The U May Have a Sticky Situation on Their Hands

(7th Floor Crew Dorm)

A report by Yahoo! Sports indicates that Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork accepted $50,000 while he was a player at the University of Miami in order to sign with Axcess Sports, a player agency started by Nevin Shapiro and Michael Huyghue. A seperate page of the report details the benefits to Wilfork while he was at Miami. Shapiro is in jail for his role in a $930 million Ponzi scheme. Huyghue, who is now the commissioner of the UFL denied the claims made by Shapiro.

Shapiro revealed the details of his role as a booster to Miami to Yahoo as part of an 11-month investigation by the website, saying that he "provided thousands of impermissible benefits to at least 72 athletes from 2002 through 2010." The benefits to Miami players included access to hookers, trips to strip clubs and cash bounties for big hits in games against Florida and Florida State.

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I have been completely on the players side when it comes to college athletes getting paid and I stand by it. This Shapiro guy is doing what the universities should be doing in the 1st place (minus the prostitutes, abortions, strip clubs, basically anything not involving money) by paying the athletes the stipend they deserve.



Shapiro has named a couple athletes including Vince Wilfork, Jon Beason, Antrel Rolle, Devin Hester, Willis McGahee and the late Sean Taylor. But I don't really care anyone's role in this. Boosters are fine in my eyes, people who give stuff to athletes is there decision and it's not against the law to give anyone anything. It's against the NCAA rules, but not illegal.



Now comes the moral issue, obviously these guys knew what they were doing was against NCAA regulations, but fuck, they don't have any money in college, so why not. They make a lot more for the school than what they receive, and for someone who is a full time student and a full time athlete of a money making sport, they deserve something extra. If I were one of those guys, I would absolutely take the money guilt free.



The school shouldn't be punished, the players shouldn't be punished, and everyone should be fine with this. Nevin Shapiro is in jail, so he's getting his.