June 17, 2009, at 3:00 pm
Wow. Apparently, I’m in an ornery mood today.
There’s a really good story on PFT about “Prime U.” It’s a training center opened by Deion Sanders that caters to athletes looking to get ready for the NFL draft and helps them by teaching them to ace the tests at the combine. There are a million places like this across the country, so Deion wanted to do something different. He wanted to invite some of the top 2010 draft eligible prospects in the country to train this summer and get a jump on getting to the NFL. The hope would be that getting faster and stronger now would help ease the transition to the NFL game.
And the whole program, that would have featured NFL veteran instructors like kick return extraordinaire Kevin Mathis and former Giants safety (and bane of my existence) Omar Stoutmire, was nixed by the NFL and NCAA.
Apparently, the whole problem was caused by $250 dollars for lodging and food while the young athletes were at the camp.
Per a league source, the plug was pulled.
The source explains that Sanders and company opted not to proceed due to the potential impact of the program on the players’ remaining NCAA eligibility.
The documentation sent to the players invited to attend the camp hints at the problem: “We hoped to be able to offer this camp free of charge, however due to NCAA regulations; we have to charge $250 for the 5 session, 3 day camp in order to protect your eligibility.”
Getting the kids to Frisco, and giving them a place to sleep once they arrived, also was a problem. We’re told that organizers had planned to have sponsors pay for travel expenses, lodging, and food. But that would have likely created, at a minimum, a major headache for their schools. At worst, the players would have become ineligible for the 2009 season.
Holy crap. This is freakin’ dumb.
The NCAA needs to stop being such a puritan idiocracy. They need to understand that these players are trying to get every advantage they can, and that this camp won’t do anything but help them. We aren’t talking about taking cash to spend on hookers and booze. We aren’t talking about kickbacks from a slimy agent (Drew, I’m looking at you.) We are talking about football camp. FOOTBALL. Remember that thing that it’s your job to help promote and improve, NCAA? Moreover, You are keeping one of the greatest college players of all time from giving back to the game by offering free camps to college players. Does that sound insane to anyone else?
So, if you team drafts a bust wide receiver next year and it’s because we wasn’t strong enough or fast enough, you can blame it on Myles Brand and the NCAA.
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