I read where Steve Spurrier extended his voice, and his pockets, towards the "pay-for-play" debate. Apparently, the Ol' Ball Coach is for giving a few dollars to his players for a job well done—$300 per game to be exact.
Over the course of one season, assuming you are allowed to carry a full 70 man roster, you would be giving out roughly $21,000 per game or about $250,000+ per season.
Now, for a guy that makes $2.8 million per year like Spurrier does, that's a drop in the bucket, but you shouldn't be surprised if every other coach in the conference isn't willing to jump on board the money train. That said, his idea is less about the money than it is about the conversation: Should the NCAA allow universities to start paying players for what they do for college football programs both on and off the field?
I, for one, have been on the fence with this one. Well, wait, I was on the fence until I saw what happened to former Georgia receiver, A.J. Green.
Green, in case you forgot, was forced to serve a four-game suspension by the NCAA after it was determined that he sold his Independence Bowl game jersey for $1000 to some agent-type (an offense that I am still scratching my head over. I mean, it's not like he was trading his signature for tattoos or anything).
Once the suspension was handed down, I felt bad for Green, bad for coach Richt, bad for the fans, and bad for Georgia because one of their most prized commodities was being forced to sit out because he sold something that belonged to him. I mean I've heard rumors that certain players are told to give up their game jerseys after each game so that memorabilia dealers can sell them at their stores for top dollar. I don't know what kind of kickback the university or the NCAA gets for such a sale, but you can see where this might be considered a little shady.
However, Spurrier is merely proposing coaches spread the wealth a bit. After all, he says, if not for the performance of the players on the field, there would be no million dollar contracts for coaches in the SEC.
I get what he's saying and I can definitely see where he is going with his argument, but it's not something that's likely to happen so long as it's not possible in every sport at the college level—both male and female—because too many people are still willing to believe that their sport is every bit as important as football.
It kind of makes you wonder, though, with all the forgiveness in Spurrier's heart for the oft-suspended Stephen Garcia, if he's funded a few of the beer-guzzling quarterback's all-night excursions himself. Or maybe he just didn't want to answer any questions about why he's for over-signing. Or maybe, he's just trying to be a pot-stirrer (he's always been good at that)...or maybe he's just, well, who knows what he's doing? Either way, this conversation is being had yet again.
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