📡 Cal Football Players Leading Pac-12 Boycott if Players' Demands Aren't Met - Hero Sports (ESPN now reports)

[BamaFan334]

We've seen retail businesses, restaurants, and the like close over the last few weeks because they had no business. No customers. Thats not #fakenews or #fearporn. It's #facts.

Over the last week and a half I've spoken with friends from all five P5 conferences; two per conference from different schools at the least (PAC) and as many as five in the ACC.

There's one resounding note I've heard with every conversation. If a program doesn't have "fans," or consumers in this instance, it can not stand. You mention "ridiculous" here and have mentioned you'd "be done" with collegiate sports if this "ridiculousness" continues.

You aren't alone.

In these conversations boosters and ticket holders/purchasers have come up in every single conversation. A lot of the time it wasn't due to a question; it was an unsolicited comment.

Here's where we are and there is no denying this fact. These fans and boosters are losing their interest at a quick pace. Their patience has been worn thin and a lot of them are about to pull every bit of monetary support they've been giving to their respective programs. Again, this is happening at a brisk pace.

IF this keeps on it's highly likely some of these folks (players) are going to lose their opportunity: one that's afforded to few.

Yep, a lot of us have been saying it for a few years now. The spending is just outlandish. It costs more and more to go to a game these days. Add on top of that crappy scheduling and it wore folks out. Giving credit now for the killer schedules we have coming up, but it's clearly at a cost of them wanting more and more without truly giving you anything more as a result. No offense to Saban or anyone else, but it seems as if recruiting isn't simply come to our school because it's great, it's more of "we've got a recording studio, a slide, a putt putt course, a barber shop". The schools cow tipped to the desires of 15-18 year old kids, and now they will face the downfall of not being smart from a total business prospective. Paid some dividends for schools like Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State for a few years, but we're right slap dab in the middle of The Crimson Initiative, and I wonder how that is going to end up now.

By the way, I was just told by my boss, who is a Georgia season ticket holder that they are talking no more than 30% capacity, and that that will be going to the high end boosters, band, and family of the players.

 

[Tidestalker]

There's not a thing that's "in good faith" about their demands. And I can assure you, a lot the athletic administrations personnel in the PAC don't view it that way.

It's greed, motivated by selfish reasoning...at least a portion of what they are "demanding" fits that category.

I'll pose this again this morning. IF they were so concerned about the health and well being of student athletes, why didn't they demand all athletes be under scholarship?

I don't disagree with any of what you've said. I've never said it's not selfish or self serving. It doesn't motivate me nor bother me one way or another... That was never the point I was making. My point is that I have no issues with them asking/requesting/demanding/negotiating for whatever they want, because the PAC or any other league has the ability to say "No Thanks".

Now you answer this - If/when this group receives some form of what they're asking for, will you then acknowledge this as a negotiation? I think we all know how this ends... The P12 finds a way to squelch the bad racial press by finding some reasonable bones to throw their way. And they will play.

 

[planomateo]

The Pac-12 cannot get a decent television contract, Under Armour pulled out of some significant contracts due to their own financial decisions (but my gut says the schools aren't selling as much as they expected either regardless of UAs financial challenges), and at least one state will almost entirely be remote instruction for the upcoming school year due to COVID-19 concerns putting more financial strain on the system.

At one point, I was under the impression that a Pac-12 education was worth something.

Millions have lost their jobs, schools are cutting costs, laying off staff because enrollment will certainly drop, and parents are trying to figure out how to put their kids in school to get a higher education during tough financial times.

Timing is terrible.

 

[TerryP]

Now you answer this - If/when this group receives some form of what they're asking for, will you then acknowledge this as a negotiation? I think we all know how this ends... The P12 finds a way to squelch the bad racial press by finding some reasonable bones to throw their way. And they will play.

It's greed, motivated by selfish reasoning...at least a portion of what they are "demanding" fits that category.

Part of their list, which I have pointed to, I'm perfectly fine with. Notice they asked for six(?) years of medical coverage? That's a negotiable standpoint and wanting insurance, but not demanding it be something like life long, isn't unreasonable. It's a reasonable approach to the negotiation table. C-19 testing? A misnomer considering it

225 million? As I've said from day one, impossible. It's a demand that is outside of reason. Good faith negotiations do not start this way.

 

[TerryP]

@Tidestalker

 

[Tidestalker]

Good faith negotiations do not start this way.

Good faith Some negotiations do not start this way

 

[TerryP]

Good faith Some negotiations do not start this way

Unreasonable demands fail. The "negotiations that start this way?" Fail. Maybe not all aspects of their 15+ demands, but definitely the unreasonable ones.

The bot picked up an article from San Diego...'bout to move it over. You might want to read it...good piece.

 

[Tidestalker]

Unreasonable demands fail. The "negotiations that start this way?" Fail. Maybe not all aspects of their 15+ demands, but definitely the unreasonable ones.

The bot picked up an article from San Diego...'bout to move it over. You might want to read it...good piece.

We agree! Some negotiations fail!

Yet I still support the idea of them asking for whatever they want, and the conference either giving in, or telling them to piss off. To me, it's just that simple... And also what makes this country so fantastic.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Like I said, I'm done with the whole thing if this moves forward.

Again..the goose and the golden eggs....

Theres a lot that might be done that will really piss the fan base off...
At Bama...we are on top... people will pay the price...
It wont always be that way..... and many ...like after the baseball strikes...
Will find....gosh....theres a lot to do on Saturday fall days when the weather is terrific rather than sit in and watch a bunch of black lives matter...kneeling....jerks play a sport ( like a lot of us do on Sunday afternoons....)...

And more demanding...not negotiating..demanding.....more

Can go back to D3...or naia....and watch our neighbor boys ( or grankids) play football with no scholarships...and playing cause its fun

 

[planomateo]

One demand is on scholarship guarantees if sitting out, hasn't this already been addressed?

 

[TerryP]

One demand is on scholarship guarantees if sitting out, hasn't this already been addressed?

It has at a lot of schools—at UA, more than a month ago. I can't imagine some in the PAC not honoring this years awards.

 

[planomateo]

This is how you capitalize on your brand...

These kids are playing with f'ing marbles.

 

[Elderfalsedemigod]

I’ve negotiated for my own money and countless accounts for my company. Negotiations shouldn’t be held while the building is on fire and the market is in the shitter. Just a general rule

 

[planomateo]

What happens if they get 50% revenue. Will they equally divide amongst all athletes? If not, how does that conversation happen .

These kids are being used by other adults with an agenda.

I'd make them pay room/board, meals, tutoring, tuition, books, equipment, physical therapy, medical, travel, bowl game fees, etc. They could easily be papercut to a zero balance.

 

[OldPlayer]

What happens if they get 50% revenue. Will they equally divide amongst all athletes? If not, how does that conversation happen .

These kids are being used by other adults with an agenda.

I'd make them pay room/board, meals, tutoring, tuition, books, equipment, physical therapy, medical, travel, bowl game fees, etc. They could easily be papercut to a zero balance.

They're asking for 50% of revenue, not profits. 50% of revenue will mean that any profitable school (there aren't many) will become unprofitable. If this were to happen, kiss the NCAA and amateur athletics goodbye. Kiss Olympic sports goodbye. Kiss many women's teams goodbye.

 

[planomateo]

They're asking for 50% of revenue, not profits. 50% of revenue will mean that any profitable school (there aren't many) will become unprofitable. If this were to happen, kiss the NCAA and amateur athletics goodbye. Kiss Olympic sports goodbye. Kiss many women's teams goodbye.

Yes, that's why I said revenue, not profits

And you're dead on with the potential implications. Like I said, they're getting caught in someone else's agenda.

 

[TerryP]

They're asking for 50% of revenue, not profits. 50% of revenue will mean that any profitable school (there aren't many) will become unprofitable. If this were to happen, kiss the NCAA and amateur athletics goodbye. Kiss Olympic sports goodbye. Kiss many women's teams goodbye.

Theoretically the split could be unconstitutional, I'd think. It certainly seems it would disproportionately affect the women's sports versus the mens. How do you reconcile that with Title IX?

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

How do you reconcile that with Title IX?

You would have to take 50% of all revenue and split it among all sports. Just taking the revenue from each sport to the players of that sport wouldn't fly since some have little revenue anyway. Of course, with all the fairness BS being thrown about, it is only fair that female lacross players get the same amount as male football players. Anything less would be capitalism and we can't have that.

 

[TerryP]

You would have to take 50% of all revenue and split it among all sports.

A few weeks ago I did a cursory breakdown (I believe I used UCLA as the example) of how that would break down. It left every athlete with a couple of hundred dollars.

However, I find what you're saying here as fiscally impossible. It's that extra 50% of the revenue that keeps a lot of programs afloat. If that money is split (after the 50%, or actually 52% is what they are asking) every program will be in the red sans, maybe, some football programs.

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

50% of revenue would never happen. 50% of profits is not even likely. And that whole 6 years of health coverage would destroy schools. This sounds like Bernie Sanders math, which fits since every supporter of his I know of was in college or just graduated.