WRAL Sports Fan

RE: N.C. Secretary of State launches investigation into agents

Of course she isn't going to launch it against unc. This is all political to get her name out in front of the people of nc. She is going to lose to Burr.

RE: N.C. Secretary of State launches investigation into agents

What a waste of time and money for the tax payers of NC.

RE: N.C. Secretary of State launches investigation into agents

This agent stuff isn't happening just at UNC. In recent days, schools such as South Carolina, Alabama, Florida and now Georgia are being questioned by the ncaa regarding one particular sports agent. I think it is unfair that a school and player can be heavily penalized, but the agent walks away scott-free. I welcome the investigation and hope that it sheds more light on the dirty and caniving behavior of the agents. They know that is flat out wrong to advise these kids while they are in school, but there are no reprocussions for them. They don't care about the kid or the school...just the money  

- Posted by scott_m99

Alot of us have expressed this opinion. Thes agents should be prosecuted and maybe they wouldn't be around the athletes so much. 

- Posted by wolfbitesyourheels

These athletes have reached the age of majority and are grown adults. The state has no legitimate business trying to protect student athletes. An athlete earns a scholarship fully aware of NCAA rules. By having state statutes regulating sports agents and student athletes then the government might as well go ahead and consider or make the NCAA to be a governmental entity. I am not trying to sound like a libertarian but in a free enterprise society these type of sports agents laws are unnecessary IMHO. Let's be honest the government is indirectly enforcing NCAA regulations with these types of laws when the government in theory should not be basically endorsing a private organization such as the NCAA. If a person is old enough to sign a military contract then they are old enough to suffer NCAA consequences for them and their school if they hypothetically accept gifts from agents. But otherwise the government IMHO does not have a public vested interest although NC does have laws on the books in reference to agents.  

- Posted by Tarheelfan13

As I said the other day, whether these athletes are of adult age or not, they are still kids. I know that I was still learning at their age as I'm sure you were. As far as what Elaine Marshall is doing, she has a right to investigate. These agents conduct business in our state and the NCAA and the schools that surround us do pump money into our economy. It is the responsibility of our elected officials to serve the people of this state and I would guess the state funded institutions as well, maybe if this would have happened at a private school such as Duke or Campbell it would not be an issue. Maybe she is overstepping her boundaries but these agents should have known better. Chances are the athletes didn't recognize what they were doing as a violation. 

- Posted by edits

Yes, in a sense these student athletes are kids because they are novices in this world and truly naive to many things. However, the law makes it clear that when a person attains the age of 18 they have entered into the age of majority to where they can legally enter into binding contracts. If that is the case then the government has to put emotionalism aside and treat everyone equally. Why does the student athlete get more babysitting from the government then say an 18 year old non college student who may be the victim of a predatory type high interest loan?
The bottom line is that there are certain provisions of a NC State statute that by nature basically enforces NCAA regulations although the state cannot technically enforce actual NCAA bylaws. I could understand charging someone who is an agent but unregistered but any good prosecutor IMHO would refuse to pursue a hypothetical charge in court that an agent gave a student athlete benefits before contract signing. The reason being is that the citizens of this state were not technically harmed. I am not saying it would be ethically or morally right for an agent to do so. Not at all. But these type of laws cater to a private organization like the NCAA when the government truly has no business to do so. The court system is already backed up with real criminals and the last thing the taxpayers need would be a trial where the NCAA is sitting back salivating with the government doing their bidding whereas a real trial with a real criminal could be taking place instead.

RE: N.C. Secretary of State launches investigation into agents

So now my tax dollars are going to catch bad sports agents? really?

How about the schools pay for it!

RE: N.C. Secretary of State launches investigation into agents

Why would she not launch an investigation? This is the first time anyone had the huevos to launch an investigation against unz. 

- Posted by wolfbitesyourheels

She has not launched it against UNC, it's about the agents. Read the article before you comment. Secondly, I think it's just a political move because of the elections. 

- Posted by Dreamchaser

The point was that we wouldn't want our precious UNC to be investigated by the NCAA. If Carolina is going to be investigated, we need to make sure someone else goes down, too. 

- Posted by TruthBKnown Returns

or maybe..gasp..there is some serious problems with the way these agents are preying on NFL caliber talent at UNC, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and who knows who else. Maybe it's not a UNC, Butch Davis, Dick Baddour, loss of control problem, maybe it is something much bigger than that. I know, I know...it's not fair, this was supposed to be the glorious revealing of UNC's crooked ways and finally the evil empire would be exposed. Don't worry, UNC has indeed been embarrassed by this negative publicity, but it's not the silver bullet you ABC fans are hoping for...hehehehehehe