LSU's Ben Simmons "offered cars, jewelry, anything"

[tpstulane]

So much for one and done. Lol
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... et-nothing

In the documentary, according to ESPN, Simmons blames the NCAA for "wasting" his year in Baton Rouge by making him attend classes.

"The NCAA is really (expletive) up," he said. "Everybody's making money except the players. We're the ones waking up early as hell to be the best teams and do everything they want us to do and then the players get nothing. They say education, but if I'm there for a year, I can't get much education."
While at LSU Simmons said he was offered everything from a "Bentley, a Wraith Rolls-Royce, watches, jewelry, a house ... anything. It literally is anything. People coming at you, offering you things."

[chain gang x man]

Making these kids enroll in college for one year is a joke
They don't attend classes
All they do is practice basketball
Blame the coaches and the universities for allowing it. Follow the money.

[tpstulane]

Making these kids enroll in college for one year is a joke
They don't attend classes
All they do is practice basketball
Blame the coaches and the universities for allowing it. Follow the money.

Actually the one-and-done phenomenon is generated by NBA age restrictions and not the NCAA. They should do what the MLB does.

[RobertM320]

Sign of idiocy... He's upset because to be considered "in school", he had to do what people who are in school do, "take classes"? Be lucky you've got talent, because you surely have no brains, kid. No one FORCED him to leave school after one year, its actually ALLOWED that you can stay for four years.

One thought: If he was offered all these things, tell me, how did he end up at LSU? I can't believe he chose LSU because a)it was the best place to improve his skills, b)he liked the educational offering, or c)he liked the campus. Obviously LSU made the best "offer". So, why aren't they investigated the way Auburn was about Cam Newton?

[JerseyWave]

How did the NCAA waste his year? He didn't have to go to college. He could have played in Europe or or just hung out at one of those sports academies working out preparing for the draft. Nobody forced him to go school and it's too bad he chose not to take advantage of the free college education being offered to him. LSU wasted the year because they had the #1 pick in the draft and they didn't make the post season.

The simple solution is for the NCAA to do way with freshman eleigibility. That will keep the one and dones out of school and only attract athletes that want to live the college life.

[Aberzombie1892]

The NCAA has largely fallen by the wayside when it comes to investigating big name P5 programs - the UNC situation is the clearest evidence of that. If a non-P5 program, such as Tulane, did the same thing, it would probably receive the death penalty.

[mbawavefan12]

Simmons generated thousands of tickets sold that LSU would never had sold had he not been there. He also generated jersey sales, donations and a huge amount of publicity for the program. Yet he received nothing but exposure. Seems like a bad deal to me. I thought in America you should be fairly compensated for the services you provide. That is what takes place everywhere but the NCAA.

[GreenPuddleSplash]

Bag men at LSU paying players? Cheating in the SEC? The old adage goes, you can't spell CHEATS without SEC.

[winwave]

Simmons generated thousands of tickets sold that LSU would never had sold had he not been there. He also generated jersey sales, donations and a huge amount of publicity for the program. Yet he received nothing but exposure. Seems like a bad deal to me. I thought in America you should be fairly compensated for the services you provide. That is what takes place everywhere but the NCAA.

There are a lot of families that would love to get that free ride to college. They are in fact well compensated if they choose to avail themselves of that education. Also they can go overseas or D-League.

[tpstulane]

Simmons generated thousands of tickets sold that LSU would never had sold had he not been there. He also generated jersey sales, donations and a huge amount of publicity for the program. Yet he received nothing but exposure. Seems like a bad deal to me. I thought in America you should be fairly compensated for the services you provide. That is what takes place everywhere but the NCAA.

There are a lot of families that would love to get that free ride to college. They are in fact well compensated if they choose to avail themselves of that education. Also they can go overseas or D-League.

+1
You can believe he and his family "got well compensated" for going to LSU.

[mbawavefan12]

Simmons generated thousands of tickets sold that LSU would never had sold had he not been there. He also generated jersey sales, donations and a huge amount of publicity for the program. Yet he received nothing but exposure. Seems like a bad deal to me. I thought in America you should be fairly compensated for the services you provide. That is what takes place everywhere but the NCAA.

There are a lot of families that would love to get that free ride to college. They are in fact well compensated if they choose to avail themselves of that education. Also they can go overseas or D-League.

That's irrelevant. You compensate people for the utility they provide, end of story. You don;t just say, "hey lots of people would be happy with a scholarhship so shut up and accept what we offer". It's corruption and abusive.

For some student-athletes, the scholarship is a realistic compensation but for many others it it way less than the value the student athlete provides. Not to mention, many of these "student" athletes have no business being in college and yet they are spending 30-50 hours a week practicing, traveling and being forced to miss classes.

[puffy]

Simmons generated thousands of tickets sold that LSU would never had sold had he not been there. He also generated jersey sales, donations and a huge amount of publicity for the program. Yet he received nothing but exposure.

Before we can come to the conclusion that this was a bad deal for Simmons, we'd first have to somehow put a dollar estimate on that exposure he received. Every nationally televised game is essentially a 2.5 hour advertisement for Simmons. Throw in the highlights and webclicks too, and he's in the national sports conversation for the better part of 10 months (from the beginning of the NCAA season to the June NBA draft).

The argument then is that he was the consensus #1 pick coming out of high school anyway, and that year of exposure while at LSU didn't change that position. While probably true, he did become a national household name, which he parlayed into many more $$$$$$$ in endorsement deals.

Had he decided to go the route of Brandon Jennings and Emmanuel Mudiay, who each played in Europe and China (respectively) for a year after high school, he would've still been the #1 pick, but largely would've been out of the national conscience for a year. While he would've been paid a handsome salary for the year abroad, this does nothing for his overall "brand".

Simmons isn't some innocent lamb who was coerced into a year of forced amateurism. His career has been guided and handled by people who knew he was going to the #1 pick for the last 3 years (including Lebron James and his sports agency). They did the math and came to the conclusion that it was best for his career and his "brand" that he played on the NCAA's stage for a season. He got his exposure, and the NCAA/LSU got theirs. In this particular scenario, there are no victims here.

[McWave]

So who here believes they are paid enough for the work they do? Let's start a list.

[mbawavefan12]

Simmons generated thousands of tickets sold that LSU would never had sold had he not been there. He also generated jersey sales, donations and a huge amount of publicity for the program. Yet he received nothing but exposure.

Before we can come to the conclusion that this was a bad deal for Simmons, we'd first have to somehow put a dollar estimate on that exposure he received. Every nationally televised game is essentially a 2.5 hour advertisement for Simmons. Throw in the highlights and webclicks too, and he's in the national sports conversation for the better part of 10 months (from the beginning of the NCAA season to the June NBA draft).

The argument then is that he was the consensus #1 pick coming out of high school anyway, and that year of exposure while at LSU didn't change that position. While probably true, he did become a national household name, which he parlayed into many more $$$$$$$ in endorsement deals.

Had he decided to go the route of Brandon Jennings and Emmanuel Mudiay, who each played in Europe and China (respectively) for a year after high school, he would've still been the #1 pick, but largely would've been out of the national conscience for a year. While he would've been paid a handsome salary for the year abroad, this does nothing for his overall "brand".

Simmons isn't some innocent lamb who was coerced into a year of forced amateurism. His career has been guided and handled by people who knew he was going to the #1 pick for the last 3 years (including Lebron James and his sports agency). They did the math and came to the conclusion that it was best for his career and his "brand" that he played on the NCAA's stage for a season. He got his exposure, and the NCAA/LSU got theirs. In this particular scenario, there are no victims here.

Why pay any athlete (pro or college) cause they are getting exposure, right?

[mbawavefan12]

So who here believes they are paid enough for the work they do? Let's start a list.

That's silly. only about 3% of high school athletes play college and only about 1% of college athletes are good enough to be pros. So .003 of every 1000 high school athletes are pros and that doesn't even account for the fact that Simmons is in the top 1% of the college to pro athletes. Is anyone here in the top 0.3% of their profession? If LSU Bball is generating millions then the people who are most responsible for that generation, the players, should be fairly compensated and not used to fund the rest of the athletic department. Sad but true.

[ajcalhoun]

If LSU Bball is generating millions then the people who are most responsible for that generation, the players, should be fairly compensated and not used to fund the rest of the athletic department. Sad but true.

Get Title IX repealed and you might have a chance. Until then, lay back and enjoy.

[GreenPuddleSplash]

So who here believes they are paid enough for the work they do? Let's start a list.

Regardless if the players/atheletes are compensated adequately or not, the rules are clear in this instance, LSU cheated. Does it really surprise you that they paid SImmons? Is our memory so short as to Shaq and days before he was inducted into the Hall of Fame and about how LSU paid him very very well while he was in college?

[mbawavefan12]

If LSU Bball is generating millions then the people who are most responsible for that generation, the players, should be fairly compensated and not used to fund the rest of the athletic department. Sad but true.

Get Title IX repealed and you might have a chance. Until then, lay back and enjoy.

I am actually starting to think that there are just too many scholarship sports. Just have anough female schollies to cover FBall, Bball and in some areas baseball/hockey, then be done with it.

[mbawavefan12]

So who here believes they are paid enough for the work they do? Let's start a list.

Regardless if the players/atheletes are compensated adequately or not, the rules are clear in this instance, LSU cheated. Does it really surprise you that they paid SImmons? Is our memory so short as to Shaq and days before he was inducted into the Hall of Fame and about how LSU paid him very very well while he was in college?

That's how the game is played, it's happening everywhere.

[Aberzombie1892]

So who here believes they are paid enough for the work they do? Let's start a list.

Regardless if the players/atheletes are compensated adequately or not, the rules are clear in this instance, LSU cheated. Does it really surprise you that they paid SImmons? Is our memory so short as to Shaq and days before he was inducted into the Hall of Fame and about how LSU paid him very very well while he was in college?

That's how the game is played, it's happening everywhere.

...And the uneven enforcement between the P5s and the G5 is shameful. UNC, Penn State, and Baylor should have received the death penalty while Louisville, LSU, and Ole Miss should receive something close to that, while Georgia Southern took some serious punishment for comparatively minor violations.

[wave97]

The NBA rule: 19 years of age and at least one year removed from high school. There is nothing restricting the player to go to Europe/Asia for one year. There have only been 44 players who've entered the NBA draft out of high school. Personally, I don't care if a school offers everything but the kitchen sink to attract a player. Go Ben! Get healthy, stay healthy and manage your money wisely...

[winwave]

Simmons generated thousands of tickets sold that LSU would never had sold had he not been there. He also generated jersey sales, donations and a huge amount of publicity for the program. Yet he received nothing but exposure. Seems like a bad deal to me. I thought in America you should be fairly compensated for the services you provide. That is what takes place everywhere but the NCAA.

There are a lot of families that would love to get that free ride to college. They are in fact well compensated if they choose to avail themselves of that education. Also they can go overseas or D-League.

That's irrelevant. You compensate people for the utility they provide, end of story. You don;t just say, "hey lots of people would be happy with a scholarhship so shut up and accept what we offer". It's corruption and abusive.

For some student-athletes, the scholarship is a realistic compensation but for many others it it way less than the value the student athlete provides. Not to mention, many of these "student" athletes have no business being in college and yet they are spending 30-50 hours a week practicing, traveling and being forced to miss classes.

Absolutely not irrelevant. They are getting a free education and all the other benefits of their full scholarships. That's a fact. If they don't think it's enough they can take their talents elsewhere. We'll have to agree to violently disagree.

[mbawavefan12]

Simmons generated thousands of tickets sold that LSU would never had sold had he not been there. He also generated jersey sales, donations and a huge amount of publicity for the program. Yet he received nothing but exposure. Seems like a bad deal to me. I thought in America you should be fairly compensated for the services you provide. That is what takes place everywhere but the NCAA.

There are a lot of families that would love to get that free ride to college. They are in fact well compensated if they choose to avail themselves of that education. Also they can go overseas or D-League.

That's irrelevant. You compensate people for the utility they provide, end of story. You don;t just say, "hey lots of people would be happy with a scholarhship so shut up and accept what we offer". It's corruption and abusive.

For some student-athletes, the scholarship is a realistic compensation but for many others it it way less than the value the student athlete provides. Not to mention, many of these "student" athletes have no business being in college and yet they are spending 30-50 hours a week practicing, traveling and being forced to miss classes.

Absolutely not irrelevant. They are getting a free education and all the other benefits of their full scholarships. That's a fact. If they don't think it's enough they can take their talents elsewhere. We'll have to agree to violently disagree.

No, that't the point. The NCAA has a monopoly and they know it. The NFL and NBA are in cahoots as they get a free minor league system. Going to Europe or China is only an option for a few kids and even then it hurts them.

Let me ask this, how valuable is a free education if you are incapable of taking advantage of it and have to spend so much time/energy on athletics which in turn really hurts their academics. Not to mention, those who have no business being in college to begin will need to be spending every second on academics but they can't. Half (maybe more) these kids leave with nothing but memories.

So what if they passed a rule that only half scholarship could be awarded? Should kids just sit back and say thanks?

I think unions have warped into a joke but these kids deserve representation. Oh and what happens is Fornette rips apart his knee and ankle on Saturday, I guess he will have his LSU degree to fall back on

There will be 102,000 people in Tiger Stadium and the kids on the field are getting paid the equivalent of about $10-15/hour. You see no problem with that?

[puffy]

Why pay any athlete (pro or college) cause they are getting exposure, right?

Exposure, free room and board, access to training and practice facilities, elite health care, an education (and in some instances, a world class education) if they want it...

Simmons could've entered the NBA Draft in 2015 had he stayed in high school in Australia instead of enrolling in an American prep school, completely bypassing the one-and-done requirement mandated by the NBA (and not the NCAA). Why did he decide to delay his professional career?

He wouldn't have been the #1 overall pick (top 5 for sure and possibly top 3).

He wouldn't have garnered the same endorsement dollars as an obscure Australian player.

His team/handlers/enablers charted this path for him. If he should be ticked off at anyone, it should be them.


By and large, a full ride scholarship is a fantastic deal for 99% of the kids who have earned it.

[winwave]

Simmons generated thousands of tickets sold that LSU would never had sold had he not been there. He also generated jersey sales, donations and a huge amount of publicity for the program. Yet he received nothing but exposure. Seems like a bad deal to me. I thought in America you should be fairly compensated for the services you provide. That is what takes place everywhere but the NCAA.

There are a lot of families that would love to get that free ride to college. They are in fact well compensated if they choose to avail themselves of that education. Also they can go overseas or D-League.

That's irrelevant. You compensate people for the utility they provide, end of story. You don;t just say, "hey lots of people would be happy with a scholarhship so shut up and accept what we offer". It's corruption and abusive.

For some student-athletes, the scholarship is a realistic compensation but for many others it it way less than the value the student athlete provides. Not to mention, many of these "student" athletes have no business being in college and yet they are spending 30-50 hours a week practicing, traveling and being forced to miss classes.

Absolutely not irrelevant. They are getting a free education and all the other benefits of their full scholarships. That's a fact. If they don't think it's enough they can take their talents elsewhere. We'll have to agree to violently disagree.

No, that't the point. The NCAA has a monopoly and they know it. The NFL and NBA are in cahoots as they get a free minor league system. Going to Europe or China is only an option for a few kids and even then it hurts them.

Let me ask this, how valuable is a free education if you are incapable of taking advantage of it and have to spend so much time/energy on athletics which in turn really hurts their academics. Not to mention, those who have no business being in college to begin will need to be spending every second on academics but they can't. Half (maybe more) these kids leave with nothing but memories.

So what if they passed a rule that only half scholarship could be awarded? Should kids just sit back and say thanks?

I think unions have warped into a joke but these kids deserve representation. Oh and what happens is Fornette rips apart his knee and ankle on Saturday, I guess he will have his LSU degree to fall back on

There will be 102,000 people in Tiger Stadium and the kids on the field are getting paid the equivalent of about $10-15/hour. You see no problem with that?

Not a monopoly at all. There are professional opportunities for those few kids. The others are very well compensated by their full scholarships.

Fact is many will graduate and have opportunities they otherwise wouldn't have. They are time limits now in place and plenty of academic support in place that other students don't get. Plus they get to go to both summer sessions so that their class load during the season is light.

I have no problem w/that at all. I don't wish anyone injury but that's life.