As long as it isn't skiing

[GatorDawg]

What is up with this? So Bloom wasn't able to be a pro skier and college football player but Jeff Samardzija is able to play pro baseball and college football? Can anyone explain this?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2490178

[theprofessor]

juice --

it happens a lot more than you think. little did people know but cedric benson (just one high-profile name) played pro baseball during the summer his first couple of years at texas. we hear a lot about the guys who play pro baseball and come back to play college football. but they don't give much publicity to the dual-sport guys who are doing it at the same time.

the difference with bloom (and for the record, i think it's an absolute crock of crap) is that he accepted endorsements. it was fine for him to keep his winnings from the pro skiing. they just don't make a lot of money. they need the endorsement deals for all their training expenses, etc. and the ncaa's ego actually believes bloom's standing as a college football player upgraded his status. nevermind he was one of the world's best mogul skiiers and got all of those endorsements on his skiing merits alone. same with tommy z from notre dame and his boxing. he took his $25k winnings from his bout, but could do no endorsements.

the ncaa has set a precedent long ago that you can be pro in one sport and retain your amateur status in other sports. but once you start taking endorsements, you lose all your amateur status. it's a bunch of junk. and bloom got screwed.

[GatorDawg]

Yes prof I got the endorsement part. It is really stupid though. Do you think the NCAA is worried that if they don't allow this then players would be leaving school earlier?

[DDTigerFan]

How about Iowa quarterback Drew Tate not being able to accept a truck he won for a hole in one in a charity golf tourney? The NCAA is ridiculous sometimes.

[96bulldog]

the ncaa has set a precedent long ago that you can be pro in one sport and retain your amateur status in other sports. but once you start taking endorsements, you lose all your amateur status. it's a bunch of junk. and bloom got screwed.

And just to be clear, you cannot play the same professional sport in college. So the ND player essentially just kicked himself off the baseball team.

But most of you here are smart enough to figure that one out!

[TulsaDawg]

Noter Dumb is bigger than the NCAA, so they can do whatever the hell they want to do.

[DAWG DUDE]

Mewelde Moore, the running back from Tulane a few years back, played pro baseball also.

[TechDawgMc]

Yes prof I got the endorsement part. It is really stupid though. Do you think the NCAA is worried that if they don't allow this then players would be leaving school earlier?

The NCAA is worried about "fake endorsements." Someone is a mediocre skier, but the local company run by a CU alum offers him a $250K endorsement for his skiing -- but he has to go to school in Boulder to get the endorsement money.

Not saying I agree, but that's the key issue.