Mitt Romney supports image, likeness rights but notes: You can't have athletes driving around in Ferraris
There are going to be some concerns and issues that arise as the NCAA tries to figure out how to best compensate student-athletes for use of their name, image and likeness. But Tuesday’s vote to allow that to happen was the first step in that conversation.
Now, there will be plenty of people sharing their opinion, and perhaps some of those will help the NCAA take the best course of action before new rules are put in place, which the Board of Governors stated it wants to happen by January 2021.
On Wednesday, United States senator Mitt Romney went on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” to share his thoughts on the NCAA’s vote.
“Well, I was pleased that the Board of Governors recognizes that we’ve got a lot of athletes that come from very poor backgrounds that need some additional remuneration, in some cases to take care of their families, but to provide for themselves as well,” Romney said on the show. “So I’m glad they recognize that. But I hope they also recognize that this whole idea of using name, image and likeness as a way to compensate athletes could lead to some very unusual circumstances that need to be avoided, so there’s some work that needs to be done.”
Romney then gave an example to further explain what he meant.
“Look, what you can’t have is a couple athletes on campus driving around in Ferraris while everybody else is basically having a hard time making ends meet,” Romney said. “And you can’t have a setting where some schools that are in major markets or have big support followings, some schools are like the honey pot and everybody, all the great athletes, all want to go to those handful of schools, then you kill collegiate sports. So there needs to be some adjustment to the whole name, image and likeness approach to make sure that we don’t create those problems.”
For the full segment from the show, watch below:
"What you can't have is a couple athletes driving around in Ferraris while everybody else is basically having a hard time making ends meet."@MittRomney, who's in favor of athlete compensation for name, image and likeness, explains there needs to be adjustments to the approach. pic.twitter.com/R38klYEDSk
— Outside The Lines (@OTLonESPN) October 30, 2019
So now this moron wants to throw socialism in on top of this mess? If you want free market, you’re going to get it. I fully support every top recruit going to Notre Dame and getting a G6 for their commitment.
Yep, so here we go. They should be able to earn money based on their NIL but of course, not too much. So who decides what is “reasonable and customary” for any of this. “You” wanted this, you got it and here we go. Just don’t want to see a single “can you believe” talk show topic, article or blog on any of this. There is enough of it on the innocuous transfer portal. Throw money into things and won’t this be fun.
The 1980s wild west is gonna come back and it will destroy college athletics. Are you actually surprised that these swamp rats would put a limit on it?
Romney is angling to be Warren’s VP candidate.
Fauxhontas/Mittens 2020
What a ticket – a marxist squaw from the SlapAHo tribe and a RINO puu ssywimp millionaire worried about somebody else having too much money.
Hahahahah. Nicely done.
Whatever the final result of this “pay the athletes”…it still will be only a few guys who actually make some $$$.
‘Sounds like a star QB’s dream ! Some wideouts, a few DB’s
and a couple of others will only get the payday. It also might be something that divides the locker room, as there is no “I” in team, right ?
Well said
Is everybody as glad as I am this idiot wasn’t elected as President. It’s not about getting poor people some money. It’s not about how much the schools are making. It’s not about paying the athlete. It’s about freedom of the individual.The NCAA is restricting that freedom of the athlete to even have a YouTube or Instagram account with their free speech and expression. They can’t have a summer job. Just because you are on scholarship doesn’t mean you have to give up your God given rights.
They’ve always had the freedom. A scholarship is a benefit and a choice. It has restrictions to prevent schools from gaining a competitive advantage by paying recruits. Any student athlete can make whatever they want. Just refuse the scholarship, play, and make your own money.