04/19/24
March 29, 2006
ND safety Zbikowski to make pro boxing debut: Notre Dame safety Tom Zbikowski will make his professional boxing debut at Madison Square Garden on June 10. It's a feel good story, but with an undertone (my opinion) of "why does he need NCAA approval?"
posted by wingnut4life to boxing at 08:24 AM - 16 comments
I read that part, Dr. J. I just get a wild hair up my ass when the NCAA is mentioned. They have this huge monopoly in college sports, raking in all kinds of money. But they make that money from the student-athletes, who can't even get a dime from their jersey's that the NCAA sells! And people wonder why these kids leave for the pros ASAP. I'm not advocating huge sums of money, just stipends. Better yet, some kind of trust fund or investment account that they can't touch until after they graduate. *Sorry, getting off of my soapbox...
posted by wingnut4life at 10:36 AM on March 29, 2006
I tend to agree with you wingnut, but how would you handle a (2 sport) athlete that say plays pro baseball while in college playing football. This of course takes into account the "time" constrants (sp) it puts on the student/pro athlete.
posted by Folkways at 10:58 AM on March 29, 2006
Well, I guess there would have to be some kind of rule to address that issue, like limiting how many sports you can participate in, or even making financial eligibility available for only one sport at a time. And the "time constraints" could be addressed by GPA. Time management would be the key. Make time for school. If you're not passing, you're not eligible, just like now.
posted by wingnut4life at 11:10 AM on March 29, 2006
you hit it out of the park on the first swing wingnut- the colleges make a ton of money off of these kids. colleges have a vested interest in maintaining these archaic NCAA regulations, otherwise they would have to share the wealth.
posted by irunfromclones at 02:34 PM on March 29, 2006
Probably won't use 'The Fighting Irish' as his nick-name.
posted by Desert Dog at 04:55 PM on March 29, 2006
The kids with jerseys and and all that jazz can get paid-for room & board plus on-campus meal programs and, of course, free tuittion. That can easily add up to over $100,000 in four years at some schools. That's helluva sum of money.
posted by jmd82 at 11:20 PM on March 29, 2006
That's all fine and dandy, jmd82, but I wish there was a way to break all of that down. How much of that $100,000 is from the NCAA and how much is from the school? Please keep in mind that the average NCAA football jersey can cost anywhere between $40 and $200, depending on what the name of the manufacturer's label is that you pay for. I don't the economics behind the making and selling of these said jersey's are, but there is definately a profit from them. For arguements sake let's throw some numbers out there. Take an average jersey and give it a price. We'll say 'Joe Schmoe' will cost you $60. Out of that $60, we'll take away the manufacturing, marketing, shipping and labor costs out. We'll set a high number and say $40. That leaves $20 for profit. Where does that profit go for that one jersey? Into the NCAA's pockets. Multiply that profit by how many jerseys are sold in a single year. I don't know the numbers (people who do this for a living, please don't crucify me, I'm not a professional and I am just guess-timating) but we'll say an average of 1,500. That's $30,000 annually that the NCAA rakes in for just one athlete. Some of these athletes from smaller schools live at or below poverty level, and have to take on part-time jobs just to survive. Even if it was just a small percentage of that profit from that jersey with his name on it, it would go a very long way. I honestly believe that if the student-athlete could get some kind of stipend while he is in school, there would be way less corruption...
posted by wingnut4life at 07:40 AM on March 30, 2006
So... Is he any good?
posted by StarFucker at 08:24 AM on March 30, 2006
Simple yes or no question ('cause im curious). Are college jersey's sold with a student athletes name on the back? Not being in a position to purchas such things it has never occured to me that public universities could profit not only from the athletic program but from an individual student's last name. does this even make since or do I need more kauphy
posted by Folkways at 08:35 AM on March 30, 2006
Hell, I don't know, SF!!! I was too busy trying to act like a cheap knock-off of an economics teacher! And yes, the names are on the jersey.
posted by wingnut4life at 08:35 AM on March 30, 2006
"For Tommy to be a crotchety old man sitting in the corner of the bar someday and be able to say he fought in the Garden is something special." At first I thought the dad didn't exactly have high hopes for his son, but then I realized that's exactly how I'd like to finish my life -- the wizened old bastard at the end of the bar, sipping a Jamesons and telling those young punks how easy they have it nowadays. Where do I get on that retirement plan?
posted by wfrazerjr at 09:03 AM on March 30, 2006
Is he any good? They said during some ND broadcasts this year that he was "Golden Gloves". I dunno if that meant he competed or won his weight division in the Golden Gloves.
posted by yerfatma at 11:40 AM on March 30, 2006
I don't think they do put names on the back of jerseys, at least licensed ones. I've never seen names on the ones for my school. Throwbacks may be different.
posted by Bonkers at 11:59 AM on March 30, 2006
Now that I think about it, I do believe that Notre Dame does not put the names on the back.
posted by wingnut4life at 03:50 PM on March 30, 2006
They don't.
posted by yerfatma at 04:22 PM on March 30, 2006
Um, they explain why: As Notre Dame compliance director Mike Karowski explained it to the Zbikowski family, as long as the safety doesn't take sponsorship money, endorsement money or get involved by promoting any boxing products, he'll retain his eligibility to play football for Notre Dame. According to NCAA Bylaw 12.1.1, a Division I football student-athlete may box professionally and retain his eligibility, as long as he does not promote a commercial entity. I guess it's just a matter of degrees of professionalism: the NCAA has to be kept sacrosant and amateur. You know, besides recruiting "incentives".