Trouble in the Bayou ...

[irish4ever]

Associated Press ...
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Two LSU football players are accused of breaking into a campus apartment, stealing a backpack that held money and credit cards, and using a stolen credit card to buy more than $200 worth of items online.

Offensive lineman Zhamal Thomas, 20, of New Iberia, and defensive back Troy Giddens, 19, of Hammond were suspended from the team after their arrests Monday, LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette said Thursday.

The student who lives in the apartment reported the break-in March 27, and learned later from her credit card company that illegal purchases had been made on her credit card, said Maj. Lawrence Rabalais, an LSU Police spokesman.

After an investigation, he said, the players admitted they committed the crimes.

 

[notredomer23]

thugU

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

I'm a big believer in that schools should pay players a stipend while on scholarship for big time athletics. It might cut down on the cheating that takes place. It won't cut down on the burglaries tho, that stuff is beyond wanting some pocket change. LOSERS!

 

[ColonialHead]

Always sad when you hear about stuff like this. Most of this kids (most not all) have a decent payday coming their way if they can just remain patient for 4 years. Depending on how good they are, they don;t need to wait all 4 years. So why resprt to this crap? It's bothersome.

I don't know if I would call LSU "Thug U" though... I think the Miami Hurricanes still own that honor.

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

FSU aint' for behind.

 

[Akron Irish]

I heard they bought the Girls Gone Wild series over the internet

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

 

[SillyIrish]

I'm a big believer in that schools should pay players a stipend while on scholarship for big time athletics

Screw that if you do it for them you have to do it for everyone. These dopes had college paid for them that is good enough. They'll probably still start the season too, maybe they'll get a suspension that ends on the first gameday. I love when schools play that card.

 

[Newc]

Screw that if you do it for them you have to do it for everyone. These dopes had college paid for them that is good enough. They'll probably still start the season too, maybe they'll get a suspension that ends on the first gameday. I love when schools play that card.

Exactly, I hate the argument about players needing to be paid. Thats what their scholarship is, theres your payment. If you are awarded the ability to get a very good education, which all of these colleges offer, without having to pay for it all because you play a game that you supposedly love to play and have a great amount of skill in it, then that should be enough right there. The sad thing is that there is a large amount of scholarship players that don't take advantage of the education they could be getting, its like they are just hired by scholarship to play ball.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

I'm a big believer in that schools should pay players a stipend while on scholarship for big time athletics. It might cut down on the cheating that takes place. It won't cut down on the burglaries tho, that stuff is beyond wanting some pocket change. LOSERS!

They already get a free education along with housing, meals, and books. I think paying them also is a very bad idea.

 

[cuss444]

disagree with paying players, they get everything for free. They are at the School to get an education. I understand they their athletic ability allows the University to ca$h in on their talents. But also understand that if it were not for their athletic talent, most of them couldn't get into college !!!!. I do believe that the NCAA shouldn't put limits on the amount of money a full scholarship student can earn during the summer.

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

Well, everyone gets rich but the players. Coaches leave for better pastures, and the kids get stuck behind. It would help cut down on the sliminess of recruiting that is there sub rosa.

 

[portlaNDgal]

They already get a free education along with housing, meals, and books. I think paying them also is a very bad idea.

Fortunately and/or unfortunately, college football is the only farm team system for the NFL. So, you get kids who don't value education mixed in with those who do. If football had a farm system like baseball and hockey, you could separate the players who only want to play from those who want an education too.

One of the things Coach Weis has said that stuck out in my head is that he looks as closely at a recruit's family as he does at the recruit. He spends time gaging how much they want their sons to be educated and how strong their family foundation is. Not that our players never get into trouble, but he tries really hard to weed out those are more likely to pull stunts like these guys at LSU.

 

[tgolden]

They already get a free education along with housing, meals, and books. I think paying them also is a very bad idea.

and free sweats, lots and lots of free sweats. and shoes and jackets and coats and t-shirts and shorts and polos and hats and just about every other article of clothing imagineable. and those things aren't cheap.

but the free education, room and board should be enough on its own. for those guys that the university is actually able to cash in on, they probably have a future in the nfl anyhow. so it's free job training and publicity for them. and for those that aren't so great, the university probably isn't cashing in on them nearly as much, and they still get a free education. I know it's a full time job, but I'd do it for a free education... heck, I'd do it for free if I were able to, but that's just me.

 

[ShivaIrish]

I don't know everything a full scholarship entails, but if they don't already, I think it would be ok for athletes to get a stipend that is on the same level as work-study that so many other students get. That way they have some spending money, but it would limit it. Regardless of the way we view them, or they view themselves, they still are officially scholar-athletes.

 

[portlaNDgal]

but the free education, room and board should be enough on its own. for those guys that the university is actually able to cash in on, they probably have a future in the nfl anyhow. so it's free job training and publicity for them. and for those that aren't so great, the university probably isn't cashing in on them nearly as much, and they still get a free education. I know it's a full time job, but I'd do it for a free education... heck, I'd do it for free if I were able to, but that's just me.

Agreed...scholar/athlete is probably the only job left where a student can "work" him or herself through college and graduate without any debt, esp. from a private university. Nice work if you can get it; they work extremely hard but the benefits are pretty darn good.

 

[RichardRiot]

Agree with the sentiments about not paying the players, but not sure if all the athletes are getting the 'free ride' that is being portrayed. There are countless numbers of these guys that are allowed to 'coast' through the academics; then when football is over (and most of these guys DON'T go on to play football), they have received virtually nothing

While much of the (academic) burden is the students, I believe that the university and more specifically the coaches/AD have a responsibility for ensuring that the students are benefitting from the academics. IMO, this is generally the major failing of NCAA athletics.

 

[portlaNDgal]

Agree with the sentiments about not paying the players, but not sure if all the athletes are getting the 'free ride' that is being portrayed. There are countless numbers of these guys that are allowed to 'coast' through the academics; then when football is over (and most of these guys DON'T go on to play football), they have received virtually nothing

While much of the (academic) burden is the students, I believe that the university and more specifically the coaches/AD have a responsibility for ensuring that the students are benefitting from the academics. IMO, this is generally the major failing of NCAA athletics.

Excellent point. My dad was in academia during the 60's and 70's and was close to several professors at ND. It was widely known which schools provided a useful degree and which school's degrees (given to athletes) were essentially worthless.

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

Hell. I think we should pay elemtary and H.S. kids for getting good grades in math and science. What does it take to motivate kids to focus on this stuff? Ok..tangent, I know.

Money talks, which is why boosters give players money under the table. One answer would be a stipend. If they have to work almost year round, and can't work a full-time job, it would seem the right thing to do. If college athletes are not asked to work year round, then they shouldn't get it. I don't necessarily buy my own argument, I'm just throwing it out there for discussion purposes. Not everyone goes to ND, not everyone has rich parents, not everyone gets to the NFL. Not every college polices its boosters to stop the cheating. It may not be the answer, but I think it is worth considering.

 

[goirish#1]

I'm a big believer in that schools should pay players a stipend while on scholarship for big time athletics. It might cut down on the cheating that takes place. It won't cut down on the burglaries tho, that stuff is beyond wanting some pocket change. LOSERS!

While it is a lot of work, they really don't need to be paid because as players they get food, books, and school free. What more would they need? They should have to do what everyone else has to.