Gammons on Samardzija

[cuubs4life]

my understanding was that he got 500 thousand guarenteed, and the signing bonus was only if he decides not to play pro football.

 

in other words, if he plays pro football, he does not get the 8 mil.

 

If he does not play pro. ball then he gets the 8. mil.

[davearm]

my understanding was that he got 500 thousand guarenteed, and the signing bonus was only if he decides not to play pro football.

 

in other words, if he plays pro football, he does not get the 8 mil.

 

If he does not play pro. ball then he gets the 8. mil.

Guys the deal's probably heavily backloaded.

 

The $500K signing bonus is his to keep regardless.

 

The rest, he has to show up with a glove and spikes to get.

 

Imagine something like:

Bonus: $500K

Year 1: $300K

Year 2: $700K

Year 3: $1M

Year 4: $2M

Year 5: $3.5M

 

If he plays well this fall and goes in the first round next April, some NFL team will beat this deal, he'll be gone, and the Cubs will be out the $500K and the 5th round pick.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

IMO, this is Brownlie part deux

 

How are they anything alike other than getting big signing bonuses? Brownlie was coming off of injuries that he never really bounced back from.

 

Big signing bonuses that won't be lived up to. I'm not that impressed with Samardzija, he doesn't have great velocity, and he didn't have very good numbers either of the last two years. I guess I don't see why he was even a projected top 20 pick.

 

He's been in the 92-96 most of the season and has topped out at 99 multiple times this past season. He's projected as a top 20 pick because of his fastball velo and his ceiling, which he obviously came nowhere near since he spent so little time on baseball.

[Laura]

Weiss on Samardzija, from today's Trib:

 

Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis didn't mince words when asked Tuesday whether Fighting Irish wide receiver Jeff Samardzija could succeed in his dream of playing both professional football and baseball at the same time.

 

"It's doubtful," Weis said. "How many Bo Jacksons are there?"

 

Sitting a few feet away on the Cubs bench, Notre Dame baseball coach Paul Mainieri gave an opposing view.

 

"Nothing this kid would do would surprise me," Mainieri said. "I think he has defied the odds already, what he has done at Notre Dame, especially when you add in the academic challenge, and he's going to graduate in 3 1/2 years."

 

Samardzija, the Cubs' fifth-round draft pick, is expected to sign either Thursday or Friday and begin pitching at Class A Idaho when the short-season league begins June 19. He's expected to get about eight starts before heading back to South Bend the first week of August for football practice.

 

Samardzija will be at Wrigley Field on Friday to throw in the bullpen in front of pitching coach Larry Rothschild.

 

The Notre Dame coaches hope he has success in whatever sport he ultimately chooses to stick with.

 

"We could care less which one he ends up being," Weis said. "Just whatever is best for him."

[Derwood]

So how exactly can a college player sign a professional contract but still play amateur sports? An NCAA Football player isn't even allowed getting a job at McDonalds....how can he legally start making money playing baseball?

[hawkeyecub]

Ginn or AD will go numero uno. But that's a different argument :D

 

So someone's going to use the #1 pick on a return man who has been only a solid reciever? No way. He'll go in the first round, but he's not the #1 pick. Quinn is almost a sure thing if he has another season even close to what he did last year.

 

Back on topic, it's really tough to predict what he will do. Like others said, he isn't a likely top 10 pick at this point, so depending on the nature of the contract the Cubs are offering, the money could be about equal. I guess it depends on where his heart is and where he thinks he can make more money with that second contract.

[Laura]

Question: Can the Cubs give a 5th-rounder that kind of bonus or contract? Would MLB step in to block out-of-slot money?

[Banedon]

So how exactly can a college player sign a professional contract but still play amateur sports? An NCAA Football player isn't even allowed getting a job at McDonalds....how can he legally start making money playing baseball?

 

I'm wondering the same thing. That's kinda nuts. But then so is the NCAA.

[Derwood]

So how exactly can a college player sign a professional contract but still play amateur sports? An NCAA Football player isn't even allowed getting a job at McDonalds....how can he legally start making money playing baseball?

 

I'm wondering the same thing. That's kinda nuts. But then so is the NCAA.

 

maybe they figured that since he's at Notre Dame, $8 million would actually be a pay cut

[Banedon]

So how exactly can a college player sign a professional contract but still play amateur sports? An NCAA Football player isn't even allowed getting a job at McDonalds....how can he legally start making money playing baseball?

 

I'm wondering the same thing. That's kinda nuts. But then so is the NCAA.

 

maybe they figured that since he's at Notre Dame, $8 million would actually be a pay cut

 

Bah dum ching!

[Laura]

Question: Can the Cubs give a 5th-rounder that kind of bonus or contract? Would MLB step in to block out-of-slot money?

[davearm]

So how exactly can a college player sign a professional contract but still play amateur sports? An NCAA Football player isn't even allowed getting a job at McDonalds....how can he legally start making money playing baseball?

 

I'm wondering the same thing. That's kinda nuts. But then so is the NCAA.

This is not all that uncommon.

 

For example, Ricky Williams played minor league ball during the summer while at Texas.

 

Playing pro baseball doesn't impact a guy's NCAA eligibility for any sport other than baseball.

[Banedon]

So how exactly can a college player sign a professional contract but still play amateur sports? An NCAA Football player isn't even allowed getting a job at McDonalds....how can he legally start making money playing baseball?

 

I'm wondering the same thing. That's kinda nuts. But then so is the NCAA.

This is not all that uncommon.

 

For example, Ricky Williams played minor league ball during the summer while at Texas.

 

Playing pro baseball doesn't impact a guy's NCAA eligibility for any sport other than baseball.

 

But does it make sense that they would be restricted from making money is so many other ways, but not this way?

[Derwood]

So how exactly can a college player sign a professional contract but still play amateur sports? An NCAA Football player isn't even allowed getting a job at McDonalds....how can he legally start making money playing baseball?

 

I'm wondering the same thing. That's kinda nuts. But then so is the NCAA.

This is not all that uncommon.

 

For example, Ricky Williams played minor league ball during the summer while at Texas.

 

Playing pro baseball doesn't impact a guy's NCAA eligibility for any sport other than baseball.

 

But does it make sense that they would be restricted from making money is so many other ways, but not this way?

 

right. If a football player signed on to become a professional skateboarder or the like he'd probably lose his eligibility. Same with working at Walmart. Why is this exempt?

[woodchip2153]

So how exactly can a college player sign a professional contract but still play amateur sports? An NCAA Football player isn't even allowed getting a job at McDonalds....how can he legally start making money playing baseball?

 

I'm wondering the same thing. That's kinda nuts. But then so is the NCAA.

 

The same way Tommy Z could get paid to fight last week.

 

You can get paid to play a sport, and you won't lose your eligibility as long as it's a different sport and you don't make money off of your name, i.e. endorsements.

 

But I agree. It makes no sense. Especially since Drew Tate couldn't except a car he won by getting a hole in one in a golf tournament. There is a whole lot a gray area in the NCAA. But there have been countless cases of guys playing minor league ball and then playing college football, i.e. Chris Wienke.

[SouthSideRyan]

BA rated him as the 20th best prospect in the draft. He was never projected as a top 20 pick because of the football issue.

 

Correct, but as I've read about him, he would have been a much more polished and sought after pitcher had he simply stuck to baseball instead of balancing both out.

 

No matter the case, $8m in guaranteed money is hard to walk away from.

 

If he was more polished and sought after he would've been higher than the 20th best prospect in the draft.

[woodchip2153]

right. If a football player signed on to become a professional skateboarder or the like he'd probably lose his eligibility. Same with working at Walmart. Why is this exempt?

 

I think skateboarders or snowboarders i.e. Blum get in trouble is because there main source of revenue is from endorsements, which are not allowed by the NCAA.

 

I'm not sure it is against the rules or not to work for a retail store or something like that. I know DIII athletes get off campus jobs and I think they have to abide by the same rules, although they aren't watched as closely.

 

I think as long as you don't recieve money from the fame you gained from playing for the NCAA in that sport you are ok.

[davearm]

So how exactly can a college player sign a professional contract but still play amateur sports? An NCAA Football player isn't even allowed getting a job at McDonalds....how can he legally start making money playing baseball?

 

I'm wondering the same thing. That's kinda nuts. But then so is the NCAA.

This is not all that uncommon.

 

For example, Ricky Williams played minor league ball during the summer while at Texas.

 

Playing pro baseball doesn't impact a guy's NCAA eligibility for any sport other than baseball.

 

But does it make sense that they would be restricted from making money is so many other ways, but not this way?

The NCAA doesn't want guys (and gals) to get preferential treatment or special benefits by virtue of the fact that they play a particular sport.

 

Apparently the NCAA does not believe the Cubs drafting Samardzija and offering him $8M has anything to do with him being a ND football player.

 

Now the student/athlete that gets offered a job at McDonald's? Impossible to say if he got that opportunity because the manager is a huge supporter of the local State U. So they don't allow it. (Well, if it's true that the NCAA won't permit a kid to work at McDonald's, that'd be the reasoning anyway.)

[woodchip2153]

davearm did a lot better job explaining it, and in less words than I did.

[hawkeyecub]

Right, davearm pretty much nailed it.

 

You could have a booster who runs the local Wal-Mart (or bar, grocery store, lawn service, etc.) who pays top football and basketball scholarship athletes $100 an hour even if they have no qualifications or never show up for work. It's just impossible to police.

It's not very likely that the same will happen in another professional sport. First of all they would likely have more important things to worry about. Plus if an athlete isn't qualified, it will be easily noticed and their earnings are much more visible and easy to track.

[Banedon]

Right, davearm pretty much nailed it.

 

You could have a booster who runs the local Wal-Mart (or bar, grocery store, lawn service, etc.) who pays top football and basketball scholarship athletes $100 an hour even if they have no qualifications or never show up for work. It's just impossible to police.

It's not very likely that the same will happen in another professional sport. First of all they would likely have more important things to worry about. Plus if an athlete isn't qualified, it will be easily noticed and their earnings are much more visible and easy to track.

 

What about Jeremy Bloom though...wasn't he in the US Skiing team? What's the difference between that and minor league ball?

[Derwood]

Right, davearm pretty much nailed it.

 

You could have a booster who runs the local Wal-Mart (or bar, grocery store, lawn service, etc.) who pays top football and basketball scholarship athletes $100 an hour even if they have no qualifications or never show up for work. It's just impossible to police.

It's not very likely that the same will happen in another professional sport. First of all they would likely have more important things to worry about. Plus if an athlete isn't qualified, it will be easily noticed and their earnings are much more visible and easy to track.

 

What about Jeremy Bloom though...wasn't he in the US Skiing team? What's the difference between that and minor league ball?

 

corporate sponsorship.

[NorthsideAvenger]

So now the question becomes.....does anybody see this Sammy kid (can't spell his name, right now) dropping in the NFL draft, especially if he has a so-so yr? I think if Sammy wants to be a high 1st rd pick in the NFL, he has to put up the same type numbers he did last yr: 71 passes for 1,190 yards (16.8-yard average) and 15 touchdowns ... I could see teams "passing" on Sammy, if he don't put up similar numbers, due to his commitment to baseball. I could see Sammy dropping to the 3rd rd.

 

I know Sammy, is going to try and play both sports, but he truly does need to pick on sport and concentrate on it. Bo Jackson is the ONLY 2 sport athlete who was a superstar in both sports, and he suffererd a career ending injury. Deion Sanders sucked at baseball. Brian Jordan was solid in football, until he straight for baseball. John Lynch sucked at baseball, before becoming a superstar in NFL. Same with Ricky Williams. Drew Henson fell in the NFL draft, because of his baseball career. Chad Hutchingson sucked in two sports. Etc, etc...

 

Sammy needs to pick a sport for good after his senior yr at ND.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Right, davearm pretty much nailed it.

 

You could have a booster who runs the local Wal-Mart (or bar, grocery store, lawn service, etc.) who pays top football and basketball scholarship athletes $100 an hour even if they have no qualifications or never show up for work. It's just impossible to police.

It's not very likely that the same will happen in another professional sport. First of all they would likely have more important things to worry about. Plus if an athlete isn't qualified, it will be easily noticed and their earnings are much more visible and easy to track.

 

What about Jeremy Bloom though...wasn't he in the US Skiing team? What's the difference between that and minor league ball?

 

corporate sponsorship.

 

Yep, I posted this in the Smardalasmardala thread in the draft forum:

 

Finally found it -- Jeremy Bloom, mogul skier and Colorado football player.

 

Link

 

NCAA rules allow a player to earn a salary from a professional sport while playing another sport in college, but athletes are prohibited from endorsing products based on their athletic ability.

[Banedon]

Right, davearm pretty much nailed it.

 

You could have a booster who runs the local Wal-Mart (or bar, grocery store, lawn service, etc.) who pays top football and basketball scholarship athletes $100 an hour even if they have no qualifications or never show up for work. It's just impossible to police.

It's not very likely that the same will happen in another professional sport. First of all they would likely have more important things to worry about. Plus if an athlete isn't qualified, it will be easily noticed and their earnings are much more visible and easy to track.

 

What about Jeremy Bloom though...wasn't he in the US Skiing team? What's the difference between that and minor league ball?

 

corporate sponsorship.

 

Yep, I posted this in the Smardalasmardala thread in the draft forum:

 

Finally found it -- Jeremy Bloom, mogul skier and Colorado football player.

 

Link

 

NCAA rules allow a player to earn a salary from a professional sport while playing another sport in college, but athletes are prohibited from endorsing products based on their athletic ability.

 

ok....so if he were to do a local car dealer ad in Boise or something, he'd be screwed.