White Privilege in the world of College Athletics
After the NCAA’s ruling on Todd Gurley came down this morning, an additional 2 game suspension plus 40 hours of community service and he’ll be eligible to return November 15 against Auburn, in case you didn’t hear. It got me to thinking, if college athletes signing autographs for money has always been an issue, then why wasn’t Johnny Manziel made an example last year?
Last season, Manziel supposedly received $7500 to sign memorabilia for a broker. According to the NCAA, that would be a 4+ game suspension. Yet Manziel, only served half a game, HALF of a game. Going back a few seasons, Georgia WR AJ Green sold his own jersey for $1000, resulting in a 4 game suspension. And what about Terrelle Pryor at Ohio State? After it came out that he and other players on the Ohio State football team accepted money and discounted tattoos for autographs, he declared for the NFL Draft, essentially ruling himself ineligible and no longer under NCAA authority. He would’ve ended up serving a 5 game suspension if he had stayed for his senior season. Ohio State then went on and banned him from contact with the athletic department for 5 years. YEARS. And yet, in 2013, Johnny Manziel only served a half game suspension. On the flip side of the coin, there’s Jameis Winston. Jameis Winston, who has stolen crab legs from a supermarket, has allegedly received money for autographs, and was accused of rape two years ago. But, here it is, nine weeks into the 2014 football season and he still gets to play.
Why is it that student athletes who come forward and tell the truth (Gurley and Pryor) are punished so much more severely than student athletes who never admitted their involvement and to this day still deny it (Manziel and Winston), even though we, the public, know there are very strong cases of evidence that they were involved? When do we stop punishing the athletes who come forward with the truth and stop heralding the ones who don’t?
I feel like living in the world that we live in today, race shouldn’t be an issue, but it still is. And to be honest, after the ruling came down this morning, one of the first things that popped into my head was did they make this a stricter punishment because he’s black, because they want to set a precedent, or both?
Yes, Gurley knew what he was doing was wrong, all of the athletes I mentioned above knew as well. They all deserved to be punished for their actions, but did their punishments fit the “crime”? And yes, I agree with Mark Emmert, the NCAA does need to change some rules and more specifically they need to look into their rules about autographs. But at what point, do you start punishing fairly? Why does it seem, that players who are white and come from well to do families are able to get off easier than minority players who may not come from a wealthy background? At what point, as fans of college athletics and consumers, do we start demanding a change? At what point, do we, the consumers, stand up and say we want infractions dealt with accordingly and fairly? Not only because it’s the right thing to do; but because these student athletes, whether they like it or not, are role models for kids growing up today.
Until next time,
Katie
