Terrelle Pryor Eligible for NFL... Just Not Yet

Terrelle Pryor is eligible for the 2011 supplemental draft according to ESPN. The 2011 supplemental draft will take place on August 22, instead of the originally scheduled date of yesterday. He will be suspended for the first five games of the season, although he will be allowed to play in any preseason game. The NFL is continuing the suspension he accepted at the end of the 2010 NCAA season.

Eligibility for the supplemental draft requires that a player be deemed ineligible for the NCAA season, such as failing to qualify academically. Turns out, Terrelle Pryor manufactured his ineligibility:

"... Pryor made decisions that undermine the integrity of the eligibility rules for the NFL Draft," the league said. "Those actions included failing to cooperate with the NCAA and hiring an agent in violation of NCAA rules, which resulted in Ohio State declaring him ineligible to continue playing college football."

I think Pryor is lucky to receive only the five game suspension. He purposefully broke the rules in order to get around his five game suspension in the NCAA and his lack of tattoo funds. The NFL should have made him sit out until next years draft. Instead of a five game NCAA suspension while making no money, Pryor will now have a five game NFL suspension while making hundreds of thousands of dollars to potentially millions. Oh, loopholes.

(via ESPN)

NCAA Investigating the "U"

According to ESPN, NCAA investigators are at the University of Miami looking into claims that former and current players received extra benefits. The benefits were allegedly given to the players by Ponzi schemer, Nevin Shapiro. 

His attorney, Maria Elena Perez, says Shapiro has told the NCAA he provided players with the use of a yacht and other favors.

According to me, this didn't seem to give the 'Canes much help in recent years. The photo above is from the Bulls victory over the 'Canes last year (I am #64). I can't fault the players too much. The NCAA doesn't provide enough money to get a student through the semester. I remember running out of money several weeks early and holding my breath until the next scholarship check came. If players were paid fairly, things like this would be less likely to happen (They still would happen, it's just that some people are greedy or ignorant of the rules).

(via ESPN)