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Brandon Moor

July 24, 1010

“I don’t think it’s anything but greed that’s creating it right now on behalf of the agents. The agents that do this—and I hate to say this, but how are they any better than a pimp?”

The above quote came courtesy of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban as he ripped the emotions he had been wearing on his sleeves and heaved them in the direction of the media earlier this week at SEC Media Days.

Could Saban have chosen a more sensible collection of words?

Love, hate, or carry neutral feelings toward Nick Saban, the impression he made upon leaving the press conference no doubt sent a firm message to the NCAA. Dubbing agents as pimps, though entertaining and colorful, should’ve been rephrased. In any event, Saban is right.

Year after year, it comes as no surprise when the NCAA goes poking and prodding into institutions on the basis of possible violations. We understand scandal runs rampant in college sports and yet we keep begging for more.

This time, the new investigations have taken center stage exposing agents, student-athletes, coaches, and the NCAA. Separating the current train-wreck from past train-wrecks is this time; the ever “elusive” agents didn’t find a place to hide in time before being called out. Not only did agents fail to make a clean getaway, but the student-athletes who supposedly accepted the benefits felt it wise to tweet about their “free” vacation, as well as posting their adventure on Facebook for the whole world to see.

Oops!!

Instead of comparing NFL agents to pimps, a more accurate portrayal is to think of them like the thief in the night disguised as your best friend. They tell you everything you want to hear, make you laugh, and promise the entire world for just a small fee. When you wake up in the morning, all of your valuable possessions are gone without a trace.

Why are sports agents trolling the hallowed grounds of college football like a pack of wild hyenas? 

The livelihood of any sports agent’s job rests on obtaining and signing the best athletes with the alluring incentives of not only multi-million dollar contract deals, but signing on the dotted line means yet another insane amount of money is guaranteed without stepping one foot on the field of an NFL stadium. 

Where in the world is the personal accountability?

It’s relatively simple; agents and politicians (corrupt or not) alike are master lobbyists who know exactly which buttons to press to get their way. They have the ability to sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman in white gloves during the dog days of summer. In other words, they are relentless, and that is not a complement.

Agents aren’t fully to blame for tampering with the amateur/professional status of college athletes. The student-athletes are held to strict but fair expectations the second they sign a national letter of intent. 

Athletes are constantly schooled on the potential problems circulating around sports agents and the temptations they bring. Educating them carries only so much weight until the student-athletes must take accountability for their own actions. 

Though they are 18-22 years of age, athletes feel they deserve the utmost respect from everyone around. With the demand for respect, some take it a step further developing a self-indulged sense of entitlement, and the temptation to dabble in professional sports wealth for only a few seconds proves the same 18-22 years olds are still impressionable kids. Agents love for nothing more than to take advantage of a naïve kid claiming their invincibility; it’s just too easy.

Agents can confront coaches all they want about doing what’s best for their respected programs, but in a matter of a few days, college coaches from coast to coast are absolutely fed up with the Jerry Maguire’s camping on the campus of top universities laying in wait for their next lucrative score.

Greg Aiello, league spokesman for the NFL, stated to the Associated Press: “The agents are regulated by the union. The union’s comments make clear that no encouragement is necessary.”

Nice try; thanks for insulting the intelligence of everyone with that uneventful anecdote. No agents are regulated, and if there were a tiny bit of supervision, the supervisors would be looking the other way. 

George Atallah, NFLPA assistant executive director, sent an email to the Associated Press attempting to soften the blow for their incompetence: “We take violations of NFLPA rules by agents seriously and investigate them vigilantly. This situation is no different.”

He was right about one thing. This situation certainly is no different.

The timetable set for composing an elaborate solution won’t happen overnight, but not acting will only enhance the problem exponentially. Coaches, institution staff, fans, parents, and of course the players are sick and tired of being mislead and used. 

Since the NFLPA has continued to stonewall the media, coaches have begun putting their heads together dishing out their spirited disapproval of professional sports agents. They are taking a united stand in protecting not just their jobs, but they are doing what’s best for the student-athletes.   

While some coaches are pushing for additional regulation of agents, other coaches aren’t so nice about venting their feelings. Some would rather punch an agent out cold, another wants them taken out before a firing squad to have them executed, and a select few want an agents head on a plate.

The gauntlet has officially been thrown down and coaches and their respected institutions are fighting back.

It’s time for the NCAA to take back college sports and place it back where it belongs. Not for the agents.