Charles Barkley Admits to Taking Agent Money While at Auburn
"I wanted some things too..."
Charles Barkley is defending college athletes accused of taking money from agents because he did it himself. On the Dan Patrick radio show, Barkley goes into specific examples of items he bought courtesy of agents while at Auburn:
"Players, going back to my day in 1984, got money from agents. This ain't something that just happened last week or last month. It happens a lot. It's always happened a lot and I think it's so hypocritical of these college coaches to come out and act like the world is crumbling."
"I borrowed a couple dollars from a few agents. I think maybe two or three total (agents) I borrowed some money from but I paid them back."
"They're not allowed to do it but we all did it. We wanted some money. Colleges weren't giving you any money. I wanted some things too. I wanted a nice pair of slacks. I might've wanted a coat during the winter. I might've wanted to help my mom pay some bills. These colleges, they're not giving you any money. They're making tons of money. They're making tons more now, I might add."
"These colleges are out there raiding other people's conferences, not caring about tradition or rivalries, just trying to get bigger TV markets. And they want to get out there to some kid who's poor and is trying to help his family? Gimme a break."
If an easy answer existed to the age old problem of "amateur" athletes making millions for institutions and television networks, it would have been solved by now. There are several issues that haven't been properly resolved.
First, is the concept that a net profit is gained by schools playing Division 1 college football. If NCAA studies are to be believed, only a fraction of the 120 institutions playing football are a part of athletic departments that make money. What isn't factored into those studies is the value of the publicity gained for the rest of the university when it comes to increased admissions, charitable giving, etc. From that standpoint, football (and athletics) would have to be viewed as an effective "loss leader" or it wouldn't exist.
Do you pay athletes in just revenue generating sports (football, men's basketball) or every athlete on campus? How much should they receive?
Since most athletic departments report a net loss, could a percentage of money from television contracts be directly earmarked for the athletes?
Since they want to share in revenue generated, would it be fair that a stipend for a football player at UNLV be for less money than one at LSU?
Of course, the biggest hurdle toward any change is that those pocketing the money won't be sharing it anytime soon unless they have to and, despite efforts in recent years, college athletes don't have a union or any sort of effective representation in this matter.
Which means players will keep taking money from those who offer it to them. Others around them may have been caught but, like Charles Barkley, nobody takes cash from an agent and plans on getting busted. And, just like Barkley, enough of them consider it worth the gamble.
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