If you really want Mississippi State to win

[Seinfeld]

It's coming. Players are going to get a part of the tv money in the future. It's already sitting in the court system.

At which point, fans will immediately receive another request from ADs across the country for even more money because they can no longer afford to maintain the same staff, facilities, and campus amenities since after all... 19-year old Johnny Football needs more $$$ to add a range rover to his fleet of cars.

I love what our friend Charlie is trying to do for us, but this entire cluster17 of a system needs regulation, and I have to agree with the comments about how the situations as a whole across the country has a complete lack of transparency and data/details around it. I'd bet that <95% of donors have any idea where their money is going

 

[SouthFarmchicken]

At which point, fans will immediately receive another request from ADs across the country for even more money because they can no longer afford to maintain the same staff, facilities, and campus amenities since after all... 19-year old Johnny Football needs more $$$ to add a range rover to his fleet of cars.

I love what our friend Charlie is trying to do for us, but this entire cluster17 of a system needs regulation, and I have to agree with the comments about how the situations as a whole across the country has a complete lack of transparency and data/details around it. I'd bet that <95% of donors have absolutely no idea where their money is going

Put another way, i can donate 100k to an inner city academy that will educate at least 10 kids to give them a chance to get out of poverty/gangs.

Or, I can donate 100k to BI to pay for a Range Rover for a football player.

It’s insanity. And anyone who donates is insane.

 

[CharlieWinfield]

Or, I can donate 100k to BI to pay for a Range Rover for a football player.

I wish we had that problem, but we don’t. A few weeks ago, we signed a deal with a player to make up for the loss of their Pell Grant, which they were losing because they were graduating - but had eligibility and wanted to keep playing. I get it that a lot of bad things are happening in the general world, but I like to think good things are happening here. But, it clearly isn’t for everybody, and some people hate it. No guilt from me.

 

[baddawggy]

Give to the Bulldog Initiative and Bulldog Club. $10 a month Or $10,000 per month, whatever you can afford.

If we want to be competitive, we have to be invested.

Charlie Winfield is busting his *** and getting us the most out of it.

Barring baseball, We are having one of the most successful athletic years at MSU.

Please invest in the continued success of this program.

why don't you prove you give and how much, otherwise go 17 yourself.

 

[patdog]

Here’s the thing. Those that benefit from the product should pay for the product. That’s the school. That’s the tv network. It’s certainly not me or you.

Should. I completely agree, paying the players should be brought in house & the NIL collectives should go away because they’re no longer needed. You’re absolutely right. But the fact is, that’s not where we are. And neither you nor me can change that. Contribute or don’t. It’s your money. But not contributing because the system isn’t what it should be is stupid. I can promise you you’ll never even notice a $30 monthly donation if you choose to make one.

 

[SouthFarmchicken]

I wish we had that problem, but we don’t. A few weeks ago, we signed a deal with a player to make up for the loss of their Pell Grant, which they were losing because they were graduating - but had eligibility and wanted to keep playing. I get it that a lot of bad things are happening in the general world, but I like to think good things are happening here. But, it clearly isn’t for everybody, and some people hate it. No guilt from me.

If he/she had graduated, then get a pro contract or job. He/she lost the grant because no longer a undergraduate student.

I realize the graduate transfer is a thing and equally ridiculous. The extra COVID year is equally ridiculous. School, for the most part, did not stop. Courses were held online or cut short and credit was given. No one was held back from graduating or a semesters due to COVID as far as I know. I know at State that did not happen. So, if the primary function of a student-athlete is student(it’s not athlete-student), why was an extra year awarded? It’s a rhetorical question of course. But now, the fans have to step in? If it’s such a boon to the university to have this player, why didn’t the graduate dept step in and offer something to the player because of their academic chops?


I’m not hating on you just the broken system.

 

[theTUSK]

Or ........ it could be that a given fan's list of priorities with respect to limited entertainment dollars is more extensive than, say, the typical mouth-breather, trailer parker over in Gordo/Reform.

What, no shout out to E'ville?

I'll be watchin' you....

 

[aTotal360]

I wish we had that problem, but we don’t. A few weeks ago, we signed a deal with a player to make up for the loss of their Pell Grant, which they were losing because they were graduating - but had eligibility and wanted to keep playing. I get it that a lot of bad things are happening in the general world, but I like to think good things are happening here. But, it clearly isn’t for everybody, and some people hate it. No guilt from me.

Charlie,
I thinks that’s the problem. We don’t know what we don’t know. Many at the grassroots level think of the donation as throwing money in a bottomless black hole. Is there any way to tell the stories like the one above? I think that would motivate some people. Most people assume their $20/month donation is just buying one more round at Ricks on Thursday night.

 

[CharlieWinfield]

Charlie,
I thinks that’s the problem. We don’t know what we don’t know. Many at the grassroots level think of the donation as throwing money in a bottomless black hole. Is there any way to tell the stories like the one above? I think that would motivate some people. Most people assume their $20/month donation is just buying one more round at Ricks on Thursday night.

You raise a really good point and one that I have admittedly had a really tough time balancing in my mind, particularly during the December through mid-May periods when the ability to go into the transfer portal still exists (meaning, being fearful of saying too much and prompting reactions elsewhere). As I was thinking about it on the ride home from the game after reading your message, it occurs to me that, with the portal closed in football and soon closing in basketball, there might even be a good marketing / video series opportunity that helps tell some of these stories.

In all fairness, though, there will ultimately be an element of what you fear (one more round at Ricks) with some of the interactions, but, in many cases, we will be better off from a wins and losses standpoint if they are buying a round at Rick's instead of a steak at Flemings in Baton Rouge. I don't think this is at all a major issue with the players were are working with, but I can't lie and say it won't exist either.

Several people have pointed out, rightly, that this system sucks, and we have all been put in bad situations by the governing authorities on this one. They are right, and I 1,000% understand anybody saying that they will not have anything to do with it. In the end, my judgment for my family was that, whether I liked it or not, it wasn't going away, and I wanted us to try to compete. The people who are contributing are honestly making a significant difference, and we have been really fortunate to be able to spend nickels like they were quarters so far - we just have to figure out a better way to balance sharing the stories of the good that is happening so that people can see that difference, while also trying to mitigate the harm from handling those communications wrong.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

The NIL is too new and unknown for most people to throw money at. I think you'll get your wish a little bit later, but I think for now people don't want just to waste their money. You can get mad if you want. That's the way they look at it because they don't see exactly where the money is going. It's not anybody's fault it's just brand it, and everybody's feeling their way through the dark. We are trying to figure out how to handle this and don't have pocketbooks like Texas A&M.

It's a damn shame this will divide CFB even more than it already is.

It's not too new for the rest of the SEC.

 

[aTotal360]

You raise a really good point and one that I have admittedly had a really tough time balancing in my mind, particularly during the December through mid-May periods when the ability to go into the transfer portal still exists (meaning, being fearful of saying too much and prompting reactions elsewhere). As I was thinking about it on the ride home from the game after reading your message, it occurs to me that, with the portal closed in football and soon closing in basketball, there might even be a good marketing / video series opportunity that helps tell some of these stories.

In all fairness, though, there will ultimately be an element of what you fear (one more round at Ricks) with some of the interactions, but, in many cases, we will be better off from a wins and losses standpoint if they are buying a round at Rick's instead of a steak at Flemings in Baton Rouge. I don't think this is at all a major issue with the players were are working with, but I can't lie and say it won't exist either.

Several people have pointed out, rightly, that this system sucks, and we have all been put in bad situations by the governing authorities on this one. They are right, and I 1,000% understand anybody saying that they will not have anything to do with it. In the end, my judgment for my family was that, whether I liked it or not, it wasn't going away, and I wanted us to try to compete. The people who are contributing are honestly making a significant difference, and we have been really fortunate to be able to spend nickels like they were quarters so far - we just have to figure out a better way to balance sharing the stories of the good that is happening so that people can see that difference, while also trying to mitigate the harm from handling those communications wrong.

First of all, thanks for all you do and for responding.

I think most people understand that giving money to an 18-year-old college kid with newfound fame and freedom is going to lead to suboptimal usage of that money. That's a logical result. But telling the stories of young men needing money for diapers, tuition, rent, essentials, etc., could garner some favor with the masses. I know the BI can't be big brother, but a somewhat "palatable" narrative of where the money may go, could ease some minds. I think 99.99% of people assume that all money is being spent on gas, drinks, apple pay, and Fortnite skins. And they may be right, but that can't be the only narrative out there if we want to grow this thing.