athletes who otherwise have no way to make a living in sports. The system is likewise awful for college athletics. Kids who have no reverence for school (why should they) break the rules, break the law and are coddled because they make millions for the university with no pay. Then we all have to pretend like we care about academics in student athletes, coaches impose 1-game suspensions during the 1-AA game week and everyone happily looks away. Major League Baseball has solved this - you may be drafted out of high school, but once you start college you have to be out three years. It preserves the notion of amateur athletics - of trading your athletic skill for a shot at a degree - without forcing people to take that route.

bksenior 11y ago
Youre looking at it from the wrong side. NCCAF is one of the largest making money leagues in the world and certainly the largest money making "amateur league" the reluctance is on the systems side, not the employee side.
- nkozyra 11y ago
  No, that's exactly how I'm looking at it. I understand why the collusion exists - it exists to protect college football as a money-making mechanism. It also provides the NFL with a no-cost developmental league. I just wonder why there's not more clamoring to blow this rule up. I can't recall a peep since Maurice Clarett challenged it last. I will say this, though - if we accept this rule (that you cannot enter the NFL directly out of high school) - colleges should at least be honest about this. The notion that you go and get a "Communications" degree (insert your alma mater's sports academics program of choice) is insulting to everyone involved. Why not make a "Sports" degree that focuses on the elements of being an athlete or former athlete? Why is that taboo?
brandonmenc 11y ago
> put them into a developmental league College football is the development league. And the alumni will never permit that to change.
- nkozyra 11y ago
  > College football is the development league. I said as much. As to the alumni not allowing that to change, I'm not convinced. Frankly, I don't think having a concurrent developmental league would really alter the brand that much. The MLB does it, the NBA does it ... and yet both are successful collegiate entities. It's not like people are skipping March Madness to watch D-League action.
lern_too_spel 11y ago
That doesn't solve the problem. Even if football athletes could go straight from high school to college as in basketball and baseball, college football will still be a huge moneymaker, and the athletes will remain broke. Secondly, your premise is incorrect. It's the NFL that has a rule against drafting players out of high school, not society. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/24/sports/football-citing-antitrust-clarett-sues-nfl-to-enter-its-draft.html http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/24/sports/football-citing-ant...
- nkozyra 11y ago
  > Secondly, your premise is incorrect. It's the NFL that has a rule against drafting players out of high school, not society. I'm not sure how you could have interpreted my post any other way. When I refer to "collusion" I'm speaking of that between the NFL and the NCAA. I'm aware it's the NFL's rule (in collaboration with the NCAA). > That doesn't solve the problem. Even if football athletes could go straight from high school to college as in basketball and baseball, college football will still be a huge moneymaker, and the athletes will remain broke. Actually, this solves a lot of problems. First, that there is more than one route to the NFL. If you're 18, insanely talented and want to go to the NFL, you don't have to waste everyone's time pretending to be a student for 3 years. Colleges can focus more on academics instead of the charade it is now. And if you have the skills necessary to make money out of high school, you have an avenue to do so.
  - lern_too_spel 11y ago
    Let me get this straight. Your proposal is to force the NFL to draft players out of high school? How would that work? They'll simply say that none of the athletes are developed enough and pick them out of the college programs as they do now. How would the regulators know? More importantly, even if players could be recruited out of high school as in basketball, it doesn't solve the problem, and we know this because it hasn't solved the problem for basketball. (College baseball and college soccer were never moneymakers and never will be, so not even the coaches and administrators make money, and we can ignore them for now.) The second tier players will still play in college, where all the non-athletes involved with the NCAA will still make bank, and the athletes will still stay broke.
joeyyang 11y ago
Football is a different case from other college sports for one main reason: physical development. Your average NFL squad has players that are much bigger and stronger at every position. A receiver who is 5'9" has a fighting chance to be successful in many college conferences where there aren't monstrous cornerbacks but absolutely no shot in the NFL where size is a requirement. Undersized and underdeveloped players also risk significant injury by going pro too soon. College players need at least a year or two to build up the physical condition to compete at the next level. This is the reason why the worst NFL team would easily crush the best college team. The college team just wouldn't be able to handle the size of your average NFL squad.
- hkmurakami 11y ago
  The same conditions hold true for most baseball players drafted out of high school. They spend several years in the minors for this reason. Why not have a football minor league?
  - santaclaus 11y ago
    Baseball is a non-contact sport, probably less chance of injury.

by nkozyra 11y ago

bksenior 11y ago

Youre looking at it from the wrong side. NCCAF is one of the largest making money leagues in the world and certainly the largest money making "amateur league" the reluctance is on the systems side, not the employee side.

nkozyra 11y ago
No, that's exactly how I'm looking at it. I understand why the collusion exists - it exists to protect college football as a money-making mechanism. It also provides the NFL with a no-cost developmental league. I just wonder why there's not more clamoring to blow this rule up. I can't recall a peep since Maurice Clarett challenged it last. I will say this, though - if we accept this rule (that you cannot enter the NFL directly out of high school) - colleges should at least be honest about this. The notion that you go and get a "Communications" degree (insert your alma mater's sports academics program of choice) is insulting to everyone involved. Why not make a "Sports" degree that focuses on the elements of being an athlete or former athlete? Why is that taboo?

brandonmenc 11y ago

> put them into a developmental league College football is the development league. And the alumni will never permit that to change.

nkozyra 11y ago
> College football is the development league. I said as much. As to the alumni not allowing that to change, I'm not convinced. Frankly, I don't think having a concurrent developmental league would really alter the brand that much. The MLB does it, the NBA does it ... and yet both are successful collegiate entities. It's not like people are skipping March Madness to watch D-League action.

lern_too_spel 11y ago

That doesn't solve the problem. Even if football athletes could go straight from high school to college as in basketball and baseball, college football will still be a huge moneymaker, and the athletes will remain broke. Secondly, your premise is incorrect. It's the NFL that has a rule against drafting players out of high school, not society. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/24/sports/football-citing-antitrust-clarett-sues-nfl-to-enter-its-draft.html http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/24/sports/football-citing-ant...

nkozyra 11y ago
> Secondly, your premise is incorrect. It's the NFL that has a rule against drafting players out of high school, not society. I'm not sure how you could have interpreted my post any other way. When I refer to "collusion" I'm speaking of that between the NFL and the NCAA. I'm aware it's the NFL's rule (in collaboration with the NCAA). > That doesn't solve the problem. Even if football athletes could go straight from high school to college as in basketball and baseball, college football will still be a huge moneymaker, and the athletes will remain broke. Actually, this solves a lot of problems. First, that there is more than one route to the NFL. If you're 18, insanely talented and want to go to the NFL, you don't have to waste everyone's time pretending to be a student for 3 years. Colleges can focus more on academics instead of the charade it is now. And if you have the skills necessary to make money out of high school, you have an avenue to do so.
- lern_too_spel 11y ago
  Let me get this straight. Your proposal is to force the NFL to draft players out of high school? How would that work? They'll simply say that none of the athletes are developed enough and pick them out of the college programs as they do now. How would the regulators know? More importantly, even if players could be recruited out of high school as in basketball, it doesn't solve the problem, and we know this because it hasn't solved the problem for basketball. (College baseball and college soccer were never moneymakers and never will be, so not even the coaches and administrators make money, and we can ignore them for now.) The second tier players will still play in college, where all the non-athletes involved with the NCAA will still make bank, and the athletes will still stay broke.

joeyyang 11y ago

Football is a different case from other college sports for one main reason: physical development. Your average NFL squad has players that are much bigger and stronger at every position. A receiver who is 5'9" has a fighting chance to be successful in many college conferences where there aren't monstrous cornerbacks but absolutely no shot in the NFL where size is a requirement. Undersized and underdeveloped players also risk significant injury by going pro too soon. College players need at least a year or two to build up the physical condition to compete at the next level. This is the reason why the worst NFL team would easily crush the best college team. The college team just wouldn't be able to handle the size of your average NFL squad.

hkmurakami 11y ago
The same conditions hold true for most baseball players drafted out of high school. They spend several years in the minors for this reason. Why not have a football minor league?
- santaclaus 11y ago
  Baseball is a non-contact sport, probably less chance of injury.