Marvin Austin created a huge wave in college football. Picture obtained from Espn
Marvin Austin at North Carolina twitted he was at the party and that just brought about big wave in college football, because the party was hosted by an agent. I remember that my beloved Alabama crimson tide football team was beat by Utah badly in 2009 Sugar Bowl game, partly because my beloved Left Tackle Andre Smith was illegally contacted by an agent (or Andre contacted the agent, whatever), and had to miss the game. So, I hoped the wave did not reach my sweet Alabama team, again. And, of course, the most influential player in Alabama at this moment was there. Marcel Dareus. Every football analysts predicted him as a first rounder for the next NFL draft. And, now, he is ineligible for now, probably, a whole season. I am feeling pain now as a fan and as a teacher.
My beloved Marcel Dareus
We always have rules to follow. I am from Korea, but, I follow the rules and laws in the U.S., because I do not want to create any problem. That is not because I agree with all the laws and rules.
If any American citizens go to Korea, they have to follow the rules in Korea. Google had to leave China, because they did not understand what they needed to follow. In my International Public Relations class, my students had a chance to talk with my chinese friend, who also will teach at the university from the upcoming semester, through Skype teleconference. Her opinion about Google was same as mine. They were arrogant to China. Google thought itself so wonderful, and even could change the Nation. Come on~~~. China has been in the world for more than 10,000 years. People’s republic of China was found in 1949. Way to go Google. You were brave.
Google left China to change the nation LOL. Picture obtained from SEO and Internet Marketing News
Well, student-athletes also need to follow the rule, wherever they belong. Not just for student-athletes, every person who belongs to any organizations needs to follow the rule. Even I tell my son, who is 5 years old, “you need to follow the rule”. If I am at the Walmart, I have to follow their store policy, no matter what I like it or not. I learned it from my school. My teachers generously taught me that. So, I, now, can live in the U.S., because I know how to follow the rules. Anyhow, I had to learn it when I was young.
For student-atheletes, National Collegiate Atheletic Association (NCAA) has a responsibility to teach them. And, schools need to teach them. Nick Saban, who is a head coach of Alabama football team also addressed that.
Picture is obtained from NCAA website
Gentry Estates, a reporter of Mobile Press-Regitster (Al.com), quoted Nick Saban
“Right now, agents are screwing it up,” Saban told ESPN.com. “They are taking the eligibility of players. It’s not right that those players do the wrong thing. We have a great education process here. We have a full-time worker who meets with players and their families and does everything else.”
Then, Nick Saban also blamed NFL and NFLPA (Player Association), or, asked them for help.
“What the NFL Players Association and the NFL need to do is if any agent breaks a rule and causes ineligibility for a player, they should suspend his license for a year or two,” Saban said. “I’m about ready for college football to say, ‘Let’s just throw the NFL out. Don’t let them evaluate players. Don’t let them talk to players. Let them do it at the combine.’
So, now, it is between NCAA and NFL. I, honestly, have envied their relationship, because no other professional sports organizations require a certain amount of education to players in the world besides NFL and NBA, as I know. I, sometimes, praised NFL about their policies and relationships with players. Their college education requirement was, of course, one of them. OK. This is surely a brilliant idea. Players can get free education, so that, if they cannot make it to the NFL, they, at least, have a college degree. Someone may say the degree is useless, but, I am a college educator and firmly believe that the degree can definitely change one person’s life. At the same time, NFL can have better and mentally prepared players. Especially, student-atheletes have to handle their time and all the attentions. I usually admire student-athletes, because they put a lot of efforts on their works as well as their future. They are creating their own assets, which they can carry for their whole life. I like it. I hope every student is like that.
I hope, of course, student-atheletes do not make a terrible choice like Marcel Dareus, who became my new beloved player in last National Championship game, did. Student-athletes should learn the lessons at this time. As Nick Saban said, universities try to educate student-athletes about policies and issues. Well, someone says student-athletes should be paid because they create big revenues for universities. But, I think they are paid with education. That is what universities need to do. It should be about education, not about money. Then, everything will follow. But, still, student-athletes make mistakes, because they are “Student”-athletes. They are still getting an “education”.
I remember that when I was a student, I, many time, did something wrong. I did not follow rules well. In my freshmen high school year, I was suspended once, because I did not follow one of their rules. I learned from it. I was immature and did not know the consequences. So, I learned a lesson in a hard way. I, sometimes, see the same thing from my students. They just learn from it in a hard way.
I think Marcel Dareus should be suspended for whole season, if he broke the rule. He needs to learn the hard lesson, because he is a “Student”-athlete. But, there is something more important. NFL needs to listen to what, now, coaches are saying. It is, of course, a responsibility of NCAA, to educate student-athletes, and students should know what they have to do, when agents are approaching. But, remember, NFL. NCAA is one of the most important publics (or stakeholders) of you, if they are not the most important one. I may have a bias, because I am teaching those “student”-athletes. But, I, firmly, believe that NFL is something special today, because it has a special and healthy relationship with NCAA.
In sports PR, I, personally, believe, and soon research about it, that the core value is understanding players. Not any organization has stakeholders (publics) like players, who are usually richer than their CEOs. So, they are often looked as goods or products. NFL is special, because, they, believe it or not, valued education of players. That, itself, is a good public relations, in my opinion. Agents, who only know (I mean some of them) money, need to understand the value of education. NFL should let them know, they have to follow the rules and understand the importance of education of “student”-athletes, if they want to do a business with them, because that is what the relationship between NFL and NCAA is all about. So, if NFL shows they care, it should mean something to players, who is also one of the most important publics (stakeholders) of NFL. I will surely appreciate that, because they are my students. And, you know what? I teach at least 100 students a semester. I probably tell them the good example of Sports PR. I have twitter. I currently have 300 followers. I probably add 100 followers every semester, since I let my students follow my twitter. Among my followers, some of them are very influential and have more than 10,000 followers. And, I will tell them NFL is a good example of Sports PR, because it considers players as players, not products. I would study this case and try to publish it in major public relations journal (of course, I know it is not easy). My conclusion would be the same. “Players are not products”. And, some scholars, who may be educators, will read my study. It might be good to keep my support.
And, remember what Nick Saban said, ” if they are not going to help us, why should we help them?” Well. I’m one of his fans.
It's me and I'm not kidding.
Public Relations, Social Media, and Sports 