Pardon me if it feels like we’ve been here before. Ridiculously talented Heisman Trophy candidate suddenly is embroiled in an NCAA investigation for allegedly signing memorabilia for loot and is forced to miss some time playing football.
Surely, Todd Gurley knew better.
Gurley, the all-world running back from Georgia, will likely miss the Bulldogs’ tilt against defending SEC East champ Missouri this Saturday, and who knows … maybe more.
According to Sports Illustrated, Gurley signed 80 items for $400 … which to be fair … he grossly underestimated his selling power. But it’s still a selfish act that might cost a lot more Bulldogs than Gurley in the long run.
Bleed for hating the rules if you must, but Gurley knew the deal going in. Every athlete does. You don’t just take money for things without consulting your coach, who would absolutely put a stop to it. Plus, having seen it already play out last year in the same conference, Gurley knew he was wrong and tried to slip by.
It’s easy to go whine on social media that the rules are unfair. Fake outrage gets a lot more of a cult following than just simply saying, “Hey, how about following the rules?”
As it stands, Gurley won’t cost himself anything. The NFL couldn’t care less about the situation. Gurley can play football, and in the NFL, you do it for money. That’s all that matters there.
However, this was a grossly negligent act by Gurley, one that will carry ramifications for his teammates and whoever is advising him. You know not to take money for signing autographs. Hell, you know not to take money at all. It’s a bad situation, because all of this can be avoided consistently by just simply following the rules that are in place.
That’s all there is to it. Now, Georgia has to (likely) go win against a tough Missouri squad after practicing most of the week with its rock star Heisman candidate, only to find out that he probably won’t be there to aid the Bulldogs.
Players know the deal going in: don’t take the money. If said player doesn’t like the rules, then don’t accept the scholarship. It’s too easy to say, “the rules are unfair,” much too easy to pass the blame rather than accept responsibility.
To Gurley’s credit, he’s not the one doing it. Social media has that covered for him.
Do the crime, do the time, for however long it is deemed necessary. Too bad for the non-Todd Gurley Georgia Bulldogs. They get punished the most. Collateral damage of a bad decision.
