Skip to content
The Archive of The Carrboro Citizen
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Community
  • Schools
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • Mill
  • Flora
  • Print Archive
  • About
Menu

Money, so they say …

Posted on October 14, 2010October 14, 2010 by Staff

By Eddy Landreth
Staff Writer

Money, it’s a gas
Grab that cash with both hands
And make a stash
New car, caviar, four star daydream
Think I’ll buy me a football team

– Pink Floyd, “Money”

If anyone honestly believes payoffs from agents to athletes is going away, you had best join Johnny Depp with Alice in Wonderland.

Don’t believe me? Well, think about this: Every few years, a new betting scandal arises in which some college basketball players shave points for gamblers. It didn’t matter that players before them went to jail for the same offense. The lure of the money proved greater than any history lesson.

It’s not called the Almighty Dollar for nothing.

If you’ve got it, chances are you want more. If you don’t have it, you dream about it. And if you are a college athlete listening to the latest figures for television packages and bowl payouts, you at least harbor the passing thought that everyone is making out but you.

My question about the players who lost their eligibility at Carolina earlier this week is not why did they take the money; it’s why did they not turn pro last spring and go ahead and grab the big paycheck?

That’s where their real mistake came. Now they carry the shame of disgracing their university and betraying their teammates, who were out there sweating, running and pounding on one another almost year-round with those guys.

There is no doubt this all makes Carolina look bad; but if you stop and think about it, mostly it is the people who hate UNC anyway who are relishing the moment.

And, sure, plenty of Carolina graduates feel some sense of shame. Some would go for the knee-jerk reaction of killing football or the whole sports program if they got their chance.

Unfortunately, some of the people who think they have the answers, such as Bill Friday, want to return to a time that never existed. Big-time college football started in the Ivy League at the turn of the 20th century, with schools paying players, giving them room, board, liquor and women in order to field the best teams.

After one particular game, a player named Arthur Poe had his “agent” represent him to the fans.

“Mr. Poe directs me to thank you for the lock of hair,” the representative’s response began. “He prizes it highly and regrets that another engagement will prevent his presence at Cadwalader Park, Friday evening.”

This comes from a book by Mark F. Bernstein called Football: The Ivy League Origins of an American Obsession.

This is America, for goodness sakes. Money buys elections. It even bought off enough of the U.S.’ enemies in Iraq to make the surge work. There is no reason athletic agents on the prowl will not be able to purchase some prize athletes.

Money, it’s a crime
Share it fairly
But don’t take a slice of my pie
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil
Today

Web Archive

© 2025 The Archive of The Carrboro Citizen | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme