James is Back!!
- Thread starter IUCX9
- Start date
Finally some good news,makes you wonder what In the world has gone on behind the scenes the past couple days.
Good. Because you need more than 1 RB. Starters always get banged up. Even Stevie Scott.
This is good news for IUFB. IU's RB room just improved dramatically with much better depth now.
I'll never understand teenagers or women.
Glad he's sticking around. But I think a fire is going to be lit underneath him because he is going to have to fight to get full credibility back. Probably more-so from coaches vs. players.
Glad he's sticking around. But I think a fire is going to be lit underneath him because he is going to have to fight to get full credibility back. Probably more-so from coaches vs. players.
I agree with you about behind the scenes. it doesn't seem reasonable that someone would enter the portal, not explore opportunities and then 3 days later decide to stay where he is. I know nothing about James on a personal level. But given his change of commitment from OSU to IU, and after this you wonder if he is one of those players who is psychologically fragile and a head case. You know that old saying about the Million Dollar Body and Dime Store Mind.
He probably made a rash decision at the heat of the moment when Ballou and Rhea left. Then realized when the dust settled that the grass isn't greener elsewhere.
I don't get the point in insulting the kid.
I don't get the point in insulting the kid.
I know it's not popular to stick-up for Ballou, but I honestly think he talked James into staying at Indiana
I agree. I think the kid reacted in raw emotion and when the dust had settled Ballou, who is not as bad as portrayed the last few days, had a heart to heart with the young man and convinced him of the error of his knee jerk reaction and sold him on the opportunity that remains for him.
Is this based on credible information or merely a hunch?
I think it's probably this simple - - if James wouldn't be joining Ballou at Alabama, what would be the point in James leaving? I think the light bulb turned on for the kid pretty quickly.
P.S. I know it's a tough world and it's every man for himself, but Ballou's timing was terrible. He left IU in the lurch.
This is my thought. People have to realize that Ballou was at Avon with James and it was always thought Ballou was the reason James came. So I think he had complete trust in Ballou and Ballou's departure had a deep effect on James. I also believe Ballou likely convinced him to stick it out with IU.
I'm in no way defending any player, but these kids are constantly having people in their ears about stuff and many times it's not very good advice. We saw that with Cronk. In Sampson's case, I truly think he's a great kid. He came to IU mainly because of Ballou. Ballou has been someone that has worked with him for several years. When he left, that left some questions in his mind, that happens. Best to just move forward and try not to analyze this one too much. Assuming a kid is one way or another based on two decisions made as 17 and then as a 19 year old doesn't paint a true picture of the type of kid he really is. I honestly can't blame him for being very shaken by the departure of Ballou. Sampson was raised by Avon's coach, so Ballou is someone he was constantly around, and he really connects with and looks up too and trusts. If you truly knew about James past and what he's been through in life, you wouldn't call him a dime store mind.
Sounds like maybe his brothers were in his ear about going somewhere "better".
Happy he's back....if he's happy he's back.
People need to get used to the portal. Sampson James used it as it was intended. He submitted his name. He took a quick look around. Perhaps he had a specific situation in mind. After he got the information he was looking for he withdrew his name. End of story. Actually there never was a story. it was all just conjecture.
Every single kid has an absolute right to transfer if he wants to. Let’s not forget they are playing for lunch money. Now they are expected to leave high school early, go to 5 AM workouts in the off-season and then stay at school during the summer to work out some more. There’s more economic upside for student athletes to invest the time in a job working at McDonald’s and forego football
Every single kid has an absolute right to transfer if he wants to. Let’s not forget they are playing for lunch money. Now they are expected to leave high school early, go to 5 AM workouts in the off-season and then stay at school during the summer to work out some more. There’s more economic upside for student athletes to invest the time in a job working at McDonald’s and forego football
The word is that James met with Allen and apologized for making a knee/jerk reaction in the heat of the moment when Ballou departed. The info I got was Ballou told for James not to make rash decisions based on a coach’s career path and that IU was a good opportunity for him. Personally, I’ll be even more scrutinizing of James going forward for thinking he was better than the team. So, Sampson better be lighting it up out there to get back in good graces! Actually, I do get it: he’s loyal to the coach and kids make really dumb decisions at that age.
More upside at McDonald’s than full scholarship football? Thousands of young people out there trying to pay off $125,000 in school debt would disagree.
McDonald's loves to hire up from the crew. They'll even pay for education if the employee shows promise and work ethic.
But... In my opinion, the McDonald's route is much much harder than the scholarship route. You get fed and housed as well as receive medical care for playing a game.
It's a no brainer.
Oh the humanity! 5 am workouts! How will these kids ever survive?!?
When I was a teen, I had a job delivering ice. Trucks left at 5 am every day. If all I had to do was work out and play football.... Man.
You left out Pursuing a college degree. But I understand your point.
My point is they are doing this for no pay. And despite that most people don’t seem to be able to grasp this, Indiana Hoosier football players are going to Indiana to get an education – not to become professional football players. And if someone feels they would be better off somewhere else for whatever reason, or just wants to test the waters, them good luck to them. Nobody has an obligation to reprove their loyalty to any coaches or other players. That’s not to say that they don’t have an obligation to be the best student athlete they can be.
Whenever any head coach making several million dollars a year talks about a player’ obligation to the team I have to roll my eyes.
That would speak very highly of Ballou. It also makes sense from the speed of it happening.
I don't have any problem with transferring players. I actually believe they should be able to transfer anywhere just like any student, except that I believe all transfers must sit out a mandatory one year (without losing eligibility), without possibility of a waiver.
I do, however take exception to players not getting paid. Because they do get paid with tuition, room and board - $48,000 per year out of state.
What kind of job gets you $48k net pay (after taxes) with a high school diploma??? There are very few for kids, especially ones coming from low socioeconomic circumstances.
Now, I also believe there should be some sort of trust fund for all NCAA athletes who complete their degree. That provide for things like health care (injuries don't stop bothering people after graduating) or continued education such a masters or doctorates. There's more than enough money generated to provide something for these kids. Too often we root for a player for 4 years, only to forget about them when the new freshman classes sign each year.
I would love it if they did set up a trust fund for players that graduate and don't go to the NFL or other professional leagues.
Haha. You know they STILL deliver ice nowadays and have been every year since that picture! Bunch of wise guys on this board.
sorry about refrigerators putting you out of a job.
Couldn’t disagree more. Colleges continue to inflate tuition and pay their FB coaches astronomical salaries. To single out players getting only a free education as the basis of your argument is crazy. A welder makes $48K. No degree needed. These athletes generate billions. Quit acting they’re not getting used.
I LOVE and completely get behind your “trust fund” for players that don’t make it to the league. That’s 99% of D1 football players. Let’s pay them all.
I propose that we just trash the college model all together. Pay the players. Don’t make them go to class. The sport can have the university name on the team and get sponsors. “The IU Hoosiers sponsored by Preparation H.”
Make it a developmental league for the NFL and introduce a draft. You’re the top high school player in the country. You are going to get paid so you don’t get to choose where you go. Next up with the 53rd pick in the College Football 2020 Draft is “The Purdue Boilermakers sponsored by Tampax.”
Give them a luxury suite on campus (ala the Kats Lounge at UK) and all the perks. They don’t have to interact with students at the school and just live there until the try out for the NFL.
If the NFL doesn’t work out, they can take their earnings and go back to college as a regular student, so that they can continue with life like 99.999% of the rest of the population.
Make it a developmental league for the NFL and introduce a draft. You’re the top high school player in the country. You are going to get paid so you don’t get to choose where you go. Next up with the 53rd pick in the College Football 2020 Draft is “The Purdue Boilermakers sponsored by Tampax.”
Give them a luxury suite on campus (ala the Kats Lounge at UK) and all the perks. They don’t have to interact with students at the school and just live there until the try out for the NFL.
If the NFL doesn’t work out, they can take their earnings and go back to college as a regular student, so that they can continue with life like 99.999% of the rest of the population.
This sounds workable. A nice bonus is that this plan will allow many, many fellows to avoid having to maintain a level of semi-literacy that they may find burdensome. Unlike the jerks (who have to finance their own ways through university, to boot) studying stuff like economics (ugh) or Latin (losers), for example.
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Not sure how you substantiate your claim they do not get paid. They may not receive a paycheck but they receive free housing. They receive 24 hour nutrition and a nutritionist. They receive free medical and psychological services. They receive laptops, computers I pads. Free books. They receive free clothing of all types, t shirts, jackets, shorts, sweats, coats, etc. They also can receive free scooters or other forms of transportation to and from classes. They receive free tutoring and grade and graduation progress. And last but not least they receive a free education. Yes these kids do work hard. They do generate revenue for the university but they are compensated in other ways that regular college students to not receive.
I said they do get paid - at least $48k per year in tuition room and board. Not including football team benefits.
And they get all that for onlt 20 hours of work per week.
You left out access to world class training facilities and coaching to help them develop for a potential professional career.
The average Power 5 school spends something like 120-130K per athlete per year. And that's all athletes, not just football players. We all know football and basketball players have much more spent on them than volleyball players or rowers.
I am sure I left out a lot more stuff. Stuff that I did not get playing Division 2 football in the mid 80’s
