23"
24"
26"?!?!
Jordans. Nike. Under Armor. NFL Jerseys. Candy Apple Flake Metallic Custom Paint Jobs.
Ah yes, the sound of money. Yup. Money.
Too often in today's sports media, and it's legions of 45 year plus year olds and country club lifestyle types, far too few understand today's "money" when it comes to eighteen to twenty four year olds from varying backgrounds. When the next scandal involving a player, big or small erupts, cash is always what they're looking for. If the cash don't fit, they must acquit. Right?
Well, wait just a damn minute...
During the latest sports debacle involving Mr. College Football Everything, Johnny Manziel, Heisman winning QB for the Texas A&M Aggies, sports writer after sports writer have been tripping over each other making the point of whether or not Johnny Football took cash for his signatures. Is it THAT simple? Cash, or no cash? Really?
In today's day and age of paper trails and investigative skills, why on earth would some college players looking for handouts, demand cash? I mean, where are they going to put these large wads of Chicago knots? In a shoe box? In a closet back at home? Swiss Bank Accounts? Most kids that are talented enough to EARN the money in a few years or so anyway, don't give a damn about getting cash all the time directly. Help mom and pops? Sure, if you can find a way to be squeaky clean.
I'm not saying that some don't want "straight cash, homie", but what about OTHER things...
When kids that have gone forever with nothing are offered rides, rims, suits, paint jobs.... status... what is so hard to understand that cash isn't always going to be the first item up for bid, when it comes to the star heavy elite looking for a place to flash their talents for several years.
I do NOT know what Johnny Manziel drives. His parents have been independently verified of their wealth a dozen times over, and so questioning his material possessions is probably a shallow pool to dive in.
However, when a dozen or so kids, coming from verified poverty are driving current model year vehicles decked out in the nicest rims, paint jobs and always filled with gas... I'm talking the $100+ fill ups necessary to drive some of the most gas hungry luxury SUV's on the road today... Is it not worth asking... How? Why? If there's tickets? Who, or how are THOSE paid??
I've heard all the rebuttals... Pell Grants... Rich family... Rich Uncle... Money that isn't needed now for school, due to a scholarship... Really? I've seen what Pell Grant money will buy, and it sure as hell isn't a 2011 GMC Yukon in the current model year. It isn't enough to buy 22 inch rims to go on them. It is seriously short of adding a custom paint job. Rich Uncle? Maybe, but how many rich uncles are we talking here? 5? 10? Must be a bunch of them, cause there are a lot of late model hot rods on college campuses today. ...and lastly about that scholarship money. Buy a house? Invest it? If you actually HAVE that much? If that many kids are blowing that type of money on cars, their counselors ought to be shown the door, or investigated themselves. God help them when the REAL money comes in a few years down the road if successful.
Bottom line here? Quit pretending this is all about paper money. It's about the cash in the form of gifts, materials and status. It's a new game out there, and the people in charge of figuring it out are still chasing a dog, iron and little mustached man in a top hat past the Go square...
Just an opinion...
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