The Unintended Consequences Of The NIL Ruling

College Football is an incredible spectacle of a sport.

Players age 18 to 22, at the very near physical peak of their athletic capabilities, use their size and speed to perform in what can only be described as the most violent game of acceptable strategic ballet we have ever invented.

While other sports have a level of athletic skill, or physical grit, or power, the idea of putting it all together in a gladiator like spectacle, down to the wearing of painted armor and where the play isn't over until the ball is put out of play, or the carrier of the ball is violently put to the ground, is unique to Football.

There are so many intricacies to the game we could get into, we could go on about multiple books on the subject, but the rating and money doesn't lie.

America loves College Football.

The final championship and premiere games drive enormous sums of money into the pockets of administrators, coaches, television executives, and the economic tendrils of the game extend to even the local hospitality industries such as restaurants and hotels.

But for years, the only people limited in terms of money they could make from the sport were those playing the games 

That is not to say student-athletes aren't compensated to various degrees, they are.

The problem lies in the equity of the compensation.

I would love it if more money was spread out to the student athlete's, whose public performance is used by the schools to further generate revenue and attract potential new students and donors.

I believe players should be able to make some extra money to capitalize on their talents and that the current system is FAR too restrictive in that regard.

So when I say I'm currently worried about the current climate of College Football rhetoric surrounding NIL, and the lack of a follow up plan in terms of regulation of specific industries, it's not because I'm looking to be a pessimist, or that I begrudge the players making a cut of the money they generate.  

It's because I want to see the sport succeed and at the moment, there seems to be almost no rules in terms of money towards pay for play, and the potential for the gap between the haves and have nots will only widen.

It wasn't until I listened to The Obligatory Penn State podcast and having an open mind that I have come to this conclusion, where one of the hosts, Kevin Horn layered out a fantastic argument against the NIL based in logical consistency and still being for worker and student-athlete rights.

Kevin predicted, and I am now inclined to agree, that as currently constructed, without ANY limits on endorsements (or fake endorsements) the teams with the most resources and fervent fan bases will not only continue to get the most talent, they will likely get more of it and keep the athletes on their campuses for longer.

Most already admit that there is cheating going on that emulates this.

Rumors, as well as testimonial evidence suggests bag men at big schools have been going on for years and there is plenty of evidence that problem has led to the lack of equity in athletics already. 

Now, the money can be out in the open, and there can be more of it.

Recently, a mid tier Miami gym owner, of zero national repute, all of a sudden became a trailblazer, offering the entire football team the opportunity to earn 500 a month to simply endorse his martial arts. 

It isn't hard to imagine super wealthy, super bored, super egotistical billionaires continuing to look for new toys and opportunities to put their brand and id into the world and finding that funding a college athletics department at either an alma mater, or simply because they are a fan of the school for, will disproportionately affect the entire college football landscape.

Not only would the teams with the wealthiest and most willing donors attract the most highly regarded players; but they could likely keep them longer, as the allure of an NFL contract no longer holds quite the same weight.

If Robert Kraft wants to help fund an entire pipeline to the NFL and donate 10 million dollars from his personal bank account to Alabama (and his friend, Nick Saban), it would be just .5% of his wealth and the equivalent of someone worth 100,000 dollars donating roughly 600 dollars to impose incredible outsized influence over the sport.  Instead of the gym owner, one NFL owner could make a tiny drop in his bucket and pay 111k to each player on the team.

The prestige of higher education and the nobility of helping athletes after years of exploitation would give just enough cover to justify endorsement contracts already approaching into the millions of dollars.  And without any guard rails, I suspect the difference between the have and have nots will only expand, and winners in various athletic teams will routinely be the schools who are able to convince their donors who have vast sums of wealth, to invest that wealth directly back to their athletes.

Penn State has a good amount of wealth.  According to some publications, they produce more CEO's than just about any other school in the country.  However, it has not been easy for Penn State to recently to get the reinvestment into its athletic department like it has been for Clemson, Alabama and Ohio State.  In part, that is due, I believe, to a relatively split fan base, one that opposes "overpaying" for athletics and finds the very idea of the current mix of money, education and athletics appalling; while  another group of the same fan base wants their team to win National Championships, and if we can finally start paying the players, just do it.

I find myself absolutely rooting for the players, but I'm also rooting for a fair system.  A system that creates benefits for all, and the benefits are spread equitably.  It is still early, and adjustments are happening in real time as the impact of the decision continues to reverberate.  Perhaps just like the other professional leagues, the college system will develop its own cap to prevent boosters and powerful alumni from being too aggressive in terms of buying the next generation of athletes.

It will be up to the leadership at the universities themselves whether or not they can actually take back control of their athletic departments for the greater good of their mission and their communities at large.

Embrace The Summer

The first step outside of the air conditioned bedroom is usually the biggest sign.

It's 5AM, early enough that sun has yet to come back and infuse the earth with its radioactive rays, yet just a foot outside the door makes me feel as though I'm stepping from a commercial walk-in fridge to a newly found jungle.

Instead of a hot coffee, I'm reaching for the refrigerated cold-brew.

Summer is here, and despite the heat, life is good in State College. 

Bright, blossoming flowers of orange, pink and yellow. The smell of freshly maintained lawns and tilled gardens.  The trees full and lush, offering refuge and food for the birds and squirrels, which are plentiful in their own right.

The parks are filled again with youth and adult sports alike.  As the the kids of the area try their hands at softball, joggers and families are out enjoying the outdoors.

Thunderstorms appear seemingly out of nowhere, with swirling winds and devastating flashes of light; bringing down trees or power lines only to be out of the area within an hour.  A reminder of the fierce, near omnipotent power that is nature.

The gatherings with friends and families over grilled kabobs, burgers, vegetables and whatever else people are grilling these days .  The yard games where the score becomes secondary to camaraderie and the ability to play with a drink in your hand.

This is the State College that so many romanticize.

So let's make the most of it.

It can be easy to take to the comfort of our air conditioned homes, connected to the internet and an infinite stream of content.

Some days, I think that's fine.

But for the most part, I hope to see people out as much as possible.  (Obviously, responsibly. Get vaccinated!)

Fantastic outdoor dining options are available all around the town, offering fresh ingredients from local farms.

There are hundreds of trails to bike or hike.  Parks available for soccer, baseball, softball, and basketball.  There are lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks (cricks) for fishing, boating, and just jumping in to cool off.

For those that enjoy it, there might not be a more picturesque time to go golfing. 

But above all, take the time to enjoy and indulge in the experience of this enchanting season.

Penn State, Race, and John Amaechi for President

I used to think Penn State and State College were a reflection for America at large.  It certainly "looked" like a reflection of what I was seeing on television.

And let's get straight to the point.  It looked mostly White, with a few select minorities thrown in.  It looked like television, which I thought was (and was generally sold as) a representation of America.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, television was projecting a mostly White society that contrasted with the reality of the world.

While Penn State might look diverse next the surrounding rural areas that are over 95% White, it is far, FAR more removed from the diverse and densely populated cities and larger townships that drive much of the state economy.

Recent graduates of all types are most likely to relocate to larger population centers (re:cities) next in search of employment.  If that is true, then the most likely place Penn State graduates will look and find work will be in area's far more diverse than State College or the surrounding area.

Cities such as Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, where the white population ranges from roughly 22% In Harrisburg, to 65% in Pittsburgh are the most likely

Philadelphia, the biggest population center in the entire state by an enormous margin has a White population of roughly 35%.  There are more Black people in Philadelphia than 15 times the entire population of State College.

Penn State, and State College are not diverse by any stretch of the imagination and it is costing the University as well as the community.  It has resulted in widespread misconceptions about race and equality, and hindered people's ability to confront the ongoing issues pertinent to today.

In a recent article in the Washington Post, Black faculty publicly showcased some of the specific issues that they have been facing.

In January a Black Caucus zoom call was ambushed by White Supremacists.

In June of 2020, a student and his father, were filmed attempting to intimidate peaceful protestors and shouting ethnic slurs.

A downtown Martin Luther King mural was defaced by White Supremacists

These are just the recent incidents and the ones that have bubbled to the surface.

Things need to change.


Penn State, like much of America, is at a crossroads.  It needs leadership, it needs direction, and it needs it now.  The current President, Dr. Eric Barron is planning to retire at the end of June.  The very first priority needs to be the further integration of minorities into Penn State and a dedication to ensuring their safety and well-being.

As part of that mission, in order to educate a population that has not, and in its current condition, cannot, see the inequalities in America, it should be required that to attain a Penn State degree, you would need to pass a course relevant to hate and racism in America.  A civics lesson on the history of the KKK, Jim Crow, the rise of White Supremacists within the American military and police ranks and the spread of racial hate in the age of the internet. 

Penn State graduates are all asked to have passing scores in reference to English, Math, and a Foreign Language to ensure that the students have been properly prepared for the world that they are about to go into.  That they will essentially have a core and common background to start with that will enable them to communicate to whoever they might contact in the professional world.

Race relations needs and the examination of White Supremacy and Nationalism that manifests itself in both subtle and overt ways must be addressed going forward, and if Penn State can be one of the first institutions to address a problem that has plagued not only its local community, but the world over, it would make itself the first, and therefore markedly ahead of its competitors who might still be resistant to the necessary overhaul that must happen across the country.


I believe people are looking for something to get behind.  They've been waiting for a while.  Penn State can be that positive change, that positive story everyone gets behind. 

Imagine if you will, a new Penn State, where there is an admission that so many of the old ways need to be reformed and changes need to start at the top. That there will be an unwavering commitment to hiring a far more diverse group of individuals to run this University into the future, which surely will become MORE diverse, not less so.

Penn State's brand and slogan is synonymous with inclusion.  We Are is a brand that says "no matter what background you may have, you can be a Penn Stater".  You can espouse and live the values of the University such as respect, integrity, or discovery and be part of this community.

Luckily for Penn State, they potentially have such a messenger, should he choose to accept it.  A man who might be the best voice in all of America on the subjects of education, race and well being.

John Amaechi is a modern day Renaissance man.  An alumnus of Penn State, where he also gained incredible fame playing basketball, Amaechi went on to do much more than athletics, attaining a PhD in psychology, and using his education and gifts for speaking in a multitude of philanthropic and educational pursuits.

If John Amaechi, an openly Gay, Black Man were to become President at one of the most prestigious and glamorized schools in America, it would put Penn State further towards two very obvious goals.

To diversify, and further show a commitment to diversifying its staff, trusting in the leadership of a brilliant and qualified person who is familiar with the layout of the town and the cultural issues of today in a profound way.

It will also separate Penn State as being further along than other schools in their commitments.  A willingness to embrace the moment and take on perhaps the greatest issue of all.  Can education fix race relations in the world, and if so, who will be first to figure it out?  If Penn State becomes the school that leads the way, that puts Penn State ahead of its competitors.

I do not know if John Amaechi would be interested in the position, and what would surely be a tidal wave of pressure to become nearly instantaneously more successful by some, and attacked maliciously by others. 

But I believe that his voice is the one that best represents the values of Penn State.  That his way of thinking, his level of empathy, and his commitment to education make him in my mind the perfect fit for President.

Polio, My Grandfather, and The Vaccine. How Science Can Save.

It sounded as though the crutches carried the weight of jumbo jet.  Each impact signaling the coming of this person of importance seemingly to everyone around me.

The first thing I remember about my grandfather is the sound of his crutches.  Not the most important thing about him, not even the rarest thing about him, but the first thing that I remember about meeting my grandfather was hearing him before I saw him. 

Being so young, the sound so foreign, and the fact that this trip up was specifically to see and meet this person seemed so grand, I didn't know what to think and was a bit apprehensive and intimidated of my grandfather at first.  

My grandfather had contracted polio, prior to the advancement of science and the vaccine, and the disease left him without the use of his legs, effectively paralyzing him from the age of 12.

The trips up to see my grandfather were treated as both miniature vacations, as well as opportunities to try and get to know my somewhat isolated grandfather who lived in a small area just outside of Ann Arbor called Whitmore Lake.   His name was James Smith. He was my mother's father and was one of my two living grandparents.  A link to a past that I could never fully know.  

I understood part of the reason we had to travel so far (PA ---> MI) to see him and not vice versa was due to his condition involving polio.  I had as rudimentary an understanding as one could have as a child, but it wasn't until I got out of the minivan and into the house where I could only hear the sound not of footsteps, but of crutches, that it made me acutely aware of how very different the world could be and how fortunate I was.

Polio had taken away the use of my grandfathers legs roughly around the age of 12, leaving him to adapt to a world that was certainly not built for people with his condition.  While there is no doubt my grandfather exceeded any and all expectations of any particular individual, the fact that he did so while essentially being paralyzed made his career all the more exceptional.

I had to adapt my habits around my grandfather specifically to his handicap.  Leaving out toy trucks and micro machine racecars could be a death sentence.

And while I could tell a million other stories, I really want to talk about what it meant to me to understand that science kept his fate from happening to me or anyone else.

When your grandfather had a disease that no longer exists, it helped shape my experience to wonder about things like genetics, biology and science as a whole.  It made me far more likely to trust the science when I can see and feel the resulting impact.

I would never have to worry about the reality my grandfather experienced.  The feelings and sensations of losing such an essential ability.  To understand that in someway, he would be treated differently than everyone else. That people would react to his condition differently than if he didn't have polio.  That abilities he used to have had been abruptly taken away through an invisible pathogen.

I didn't have to worry because the advancements in science and medicine had effectively eradicated the disease by the time I was born.  

It filled me with a sense of ease and maybe even pride that mankind had continued to advance towards a better world, one where science and evidence would become more and more trusted to help solve the problems of the world.

Of course science was still going to be limited to the constraints of time and ability, and while miraculous achievements occurred, some have not.  There is no cure for cancer.  There is no way to prevent autism or down syndrome.  We haven't even eliminated the common cold.

As this Covid-19 plague is occurring the world over, science seemingly has offered us a salvation in the form of a vaccine, and yet the thing preventing its implementation has been the erosion of trust.

This is bewildering to me, as we've reached a point of paranoia and skepticism towards science and government unlike anything I experienced while growing up.

It as though the last 100 years in medical advancement had all been for naught as people still cannot fathom the impact of a pandemic and disease.  They haven't experienced how science can save.

The hope is, that maybe, if people hear the story and experience of someone who has seen and the drastic difference between a world without vaccines, and ones with them, they might begin to trust once again.

A Puddle In Time

I'm still trying to process this fast moving puddle of time in the Pandemic.

In the beginning, which seems like yesterday and yet a lifetime ago, there was a sudden mix of fear and adrenaline.  Things changed seemingly overnight.  My job would become one of millions lost to the Pandemic.

For the next year I would be unemployed.

For the past year, my life has been a myriad of feelings that always come back to the same theme of being simultaneously free and trapped at the same time.  A sense of overwhelming possibilities with the dread of feeling each consecutive day would end up being mostly the same.

In my particular case I would be shuttered to my home, with just enough financial boosts by the government to get by until my job returned once the pandemic was under control again.

Free to do whatever I wanted at any given time.  My basic needs were small, and were going to be met thanks to the actions of the government to assist with unemployment benefits.

Trapped in the sense that no matter what I did, I would still be living in a world with a disease that had brought human movement and interaction to a near standstill.

It feels like everything and nothing.

On one hand, I can wear sweats everyday.  Play videogames for 1 week, binge movies on another.  I had enough time to get in great shape and work out all the time, and time to smash Oreos ad nauseam.  

I could essentially have a "stay-cation" so long as I didn't pick up another paying job.  A prospect that definitely appealed to me, a person who felt in-flux about their career anyway and wanted to explore different aspects of society and culture.

I would be answering to nobody.

I could write and research what I wanted.  Pursue projects that seemed interesting, and maybe even find a different job and begin a different path.

I could become more active and engaged in local government, volunteering time to make phone calls and write opinion pieces.

Yet still, there was just as much a sense of feeling trapped by the disease.

No longer would I be able to casually see friends and distancing from older family members became paramount.

Restaurants, movie theatres, gyms and barber shops adapted with fewer hours, reduced occupancy and some would be forced to shudder their business all together.  The public space was being shrunk to almost nothing.

My days seem exhaustingly limited to screens of my cellphone and internet ready devices as well as the short walks and jogs I make myself go on.

While I've taken advantage of the time in some respects, I feel slightly haunted by the time that I haven't.

I haven't written as much as I feel I should have.

It feels like at this point, something more should have changed.  

But then, like a defense mechanism, my brain starts to recognize this spiral, these negative and pessimistic thoughts, and starts to act and do the behavior I find positive again.

Back to the computer to write, even if it's just for 15 minutes again until you can find that strike and that stride.  Back to a work-out.  Back to a phone-call or meeting-up with family.  Back to meal prepping, or volunteering. 

This has been the cycle for roughly a year.

That is all about to change.

I am now two weeks out from my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.  My family is also vaccinated.  My old job will be coming back in May.  The world seems to be moving back towards what it was.

Structured.  Balanced.  With time seemingly flowing forward again with the intention of a destination.

I used to think that I abhorred that structure.  That I preferred the ability to do whatever I liked, whenever I liked. 

Time is often compared to a river in metaphors.  Over the past year, it felt like the river emptied out into a Covid-19 basin.  

Now it is time to pick up the oars and paddle down another river.

My Mom Retires

I can only tell this story from my point of view, so you'll have to forgive me in that I can't exactly tell you how everyone else feels about Lori Baney, the now former Director of Donor services at Penn State.

I can tell you what it was like for me to watch my mom work at the University for my entire life, and how proud I am of her.

It's a simple, personal story, but one I'd like to share all the same.

One of my earliest memories in my life, one that I can now barely piece together at 37 years of age, was of me trying to keep up with my mom as she walked me across campus to Old Main.

My mom walked fast, and I remember struggling to keep up.

She had a specific agenda for work, and to get where she needed to go on time, she needed to hustle.  I was whiny and wanted her to slow down.

She insisted that I keep up.

I didn't know it or understand it then circa 1987, but later came to realize just how much the attitude she had then was a reflection of her father, James Smith, an economist who had polio, and taught her to understand the value and importance of independence.  

A reflection of her mother, Mary Smith, a valedictorian and activist who taught her daughters the importance of loving people different than yourselves.

This is who my mom was: walking quickly, authoritatively, and with determination since literally the day I was born. 

Someone whose entire culture and being was grounded in work.

That is how I see her as she walks away now.

But that's not exactly the only thing I've seen, and this why I'm excited to celebrate her retirement.

Work is to be valued.  Whether we hear it from politicians, religious figures, wealthy businesses, entrepreneurs, sports figures or rockstars, the conversation inevitably includes some circling clichés that lead back to work, hard work, time spent etc.  

From my perspective, work also created a rift between my grandparents and my mom and her two sisters.

Work, it seemed, could also create horrible divisions and keep a family unit from being all that it could.

For as much effort that my mom put into her job, for as much as she put into her career, she put just as much into loving her family.

I always felt loved like no other as she raised me, whether it be in the way she helped coach me in little league or by taking care of horses to help with my sisters horseback riding lessons.  The constant driving of both my sister and me to our friends' houses that were never within walking or biking distance.

All the while, she was rising through her ranks and divisions not out of pursuit, but because she was asked.

Time and time again, my father, sister and myself would wonder if maybe she'd like to stop, settle down and retire, yet every time it seemed that Penn State was looking to move her up.

She was happy at her job, and as her son, it filled me with immense pride to see her achieve so much professionally.  

She won.  She had successfully raised a family while satisfying personal goals not directly tied to the family.  

For 38 years, my mom has given everything she has to Penn State and her family.  

She didn't do it out of sacrifice or obligation to either, she did it out of love for both.

So as her son, the one that she was pregnant with on the day she took the job, I just want her know it was all worth it, and I couldn't imagine anyone else doing or accomplishing the things she has.

There isn't another Lori Baney out there.

Love, Ben.

Tom Brady is the NFL's Lance Armstrong. Why Won't The National Media Call It Out?

Some in the media act confused as to where the anger for Tom Brady is coming from. 

I can tell you where it comes from.

Tom Brady is a known cheater. 

Just like A-Rod, the Astros, and Lance Armstrong. 

We know Tom to be a cheat.  

We know that Tom Brady faithfully executed plans from 2001-2007 where the New England Patriots would illegally tape opponents to prepare specifically for the game plan that would be implemented against them.

The result looked like masterful play calling and execution, when in reality, New England simply cheated.

This resulted in at least 3 fraudulent Super Bowl wins that help cement the idea that Tom Brady and Bill Bellichick were simply smarter than everyone else.   The amount of praise for this team seems to exemplify teamwork and sacrifice as more important than physical talent.

When you look at those first three championships, the common denominator was not overwhelming talent or skill at any position, but simply executing a winning play versus a losing play.

The cheating led directly to winning.

Then of course there was the deflating of footballs to make it easier to throw and catch and the subsequent lying and denials of it.

He has a notorious history of being less than forthcoming with any honest answers and leverages his accessibility towards only the friendliest of voices.

And now, of course, his trainer is associated with PED's.

But none of this is EVER brought up in the national conversation anymore.  It seems the national media has decided that Tom Brady and his long history of cheating will not be further examined, and instead will be celebrated as the best to have ever played.

Why?

Well for one, the NFL is one of the biggest money making machines in the world, and Tom Brady is arguably it's biggest star.  Calling him a cheat and the NFL a fraudulent league is not going to endear you to making money with the NFL. 

So ESPN/ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC are effectively tied directly to the selling of this game to a consumer base eager to eat it up.  It does not serve their interests to bring up news that might dissuade you from caring or watching the games.

But maybe it's because we really wanted to believe that the 6th round pick from Michigan really beat the odds.  That his story was such a relatable story for so many unathletic white guys.  That you could be the best quarterback in the world while having almost zero athletic talent.

That is what the NFL wants to sell you.  That is what Tom wants to sell you.  That Tom's career was the result of hard work, and that his personal dedication and brilliant mind was what set him apart and not the cheating.

Tom Brady's statistics defy the odds and reality because the game was never fair.  Brady's benefitted from a rigged system that allowed him to succeed where otherwise he would have failed.

Tom can certainly throw some accurate passes.  He also certainly never seems rattled or confused.  However, when you take into account that he was likely being fed exact defensive calls, it's a lot easier to play the position of quarterback.

The best comparison for Tom Brady is Lance Armstrong.  

Both championed by the media and the public.  Sure they have some personal defects, but the public story would always be that it leads to great intense training.  It led them to be champions.

Obviously Lance lied.  He also steadfastly denied all wrongdoing and went after accusers.

He has a notorious history of being less than forthcoming with any honest answers and leverages his accessibility towards only the friendliest of voices.

Tom has been lying and less than honest his entire career.  It's why he destroyed his phone.  It's why he leverages his access against the cheating.  It's why he bought a boat with PPP loans.  It's why he's friends with Donald Trump and thinks he's great.  Because Tom is a cheat and has gotten away with it.  

He likes others willing to do the same.

Unlike Lance, the Patriots and Brady never were stripped of their titles.  Never really held accountable.  The NFL put pressure on teams to say that the biggest cheaters didn't really cheat and to try to make it all go away.  Sure, they were fined and stripped of picks, but in the end, they let the cheaters remain and let them cheat some more.

No one talks about this anymore, and the NFL couldn't be happier.  

But it should be brought up.  Because Tom Brady doesn't deserve praise for being a willing liar and cheat.

If you want to praise him like a Barry Bonds, a Roger Clemens, A-Rod or a Lance Armstrong be my guest.  He clearly understands the game and is a great player.

But he is a willing cheat.

When you are allowed to cheat the game and the system, especially the way he and his teammates did, it should never leave your legacy.

I know the sports' personalities will defend the cheating.  Saying, "It wasn't that bad," "All teams are doing SOMETHING," "It's just some air."

That is the exact same defense of Lance Armstrong.

They need the story to hold that Tom is one of the greatest of All-Time because it's what a lot of Brady fans want to hear, and it's been the story the NFL, the Patriots and the media have been selling for years.  

I write this because Tom Brady is a great player.  I have no doubt about it.  But he is also CLEARLY a cheater.  Both things are true.  

But only ONE is being brought up in the national conversation, and that is wrong.

To ignore this part is to lie to an audience, to purposefully hide the truth because a lie will sell better.

It is wrong, and it should be noted.

I know, I know.

Hater's gotta hate.

But a cheat is still a cheat.

Sources.

Pennlive.

GQ

ESPN