Webber changes his story again from denying that he was given $280,000 from a Michigan booster. Now Webber is saying he did get some payments fom boosters before he was at Michigan?
Looks like Michigan will have to take down that Fab Five Final Four banner once the NCAA gets involved.
Keep in mind though, if Webber's to be held accountable for accepting $280k, the boosters should also be held accountable for offering that money. Let's assume for the sake of argument that he did accept the money. If the boosters hadn't offered it, Webber wouldn't have been in a position to accept it in the first place, and this whole issue wouldn't exist.
But people are looking at Webber like he's the devil for something that allegedly happened about a decade ago. And I don't believe that's very fair.
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The sad part is that this type of stuff happens all the time in college sports, epecially basketball. I mean they burn Webber and Michigan, when EVERY major program hooks up its players with gifts and money. Duke probably has a bigger payroll than the Clippers. The sad part is if they burn Michigan at the stake the problem of good high school players jumping straight to the NBA will get bigger.
I've said for awhile now that if good players brought their teams a good to great record they should recieve some kind of compensation... maybe not money directly but like items or meals or something.... i mean these kids are earning their colleges a lot of money.
I am the JOBBER TO THE STARS. You better remember that.
They do get a free college education. The value of that education at a school like Maryland or Duke is worth enough.
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I think the problem is that the myth of the student-athlete needs to come to an end. Colleges have to pretend that these players have any sort of value to the university other than basketball, the players have to pretend they're going to school and actually caring about it, the NCAA has to pretend that the players in a multi-billion dollar industry get none of the proceeds...it's all foolish. I'd like to see it be more like baseball or hockey, with a system in place for the kids who don't want to go to school to properly enter the pipeline. All I-A college ball in football and basketball is is a highly publicized minor league, which gets inordinate attention because of people's devotions to their alma mater/local uni. If anything I respect the kids who go straight to the NBA, because at least there's no pretense about their decision and their goals.
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First of all, just because he got some payments, doesn't mean he really got 280,000, did he really get that much? I sincerly doubt it.
Second of all, like it's already been said, this happens everywhere.
My personal opinion, if ANYONE is stupid enough to give some high school kid $280,000 (or how ever much he got) then let them. It's their money, if they want to waste it then go ahead.
And on the flip side, if you were in Webber's shoes and turned the money down, then YOU are the one who is stupid. I say good for Chris Webber! I wish i had $280,000 myself.
Hey, just for the record: Not everyone who plays college basketball goes to the NBA. There are a lot more colleges and a hell of a lot more players who are not paying their players/getting paid. Even if they put all the college boosters to the stake, the amount of players who jump to the NBA right out of high school won't rise. They really aren't that good. For the NBA it's much smarter to take players who've been playing at college level for four years than take rookie's out of high school, no matter how good they are. Take a look at Shane Battier from Duke for example. For the first three years on Duke's bench he was a mediocre player that could sell a Charge like he just got Tombstoned. And yet in his final year at Duke he turned out to be the top defensive player in the country. Could he have done that without spending four years playing for Duke in the ACC and in the NCAA's? Not a chance.
That's true... but then in some rare cases you have players that come out and make an impact rt away like bryant and garnett. I personally think players should stay in college all 4 years to let their game mature... but he nba is willing to gamble to pick up the next young superstar.
I am the JOBBER TO THE STARS. You better remember that.