We’ve all been there. 

You’re driving down a long stretch of desolate highway with no cars in sight for miles. You open the engine up a bit. After a few miles at high speeds, you suddenly can’t believe why the speed limit would only be 70 as the 90 you’re driving is far more efficient and nobody is getting hurt. As soon as you see an approaching car pop up on the horizon, however, you’re mad dash is curtailed and you realize 75 is a stealthier clip.

Excessive speed is something nearly everyone is guilty of. We know we’re technically breaking the law when we do it, but we floor that beast anyway.

It makes me wonder if superstar amateur athletes aren’t thinking similarly when seeking the quickest route to the height of their profession.

It’s nothing new. 

Boosters, prominent alumni, agents, bookies, and even the mob have been getting to young promising athletes for decades, coaxing them with high dollar luxuries that boost their social status even though they aren’t receiving a steady paycheck. It’s something you knew was going on, but you just didn’t talk about it.

The problem today is that the stakes are far higher.

These young phenoms are viewed as commodities—walking gold mines. If you’re the first one there to stake your claim then turning thousands into millions is as inevitable as Travis Henry planting more of his seed.

If the latest allegations surrounding USC’s O.J. Mayo are true, then someone, in this case BDA Sports, is about to flip $30,000 well into seven figures.  

Is this genius or criminal? After all, this only violates NCAA rules and is not a breach of state or federal law.

So who is the victim here? The athlete? The school? The sport? The fans?

At this point the violations are utterly victimless. The athlete still gets his payday in the big show. The school profits from having the student athlete, even if only for one year. The sport has another must see athlete and fans get to watch said athlete.

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