In A Shocking Turn of Events The NCAA Told Leonard Fournette It Would Be A Violation To Auction His Jersey Off For South Carolina Flood Victims

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First of all, to be clear, the NCAA immediately changed their stance on this.

But so what? Do they want a pat on the back for that? Are people really praising them? For doing the OBVIOUS right thing after an avalanche of public criticism? It’s the same EXACT thing every time. Sure, it usually takes at least 24-48 hours for them to reverse course, and this one they did right away. But the fact that the first word out of their mouths was “No. No you can’t auction off that jersey on your back that you just wore while running for 150 yards, it can’t be given away at no profit to yourself to raise money for people whose lives have been ruined. That’s wayyyyy too impermissible, what kind of example would that set? And to be honest it’s not even YOUR jersey – it’s #7 on LSU”

Honestly – a kid makes this amazing gesture, trying to raise money for people, and this is the first thing that happens:

“Because of the situation, I think it’s possible it could get approval from the different agencies involved with this to donate the funds raised from auctioning his jersey to the relief fund,” said LSU senior associate athletic director Miriam Segar, the school’s former compliance coordinator. “I think it’s a possibility. We just need to make sure we do everything correctly so we can protect Leonard’s amateurism.”

Segar said LSU administrators appreciated Fournette’s offer, but said he did not consult the school’s compliance staff before making his announcement.

She said the school will need to consult state agencies — LSU is a state university, so Fournette’s uniform is officially state property — and NCAA staff to determine the proper channels they must follow if they do auction Fournette’s jersey for charity.

“Leonard’s gesture is amazing and shows the kind of kid he is and what kind of character he has and makes me very proud that he wants to do that, first and foremost,” Segar said before the NCAA’s tweet. “That being said, I think it was something that just came from his heart. We as administrators have not had a chance to review what he wants to do.

“A student-athlete can’t auction, sell anything related to their name, image and likeness and make money on it. That’s the principle of amateurism, basically. I do think we’re going to research to see if it’s permissible for LSU to assist him in what he wanted to do. … There’s a process in place that we’re going to work on on Monday to see the best way to assist him with that.” [ESPN]

The NCAA: where you have to consult state agencies and determine the proper channels while studying a 600 page rulebook on amateurism to give the shirt you’re wearing to someone and make 0 dollars for yourself on it.

And how about the can of worms the NCAA opened up here? So you can auction of your jersey to help people in need from another state, what about if you need it to lend to a needy family member about to be evicted from their apartment or have their heat shut off? What’s the cutoff line the NCAA has set up here – natural disasters?

PS,

NCAA hatred aside, how much of The Man is Leonard Fournette?