Stoops agrees with Saban on agents

[badger]

Link (http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20100722_92_0_Justli26126)

The Oklahoma-Alabama lovefest continues among both fans and coaches :D

Seriously... why do we like you guys so much? Must be a tradition thing or something

[Frozen Sooner]

Similar wardrobes.
Similar contempt for orange.
Pedigree.

[Shakadoodoo]

I am sure most college football coaches would agree - the agents screw everything up when they are allowed to talk to players to early!

[TahoeSOONER]

It's time for the NFL to step up and hammer agents doing shaddy deals, period.

It will scatter them like roaches and preserve the integrity of CFB.

[Lott's Bandana]

A comment below the article:


College sports is one of the most corrupt entities in Oklahoma draining state resources for education. Privatize sports and use the money for education.

The horrible sentence structure almost proving their point, I often wonder where these mouth-breathers hang out.

How much $$$ does OU athletics put back into the university? It's measured in units of millions.

Why would this person even be interested in the article in the first place?

[goingoneight]

Uh, clearly somebody's been poisoned with a orange roofie. OU athletics is one of the biggest money-makers in the state.

[badger]

To be fair, that comment could have been referring to Oklahoma State, where athletics really are a drain on educational resources, as their athletic department is not self sustaining and relies not only on T. Boone, but OSU funding from... yup, the state's higher education funding.

OU athletics, on the other hand, provide very little drain on its school's educational budget. The things that come to mind that would not be a slight drain if athletics were to be privatized include:

-OUPD patrols on gameday
-Legal department for Open Records Requests
-Maintenance personnel for athletic dorms, which I think must be 51 percent non-athletes by NCAA law
-Molly Shi Gardening Mafia that must pick up gameday trash around her beautiful lawns, gardens and landscaping

However, as OU athletics regularly subsidizes academics, my guess is that these few expenses cause everyone to at least break even on the academic side.

[No1Better]

The rule should be clear - if you are an agent and act in defiance of NCAA eligibility rules causing any infraction to any current NCAA athlete, athletic program or university - you will be stripped of all privileges representing any current or future NFL, NBA, or NHL talent for 7 years. If all of the professional bodies got together and adopted this rule - this problem would be over tomorrow.

[badger]

Here (http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20100722_92_0_BobSto346018)'s another thing on Stoopster. Get this:


Stoops, whose team on Wednesday was picked to win an eighth Big 12 South championship, will turn 50 on Sept. 9

Yup, Stoops is a man, he's 50... and that's just two days before OU faces Florida State.

While I have long suspected that Stoops dyes his hair, he really does a good job of hiding his age :)

[goingoneight]

Stoops won a National Championship when he was 40 from pretty much scratch given how bad OU was for so long.

What have the other 40-year old MEN of CFB done?

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Here (http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20100722_92_0_BobSto346018)'s another thing on Stoopster. Get this:



Yup, Stoops is a man, he's 50... and that's just two days before OU faces Florida State.

While I have long suspected that Stoops dyes his hair, he really does a good job of hiding his age :)Yew be a carcker-upper!

[badger]

Stoops won a National Championship when he was 40 from pretty much scratch given how bad OU was for so long.

What have the other 40-year old MEN of CFB done?

Other notable young dudes include:
Lane Kiffin, 35; May 9, 1975; USC
Bret Bielema, 40; Jan. 13, 1970; Wisconsin
Bo Pelini, 42; Dec. 13, 1967; Nebraska

As for what they've accomplished, Lane got an entire state to want to commit a felony (murder). Bret achieved what Texas did a few years back - a top 6 ranking but no BCS berth (the year Meat Chicken and tOSU battled it out, then Florida took the title... Texas was top 6 when we went to the title but KSU went to the Fiesta Bowl), and Bo... well... his anger at the pro-Texas ruling in the Big 12 title game led to Nebbish severing ties with teams they've been alligned with forever.

Not national-title winning, but significant nonetheless

[Sabanball]

Birds of a feather flock together. ;)

[SoonerAtKU]

I find it somewhat ironic that college coaches who participate in the recruitment process are saying these things about pro agents? We love college ball and we think more highly of our coaches, obviously, but are they REALLY any better? Is it really better to be telling a 9th grader that he could play in the NFL one day if he just agrees to "silent commit" to USC or Alabama?

Just because coaches don't get a direct % of the revenue a student athlete brings in, don't think their financial future isn't directly tied to getting those kids to sign just like an agent might.

[Sabanball]

A comment below the article:



The horrible sentence structure almost proving their point, I often wonder where these mouth-breathers hang out.

How much $$$ does OU athletics put back into the university? It's measured in units of millions.

Why would this person even be interested in the article in the first place?

Regarding this article, damn, it's amazing how many times we hear this stupid argument, often put out by professors and teachers and other people in academia that should know better.

Someone needs to tell these idiots that athletic depts at big time programs like OU and Bama are NOT funded with taxpayer dollars! They are funded by private donors and revenue generated directly from ticket/memorabilia/licensing sales, endorsements, and tv contracts. They are totally self-supporting. Of Bob Stoops and Nick Saban's $4 mil + they each get every year, only around $100k of it comes from the university, i.e. the taxpayer--and that only to make them an 'official' employee of the university.

[KantoSooner]

I am a pretty strong supporter of academia, but have gotten sick of hearing about how the athletic departments steal resources from the other operations of the university.
The next time you're faced with this argument, I suggest asking the instructor where he ranks, nationally, in his field. And how many Nobel Prizes and/or Pulitzers adorn his faculty lounge.
People are generally paid pretty much what they're worth. And no school would subsidize sports for very long without a payoff somewhere down the line.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I find it somewhat ironic that college coaches who participate in the recruitment process are saying these things about pro agents? We love college ball and we think more highly of our coaches, obviously, but are they REALLY any better? Is it really better to be telling a 9th grader that he could play in the NFL one day if he just agrees to "silent commit" to USC or Alabama?

Just because coaches don't get a direct % of the revenue a student athlete brings in, don't think their financial future isn't directly tied to getting those kids to sign just like an agent might.College coaches just don't like the way the pros and agents ef-up the sport of college football. I don't like it, either. The agents should just simply play by the NCAA rules; it would help the colleges and their football coaches and players.

[badger]

Birds of a feather flock together. ;)

:P except we have to get a few more titles to match your 13.

(troll bait, yes)

[Sabanball]

:P except we have to get a few more titles to match your 13.

Get one more and we'll call it even.;)

[AZSOONER]

Agents who break the rules should be punished just as much, hell if a bartender can get in trouble for serving an adult too many drinks, then a fricken agent should get in trouble for paying students money.

[Lott's Bandana]

Agents who break the rules should be punished just as much, hell if a bartender can get in trouble for serving an adult too many drinks, then a fricken agent should get in trouble for paying students money.


Good analogy...and the first one is actually legal up to a point.

[Leroy Lizard]

I am a pretty strong supporter of academia, but have gotten sick of hearing about how the athletic departments steal resources from the other operations of the university.
The next time you're faced with this argument, I suggest asking the instructor where he ranks, nationally, in his field. And how many Nobel Prizes and/or Pulitzers adorn his faculty lounge.
People are generally paid pretty much what they're worth. And no school would subsidize sports for very long without a payoff somewhere down the line.

Totally disagree. Coaches are not paid according to the revenue they bring in, but rather how badly the fan base wants to win. There is something about the competitive nature of sports that makes the argument about supply and demand moot.

It's like a man who soaks $40,000 into his '84 Trans Am. This isn't economics at work because of the emotional angle.

Professors aren't paid like coaches because society values a winning football team more than a top-quality engineering program. The engineering program may be more financially beneficial to the university than the sports program (and most are), but the coach will almost always make more money.

[Frozen Sooner]

Totally disagree. Coaches are not paid according to the revenue they bring in, but rather how badly the fan base wants to win. There is something about the competitive nature of sports that makes the argument about supply and demand moot.

It's like a man who soaks $40,000 into his '84 Trans Am. This isn't economics at work because of the emotional angle.

Professors aren't paid like coaches because society values a winning football team more than a top-quality engineering program. The engineering program may be more financially beneficial to the university than the sports program (and most are), but the coach will almost always make more money.

Seriously, and I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but both examples you just gave most certainly are economics at work. Economics isn't just about revenue streams and dollar accounting, it's about utility maximization and pleasure-seeking.

[Leroy Lizard]

Seriously, and I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but both examples you just gave most certainly are economics at work. Economics isn't just about revenue streams and dollar accounting, it's about utility maximization and pleasure-seeking.

By the same token, a woman who gives $5 million to her cats is also economics. If I hold a gun to your head and demand your money, that's economics. Any time money moves, it's economics.

What I am saying is that coaches are not paid according to the money they bring into the program.

[goingoneight]

We pay top dollar for a guy who knows his football, because if we don't... someone else will. And we'll be Boo Blake'n it until we pony up the dough.

[Leroy Lizard]

We pay top dollar for a guy who knows his football, because if we don't... someone else will. And we'll be Boo Blake'n it until we pony up the dough.

But we are using OU as an example, and OU is not typical. Bobby Johnson makes over $1 million a year at Vanderbilt, and no way does the team bring in the kind of money to justify such a salary. I doubt the football team makes any money at all.

Stoops makes about, what, $4 million a year? A company president would have to bring in far more money than our football team to justify that kind of salary.

[Frozen Sooner]

By the same token, a woman who gives $5 million to her cats is also economics. If I hold a gun to your head and demand your money, that's economics. Any time money moves, it's economics.

What I am saying is that coaches are not paid according to the money they bring into the program.

Any time people exchange anything is economics.

You are correct, though, certainly more goes into the economic equation when determining coach salaries than revenue streams.

[Leroy Lizard]

Any time people exchange anything is economics.

You are correct, though, certainly more goes into the economic equation when determining coach salaries than revenue streams.

I'm not certain revenue streams play much of a role at all, not when a team that loses money pays hundreds of thousands of dollars for a coach.

[Frozen Sooner]

Probably correct, though there's probably a correlation there. Since my degree's in Econ and yours is Statistics, you wanna gin up the regression model? I ain't one of them Chicago math nerds. :D

[Leroy Lizard]

Probably correct, though there's probably a correlation there. Since my degree's in Econ and yours is Statistics, you wanna gin up the regression model? I ain't one of them Chicago math nerds. :D

I'm a mathematician, not a statistician.

I don't think the regression model would support you.

[Leroy Lizard]

After some thought, I don't see how we can gripe about the sports agent. He has no agreement with the university or the NCAA. What right does anyone have in telling him whether he can approach an athlete on a business deal?

Sure, you could sue the athlete. After all, he did have an agreement. But the problems between the athlete, school, and NCAA are not the agent's concern.

There, that should get it going.

[prrriiide]

What right does anyone have in telling him whether he can approach an athlete on a business deal?

Well, for one thing, in several states it is a felony to interfere with the amateur status of an athlete. If this agent party in Miami is true, the agent involved could be looking at jail time, because Florida is one of those states where improper agent contact with an amateur athlete is illegal.

Personally, I think that if the NFL and the NFLPA aren't willing to take their rightful seats at the table to solve the problem, then there needs to be a national agent licensure program with federal legislation backing it up. That way if an agent gets busted, they lose their license and their livlihood, and possibly their freedom.

To me that isn't an over-reach by the government at all.


But the problems between the athlete, school, and NCAA are not the agent's concern.

Just as the contract between a financial institution and the investor isn't the concern of an inside trader that bilks people of millions of dollars. Those things might not be the agent's concern, but it damm sure is the concern of the school, because they stand to lose tens of millions of dollars from the penalties.

Look at how much money the Bush/Mayo situations are going to cost USC and the Pac10. Say you ran a company with 15,000 or so employees and interns. Then it's discovered that one of your interns has been in contact with a competitor, accepted money from that competitor, and the resulting information leak cost you a patent on a potentially lucrative business brand. Then say you pursue the matter in civil court, and that for reasons surpassing understanding, the jury decides to hold YOU and YOUR COMPANY responsible for the sins of the intern and the competitor (because you SHOULD HAVE known what the intern was doing), and doles out harsh financial penalties to you on top of what you have already lost.

Doesn't quite seem fair, does it?

There are plenty of examples where federal legislation has stepped in to prevent shady practices in a particular profession. People go to jail all the time for insider trading (hello, Martha). The FTC, SEC, USDA, FDA and FAA are all good examples of this. I'm not suggesting another mega-bureaucracy to deal with it like the FAA or USDA, but some judicious legislation with federal backing (probably under the FTC/Commerce Dept.) would certainly get the attention of wrong-doers. If agents realize that if they get caught, they lose it ALL (including current clients and contacts), I suspect you'll see the situation dry up like a desert in a drought. Right now, there is no downside at all to what the agents are doing, no consequences whatsoever. If they get caught, meh. Tomorrow they'll just go out and find another 20 year-old kid to bamboozle and another athletic department to wreck.

[Leroy Lizard]

Well, for one thing, in several states it is a felony to interfere with the amateur status of an athlete. If this agent party in Miami is true, the agent involved could be looking at jail time, because Florida is one of those states where improper agent contact with an amateur athlete is illegal.

It would be interesting to see what the Supreme Court would say about this. After all, many of OU's athletes are residents of Texas. Does Oklahoma have a right to regulate business dealings between a Texas athlete and an agent, no matter where the agent lives?

Besides, is the sports agent really interfering with the amateur status of the athlete? The athlete did not have to agree to any terms presented.

I can understand how everyone feels and I FEEL the same way. Sports agents are scum who only care about themselves. But from a legal standpoint, I don't see how the state, feds, NCAA, or school have any grounds for preventing an athlete and a sports agent from cutting a deal.


Just as the contract between a financial institution and the investor isn't the concern of an inside trader that bilks people of millions of dollars. Those things might not be the agent's concern, but it damm sure is the concern of the school, because they stand to lose tens of millions of dollars from the penalties.

The agent would argue that the two situations are dissimilar. The school entered a voluntary agreement with the NCAA to allow itself to be punished if one of its players improperly contacted a sports agent. Why should the sports agent be liable?

Consider the Bush/Mayo incident. Bush and Mayo cost the school all that money, not the sports agent. After all, they could have said no but chose to break the rules they agreed to abide.


Look at how much money the Bush/Mayo situations are going to cost USC and the Pac10. Say you ran a company with 15,000 or so employees and interns. Then it's discovered that one of your interns has been in contact with a competitor, accepted money from that competitor, and the resulting information leak cost you a patent on a potentially lucrative business brand. Then say you pursue the matter in civil court, and that for reasons surpassing understanding, the jury decides to hold YOU and YOUR COMPANY responsible for the sins of the intern and the competitor (because you SHOULD HAVE known what the intern was doing), and doles out harsh financial penalties to you on top of what you have already lost.

Doesn't quite seem fair, does it?

The two are not analogous, and the term "for reasons surpassing understanding" should tell you that your argument holds no water. The reasoning of the jury would not make a lick of sense; instead, they would tell me that my competitor is not obliged to me. (The intern, that is, athlete, is obliged to me.) On the other hand, the fact that you are holding the sports agent responsible only comes about because the school decided to inflict that responsibility on itself through its parent organization, the NCAA.

Industrial espionage is illegal, but that's because it is stealing property (ideas) that rightfully belong to another company. Athletes, however, are not property and do not belong to the university. As adults, by what right do you have to tell them that they cannot sign any contract they wish? And if they can sign the contract, why can't I? I have even fewer obligations to the school then they do.

I see no connection to insider trading whatsoever.

[prrriiide]

It would be interesting to see what the Supreme Court would say about this.

They would say it's airtight, because the agent enters into a contractual agreement with the state to uphold the laws of the state regarding athlete agent licensure when the agent applies for and receives an agent's license from the State of Florida. By accepting the license, the agent either implicitly or explicitly acknowledges the laws and regulations of the State of Florida.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0468/PART09.HTM


The 2009 Florida Statutes


468.456 Prohibited acts.--

(1) The following acts shall be grounds for the disciplinary actions provided for in subsection (3):

(a) A violation of any law relating to the practice as an athlete agent including, but not limited to, violations of this part and chapter 455 and any rules promulgated thereunder.

(b) Failure to account for or to pay, within a reasonable time, not to exceed 30 days, assets belonging to another which have come into the control of the athlete agent in the course of conducting business as an athlete agent.

(c) Any conduct as an athlete agent which demonstrates bad faith or dishonesty.

(d) Commingling money or property of another person with the athlete agent's money or property. Every athlete agent shall maintain a separate trust or escrow account in an insured bank or savings and loan association located in this state in which shall be deposited all proceeds received for another person through the athlete agent.

(e) Accepting as a client a student athlete referred by and in exchange for any consideration made to an employee of or a coach for a college or university located in this state.

(f) Offering anything of value to any person to induce a student athlete to enter into an agreement by which the agent will represent the student athlete. However, negotiations regarding the agent's fee shall not be considered an inducement.

(g) Knowingly providing financial benefit from the licensee's conduct of business as an athlete agent to another athlete agent whose license to practice as an athlete agent is suspended or has been permanently revoked within the previous 5 years.

(h) Committing mismanagement or misconduct as an athlete agent which causes financial harm to a student athlete or college or university.

(i) Failing to include the athlete agent's name and license number in any advertising related to the business of an athlete agent. Advertising shall not include clothing or other novelty items.

(j) Publishing or causing to be published false or misleading information or advertisements, or giving any false information or making false promises to a student athlete concerning employment or financial services.

(k) Violating or aiding and abetting another person to violate the rules of the athletic conference or collegiate athletic association governing a student athlete or student athlete's college or university.

(l) Having contact, as prohibited by this part, with a student athlete.

(m) Postdating agent contracts.

(n) Having an athlete agent certification acted against by a professional athletic club or association.

(o) Being employed to illegally recruit or solicit student athletes by being utilized by or otherwise collaborating with a person known to have been convicted or found guilty of, or to have entered a plea of nolo contendere to, a violation of s. 468.45615 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0468/Sec45615.HTM), regardless of adjudication.

(2) This part does not prohibit an athlete agent from:

(a) Sending to a student athlete written materials provided that the athlete agent simultaneously sends an identical copy of such written materials to the athletic director, or the director's designee, of the college or university in which the student athlete is enrolled or to which the student athlete has provided a written intent to participate in intercollegiate athletics; and

(b) Otherwise contacting a student athlete, provided that the student athlete initiates the contact with the athlete agent and the athlete agent gives prior notice, as provided for by rule of the department, to the college or university in which the student athlete is enrolled or to which the student athlete has provided a written intent to participate in intercollegiate athletics.

(3) When the department finds any person guilty of any of the prohibited acts set forth in subsection (1), the department may enter an order imposing one or more of the penalties provided for in s. 455.227 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0455/Sec227.HTM), and an administrative fine not to exceed $25,000 for each separate offense. In addition to any other penalties or disciplinary actions provided for in this part, the department shall suspend or revoke the license of any athlete agent licensed under this part who violates paragraph (1)(f) or paragraph (1)(o) or s. 468.45615. (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0468/Sec45615.HTM)
History.--s. 8, ch. 88-229; s. 1, ch. 89-296; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 7, ch. 95-307; s. 89, ch. 98-166; s. 148, ch. 2000-160; s. 69, ch. 2000-356; s. 4, ch. 2002-24.

Read the bolded parts. The law is explicit. Also note the $25,000 fine PER OFFENSE administrative fine. To continue:


468.45615 Provision of illegal inducements to athletes prohibited; penalties; license suspension.--


(1) Any person who violates s. 468.456 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0468/Sec456.HTM)(1)(f) is guilty of a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec082.HTM), s. 775.083 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec083.HTM), s. 775.084 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec084.HTM), s. 775.089 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec089.HTM), or s. 775.091. (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec091.HTM)

(2)(a) Regardless of whether adjudication is withheld, any person convicted or found guilty of, or entering a plea of nolo contendere to, the violation described in subsection (1) shall not employ, utilize, or otherwise collaborate with a licensed or unlicensed athlete agent in Florida to illegally recruit or solicit student athletes. Any person who violates the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec082.HTM), s. 775.083 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec083.HTM), s. 775.084 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec084.HTM), s. 775.089 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec089.HTM), or s. 775.091. (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec091.HTM)

(b) Regardless of whether adjudication is withheld, any person who knowingly actively assists in the illegal recruitment or solicitation of student athletes for a person who has been convicted or found guilty of, or entered a plea of nolo contendere to, a violation of this section is guilty of a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec082.HTM), s. 775.083 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec083.HTM), s. 775.084 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec084.HTM), s. 775.089 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec089.HTM), or s. 775.091. (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec091.HTM)

(3) In addition to any other penalties provided in this section, the court may suspend the license of the person pending the outcome of any administrative action against the person by the department.

(4)(a) An athlete agent, with the intent to induce a student athlete to enter into an agent contract, may not:

1. Give any materially false or misleading information or make a materially false promise or representation;

2. Furnish anything of value to a student athlete before the student athlete enters into the agent contract; or

3. Furnish anything of value to any individual other than the student athlete or another athlete agent.

(b) An athlete agent may not intentionally:

1. Initiate contact with a student athlete unless licensed under this part;

2. Refuse or fail to retain or permit inspection of the records required to be retained by s. 468.4565 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0468/Sec4565.HTM);

3. Provide materially false or misleading information in an application for licensure;

4. Predate or postdate an agent contract;

5. Fail to give notice of the existence of an agent contract as required by s. 468.454 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0468/Sec454.HTM)(6); or

6. Fail to notify a student athlete before the student athlete signs or otherwise authenticates an agent contract for a sport that the signing or authentication may make the student athlete ineligible to participate as a student athlete in that sport.

(c) An athlete agent who violates this subsection commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec082.HTM), s. 775.083 (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec083.HTM), or s. 775.084. (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec084.HTM) History.--s. 70, ch. 2000-356; s. 5, ch. 2002-24.


775.082 Penalties; applicability of sentencing structures; mandatory minimum sentences for certain reoffenders previously released from prison.--

(c) For a felony of the second degree, by a term of imprisonment not exceeding 15 years.

That's PER OFFENSE


775.083 Fines.--

(b) $10,000, when the conviction is of a felony of the first or second degree.

Also PER OFFENSE, on top of the $25,000 administrative fine, total of $35,000 fine possible PER OFFENSE.


775.089 Restitution.--


(1)(a) In addition to any punishment, the court shall order the defendant to make restitution to the victim for:
1. Damage or loss caused directly or indirectly by the defendant's offense; and 2. Damage or loss related to the defendant's criminal episode,

unless it finds clear and compelling reasons not to order such restitution...

There's nothing in there that says that the agent or the athlete need be Florida residents. The very fact that the party allegedly took place on South Beach makes it a matter of law in Florida. The law says you have to have a license to engage in athletic agency activities. Either the agent didn't have a Florida license, which is a 3rd degree felony (5 years and $5000 PER OFFENSE), or he was licensed and did it anyway. Either way, the agent in question is in deep schidt.

Also, refer to the "victim" part of the statute:


(c) The term "victim" as used in this section and in any provision of law relating to restitution means each person who suffers property damage or loss, monetary expense, or physical injury or death as a direct or indirect result of the defendant's offense or criminal episode, and also includes the victim's estate if the victim is deceased, and the victim's next of kin if the victim is deceased as a result of the offense.

If an agent's activities hurt the University of Florida monetarily (say by the NCAA instituting a bowl ban), the court will be required to enforce restitution from the agent to the University and all of the people connected with the loss of income/revenue. Urban Meyer would have an arguable civil case against the agent for damage to reputation.

It's all right there in black-letter law.

[Leroy Lizard]

They would say it's airtight, because the agent enters into a contractual agreement with the state to uphold the laws of the state regarding athlete agent licensure when the agent applies for and receives an agent's license from the State of Florida. By accepting the license, the agent either implicitly or explicitly acknowledges the laws and regulations of the State of Florida.

Yeah, and if I'm an agent in Georgia, what's to stop me from approaching a Florida player and signing a contract?

Consider OU. If I'm based in Texas, what right does Oklahoma have to prevent me from approaching any player of OU's and enter a contractual agreement with them?

How many sports agents are there in Oklahoma?

And the Supreme Court doesn't care what Florida thinks is legal. In fact, the whole point of the Supreme Court is to determine if Florida's law is Constitutional. To say that it is because it's Florida's law begs the question.

The athlete at the U of F is an adult. He is not owned by the university nor is he owned by the state of Florida. If I'm an agent, I see nothing that can stop me from entering a contract with him.

[Mississippi Sooner]

Lots of math and stats and talk of economic things here.

That's fine, I'll just see myself out.

[Leroy Lizard]

Lots of math and stats and talk of economic things here.

That's fine, I'll just see myself out.

I guess we need to change the subject to Elton John and Lady Ga Ga.

[OU_Sooners75]

It's time for the NFL to step up and hammer agents doing shaddy deals, period.

It will scatter them like roaches and preserve the integrity of CFB.


And here lies the problem! The NFL does not give a rats *** about college football! If they did they would change their 3 year removed from high school clause and make it four years removed.

One would think they would like to have some educated players playing in their league, unlike Vince Young and a few others!

[Leroy Lizard]

And here lies the problem! The NFL does not give a rats *** about college football! If they did they would change their 3 year removed from high school clause and make it four years removed.

One would think they would like to have some educated players playing in their league, unlike Vince Young and a few others!

Better yet: Require that all players have a college degree as a job requirement. If you want to see the complete landscape of college football changed, that would do it.

[OU_Sooners75]

Better yet: Require that all players have a college degree as a job requirement. If you want to see the complete landscape of college football changed, that would do it.


Well, yeah that would work too. But then again, some of those athletes can complete their degrees in 3 years. Also, it would only entice a lot of the other athletes to go for meaningless degrees.

[Shakadoodoo]

Well, yeah that would work too. But then again, some of those athletes can complete their degrees in 3 years. Also, it would only entice a lot of the other athletes to go for meaningless degrees.

Thats better than no degree. But it would very hard for a student athlete to finish school in 3 years. They would have to be very mature with one hell of a work ethic. And thats not most of them.

[Leroy Lizard]

Well, yeah that would work too. But then again, some of those athletes can complete their degrees in 3 years. Also, it would only entice a lot of the other athletes to go for meaningless degrees.

They still have to pass their coursework. And so what if they finish in three years? If they finish early, they finish early.