With the talk of
the new defensive player from South Carolina superstar leaving early to go to
the NFL, the minimum age discussion is being talked about again. With the NFL
and NBA, they have instituted a minimum age requirement to be employed by the
teams of the leagues. In the NFL, a court-sanctioned standard makes any player who is
not yet three full seasons removed from high school graduation ineligible for
the league’s draft. It used to be four years — until 1990.The NBA requires
draftees to be at least 19 years old and a year removed from their high school
class graduation, as of 2005. Prospects can, however, enter the D-League for
nominal pay straight out of high school, or go play in Europe. The NBA used to
make players wait four years after high school graduation to compete — until a
U.S. Supreme Court decision junked that requirement in 1971. High school
prospects were allowed in until the 2005 rule change.
Major
League Baseball’s rules allow players to be drafted straight out of high
school, unless they attend college. In that case, they must remain through
their junior years or until they turn 21. Junior college players, though, can
enter the draft whenever they want.
The
pro leagues spin those requirements as a means for better facilitating the
needs of prospective players. Which is to say, to protect the players from
themselves and the temptation to turn pro too early.
The
suspicion here is that the rules are meant more to protect professional teams
from themselves, and, in some cases, to preserve a no-cost minor league system
that has served pro leagues well through the years. In other words, the minimum
age requirements might benefit the organizations on both ends of the equation —
especially the NCAA and the NBA or the NFL — but they do not fully benefit
players who would otherwise be drafted — and paid large sums of money — to do
what they are presently doing for little compensation in college.
College
football and the NFL, in particular, are the winners here. Not the individual
players. CFB gets talent for the cost of tuition for a minimum of three seasons
— and the big-time cash that major college football generates for its members —
and the NFL gets free training for its future players, as well as extended time
to evaluate that talent. The players get their freedom of choice taken away.
They play in an ivy-covered academic setting, even if they have no real
interest in attending college, effectively majoring in football. That’s a
breeding ground for hypocrisy, all in the name of amateurism. Some claim it’s
in the best interests of the young players, keeping them shielded from the
rigors of pro ball, helping them stay healthy. But they’re just as likely to
get hurt playing in college at 20 as they are playing in the NFL at 21.
In
the end the player now has the responsibility of shielding himself from injury
while the collegiate teams benefit from the star.
Let's
take for instance the new Heisman trophy winner, Johnny Manziel. Johnny Manziel
is the first freshman to win the prestigious award. Now every other winner had
the opportunity to move on to NFL and receive the endorsements that are
associated from the award. In this case, the proceeds will be placed in a fund
for the player until after he leaves college. The family of the player cannot
receive any proceeds or benefit from the award but the college can benefit from
this. The team can recruit using that future players can play with the Heisman
trophy winner. Students can be on campus for the next 2 guaranteed years with a
Heisman trophy winner.
Jadeveon
Clowney took an out an insurance policy for 5 million dollars to protect
himself just in case he is injured. This is an incredible step for collegiate
players. The NCAA has offered this policy for many years but this still does
not cover the earnings that a player of this stature can earn if he is injured
during college.
I
can see why people are furious over the minimum age requirement because it
limits the player's potential earnings. The player can get hurt during the time
of non-eligibility and also the player's talent is restricted by playing
against players that do not measure up to the talent of the superstar.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/03/07/jadeveon-clowney-takes-out-insurance-policy-ncaa/1972159/
