Osborne ahead of curve on agent issue Posted by: Steve Sipple on July 23, 2010 at 8:51AM CST You didn't think agents would just sit back and let Nick Saban hammer them without returning fire, did you?
Veteran agent Ralph Cindrich tells The New York Times:
"I don't know that I would disagree with him about some agents as pimps, but all I know is there are coaches who would also fall in that category," said the 60-year-old, who represents NFL players. "I would never tolerate nor permit Saban or any other coach to lump me in that category.
"In terms of him throwing that out there, most agents know what goes on in college programs and what programs are clean or not. You want to find out who has the dirty programs, give immunity and go off the record with agents, and it would be like a cockfight, the last one standing wins."
Hmmm ... Now there's an idea.
Cindrich made his comments in the wake of Saban's harsh words this week relative to the rash of recent agent-related incidents that have resulted in NCAA investigations at SEC schools.
"I don't think it's anything but greed that's creating it right now on behalf of the agents," Saban said during SEC media days. "The agents that do this -- and I hate to say this, but how are they any better than a pimp?
"I have no respect for people who do that to young people. None. How would you feel if they did it to your child?"
Saban confirmed that Alabama is looking into a trip defensive end Marcell Dareus took to an agent's party at Miami's South Beach. At issue is the possibility of agents attempting to lure college athletes into binding professional contracts using improper benefits.
Tom Osborne, of course, has for years monitored the agent situation in college football. In fact, thanks in part to Osborne, every state has the ability to litigate against agents who use improper tactics. Eight years ago, while in Congress, Osborne co-sponsored legislation that penalized agents who broke NCAA rules or engaged in deceptive practices.
"Of course, some of the agents will come in and tell a player that they'll handle the contract, investments and endorsements, and those agents may have no training or expertise in any of those areas," Osborne told me last year. "They may not even have a bachelor's degree. And typically, a lot of the agents will make promises to student-athletes that they will get them drafted higher if they sign with them. That they'll take them and get a personal trainer and nutritionist and they invariably try to take them out of school and take them to California or New Jersey or someplace.
"Usually, within three or four weeks, the player's back here in Lincoln because they realize they probably have a better chance to prepare for the draft in our facilities than they do in whatever makeshift deal the agent has lined up.
"Not all agents are bad," Osborne added. "Some are good people. But the good ones usually are people who aren't pounding on your door at midnight or trying to find you in a hotel lobby somewhere and making a lot of crazy promises.
"It's kind of a strange world."
