Amateurism: AJ vs. Kyle

While we wait on an appeal ruling...

I was talking to my dad about a week ago and AJ Green's mess came up. As we discussed the case and its low level dealings through Social Media, it dawned on me the parallels Dad and I have in our estranged college football lives. His Clemson Tigers' best player is considered a semi-pro amateur and my Dawgs' best player is as well. Yet, the NCAA gives its full blessing to Kyle Parker. AJ, not so much.

Let me quickly add, that my disappointment still runs very deep for AJ Green. He knew what he was doing was wrong and still placed himself before the team. But the irony (that's actually putting it pretty lightly) of NCAA Bylaw 12.1.3 isn't lost on me either.

Then today, I was followed on Twitter by Dorsey Hill. No, I don't think it's that Dorsey. But it is this one. I began looking over his contributions to the Twitterverse and found this gem...which led me to this piece by Scarbinsky.

What does the Georgia wide receiver have to do with the Clemson quarterback? Besides the fact that both may cost Ted Roof some sleep.

Green is serving a four-game suspension, pending an appeal, reportedly for selling his 2009 Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000 to a former North Carolina football player, an individual the NCAA deems an agent.

In short, he did what the NCAA says a college athlete can't do. He tried to make a profit from his athletic ability.

Which is, of course, exactly what Parker is doing. He's making a much greater profit from his athletic ability, but he's doing it with the blessing of the NCAA.

If the NCAA cuts Green's sentence down a game or two it will in essence be admitting that it overreacted, or misjudged the case. Dawg fans will be happy and I'll count myself among those numbers. But this summer has proven to many what most of us have known for a long time, the NCAA is an organization that needs to get out of its own way.