[Goose]

[quote author=Papa John link=topic=16303.msg186376#msg186376 date=1484369978]
Appreciate that someone from the CMac entourage is speaking up, but this quote from Ed McCaffrey made me role my eyes: "It's unfortunate that [Christian] was put in this position."

Say what?

Seriously.  Christian put himself in this position through the decisions he made and has nobody to blame but himself for what's happened since.
[/quote]
You are misconstruing what Ed Mccaffrey (quite explicitly, I think) said. He is not saying that Christian's decision to not play was unfortunate. He is saying that it is unfortunate that in college football the players are at risk without any compensation at all, and when an opportunity does arise, they are forced to be in the position of either protecting themselves (and possibly the risk of losing your good opinion of them)  or accepting large financial risk. The university, the NCAA, and the bowl game itself are not at risk to nearly the same extent that the individual athletes are.
Now, it is also fair to say that the athlete's skills are put on display by the university, the NCAA, and the bowl game, so it is not like they did nothing for the athlete. Ed Mccaffrey just thinks it is not a fair balance. You may disagree with this point of view, but it not without basis.
I think the current system is possibly not optimal, but so far I can't design one that I consider unquestionably better. I can't generate much pity for Christian. He is going to do what he has wanted to do since he was 6 years old, and make tons of money doing it. That is a win. The warts on the system, whatever they may be, didn't prevent him from doing real well.

[Goose]

[quote author=Papa John link=topic=16303.msg186376#msg186376 date=1484369978]
Appreciate that someone from the CMac entourage is speaking up, but this quote from Ed McCaffrey made me role my eyes: "It's unfortunate that [Christian] was put in this position."

Say what?

Seriously.  Christian put himself in this position through the decisions he made and has nobody to blame but himself for what's happened since.
[/quote]
You are misconstruing what Ed Mccaffrey (quite explicitly, I think) said. He is not saying that Christian's decision to not play was unfortunate. He is saying that it is unfortunate that in college football the players are at risk without any compensation at all, and when an opportunity does arise, they are forced to be in the position of either protecting themselves (and possibly the risk of losing your good opinion of them)  or accepting large financial risk. The university, the NCAA, and the bowl game itself are not at risk to nearly the same extent that the individual athletes are.
Now, it is also fair to say that the athlete's skills are put on display by the university, the NCAA, and the bowl game, so it is not like they did nothing for the athlete. Ed Mccaffrey just thinks it is not a fair balance. You may disagree with this point of view, but it not without basis.
I think the current system is possibly not optimal, but so far I can't design one that I consider unquestionably better. I can't generate much pity for Christian. He is going to do what he has wanted to do since he was 6 years old, and make tons of money doing it. That is a win. The warts on the system, whatever they may be, didn't prevent him from doing real well.