This is a copy and paste of Tommy Deas discussing the episode last night while watching it.
The HBO "Real Sports" report -- the first of two on this episode -- opens with Tyrone Prothro. He is profiled as a teller at Regions Bank, the one across the street from the UA Aquatic Center on the corner of Bryant and Hackberry.
This segment is about how much college programs make vs. players not getting a cut (of course it barely mentions scholarships), and Prothro is the centerpiece.
The segment says after his injury that Prothro "would never play here again," showing Bryant-Denny Stadium. Actually, if I'm not mistaken he played a snap or two against Mississippi State as a sort of farewell appearance at the end of a game. Am I imagining that? Or did HBO just not do its homework?
Prothro is asked how much money he got paid at Alabama:
"Not a dime ... not a dime," is his answer.
We'll juxtapose that with answers from another instate player (or is it players) in a little while when that part comes up.
Also of note, on the panel of experts is the commissioner of the Ivy League. Next, I guess we'll hear from the SWAC commissioner on the BCS?
Former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon is also part of the segment.
He raises an interesting question -- more interesting, IMHO, than the question about paying players while they are in college:
To use the highlight of Prothro's catch against Southern Miss, HBO had to pay several hundred dollars in rights fees (I think now it goes to XOS, which inked a multi-million dollar deal with the SEC for such things). Prothro, of course, doesn't receive a penny.
Now that's an important distinction from paying players for play -- if Prothro makes an all-time catch playing for Alabama, should he get a cut in later use of that clip?
The NCAA -- the same people who brought you the "loophole" explanation on the Cam Newton case (don't get me started) and the "clarification" on the Ohio State guys playing in the bowl -- declined to send a representative to HBO's panel disussion.
<hr color="#cccccc" noshade="noshade"> Second segment (the one you've been waiting for) starts out with the focus squarely on former Auburn player Stanley McClover.
Andrea Kremer goes through a stack of envelopes with recruiting letters to McClover. N.C. State, Kentucky, Memphis, I think Oklahoma.
No Alabama letter mentioned nor visable to my eyes. The Auburn letter with the big AU logo is prominent right on top.
McClover talks about getting his first $500 handshake at a camp at LSU. Says he didn't know the guy who gave it to him.
"Thank you and I'm seriously thinking about coming to LSU," McClover said he told the booster.
Of note, and you will hear about this tomorrow for sure:
Kremer says McClover said he got what he termed "money handshakes" at Auburn ("for a couple hundred dollars") and Michigan State. She also talks about him getting "about a thousand dollars" in handshakes at Ohio State -- but we never see McClover say this on campus.
He does talk on camera about committing to Ohio State after a party where he was offered his choice of girls for sexual services on an offial visit. He committed to THE Ohio State University right after that visit.
The HBO "Real Sports" report -- the first of two on this episode -- opens with Tyrone Prothro. He is profiled as a teller at Regions Bank, the one across the street from the UA Aquatic Center on the corner of Bryant and Hackberry.
This segment is about how much college programs make vs. players not getting a cut (of course it barely mentions scholarships), and Prothro is the centerpiece.
The segment says after his injury that Prothro "would never play here again," showing Bryant-Denny Stadium. Actually, if I'm not mistaken he played a snap or two against Mississippi State as a sort of farewell appearance at the end of a game. Am I imagining that? Or did HBO just not do its homework?
Prothro is asked how much money he got paid at Alabama:
"Not a dime ... not a dime," is his answer.
We'll juxtapose that with answers from another instate player (or is it players) in a little while when that part comes up.
Also of note, on the panel of experts is the commissioner of the Ivy League. Next, I guess we'll hear from the SWAC commissioner on the BCS?
Former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon is also part of the segment.
He raises an interesting question -- more interesting, IMHO, than the question about paying players while they are in college:
To use the highlight of Prothro's catch against Southern Miss, HBO had to pay several hundred dollars in rights fees (I think now it goes to XOS, which inked a multi-million dollar deal with the SEC for such things). Prothro, of course, doesn't receive a penny.
Now that's an important distinction from paying players for play -- if Prothro makes an all-time catch playing for Alabama, should he get a cut in later use of that clip?
The NCAA -- the same people who brought you the "loophole" explanation on the Cam Newton case (don't get me started) and the "clarification" on the Ohio State guys playing in the bowl -- declined to send a representative to HBO's panel disussion.
<hr color="#cccccc" noshade="noshade"> Second segment (the one you've been waiting for) starts out with the focus squarely on former Auburn player Stanley McClover.
Andrea Kremer goes through a stack of envelopes with recruiting letters to McClover. N.C. State, Kentucky, Memphis, I think Oklahoma.
No Alabama letter mentioned nor visable to my eyes. The Auburn letter with the big AU logo is prominent right on top.
McClover talks about getting his first $500 handshake at a camp at LSU. Says he didn't know the guy who gave it to him.
"Thank you and I'm seriously thinking about coming to LSU," McClover said he told the booster.
Of note, and you will hear about this tomorrow for sure:
Kremer says McClover said he got what he termed "money handshakes" at Auburn ("for a couple hundred dollars") and Michigan State. She also talks about him getting "about a thousand dollars" in handshakes at Ohio State -- but we never see McClover say this on campus.
He does talk on camera about committing to Ohio State after a party where he was offered his choice of girls for sexual services on an offial visit. He committed to THE Ohio State University right after that visit.
