2200 days of Brad Edwards

[Patriot8]

I kinda agree with you, but I think you’re under selling the players a tad. I think even mid major players could easily make a thousand dollars an appearance. 10 appearances. 10 grand.

If AJ is getting paid $1,000 to sign autographs at Paisano’s Pizza in Vienna on a Thursday night, are they making their money back?

Answer: No

 

[Falco]

If AJ is getting paid $1,000 to sign autographs at Paisano’s Pizza in Vienna on a Thursday night, are they making their money back?

Answer: No

A bar would make their money back though.

 

[GMUgemini]

A bar would make their money back though.

I would guess the university wouldn't let the student-athletes sell their signatures. I'm also going to assume there's going to be limits placed on "appearances." You have to keep in mind that NIL isn't going to let the student-athletes leverage their position as a representative of the university to make money in an unofficial capacity (this is why this whole thing is going to be a regulatory nightmare for the NCAA).

The real solution is to turn them into student employees, similar to a TA or GA position, but at the undergraduate level. There are already laws and regulations on the books about student employees and benefits. My guess is they don't want to do that for two reasons (one: the possibility they will form a union; and two: they will have much stricter rules around hours of work).

 

[Patriot8]

You have to keep in mind that NIL isn't going to let the student-athletes leverage their position as a representative of the university to make money in an unofficial capacity (this is why this whole thing is going to be a regulatory nightmare for the NCAA).

This is the most important point. If you do a deal with AJ Wilson, you are doing the deal with AJ Wilson, not AJ Wilson - George Mason Basketball player.

Much like you see with pro athletes that endorse products like Hulu Live, student athletes will not be allowed to wear school jerseys or logos in any kind of appearance, endorsement, or ad.

The only exception that could possibly be made is that the company has a separate deal with the University that gives them the right to utilize IP. This is a coaches example, but Aflac not only had to pay Nick Saban for his endorsement, they also had to pay Alabama for the right to have Saban as an endorser, which is why you see that Alabama fan in that commercial.

Under the NIL, I'm not sure if there will be any possible avenues for a student-athlete to market their specific affiliation with a University, even if they are working with a company that already has IP/logo usage rights.

 

[Five Two]

we have an A10 title!
https://twitter.com/atlantic10/status/1323265014464172035

 

[The Great PATSby]

we have an A10 title!
https://twitter.com/atlantic10/status/1323265014464172035

 

[GMUgemini]

we have an A10 title!
https://twitter.com/atlantic10/status/1323265014464172035

Mason had two teams in the semis...too bad they had to play each other.

 

[Falco]

I don’t know where to put this.

Darrell Greene linked up with Halodine to help promote the Bethesda-based company’s nasal antiseptic that claims to be effective in killing COVID-19.

https://wtop.com/coronavirus/2020/10/darrell-green-pushes-extra-layer-of-protection-against-covid-19/

 

[tblack33]

I don’t know where to put this.

Darrell Greene linked up with Halodine to help promote the Bethesda-based company’s nasal antiseptic that claims to be effective in killing COVID-19.
https://wtop.com/coronavirus/2020/1...s-extra-layer-of-protection-against-covid-19/

Glad to see that in the last two appearances I've seen from Darrell that he's been highlighting his involvement with Mason a bit more.

 

[tblack33]

GW live streamed their internal scrimmage tonight, would love to see us doing something similar in lieu of our normal scrimmage that donors get to attend. Could get some early local sponsors maybe? Hell I’d probably pay 5-10 bucks to watch if it were a full scrimmage.

 

[Pablo]

https://ocurus.com/tour/NTgzMA==

 

[tblack33]

Attendance to be limited to 250 per game per the University.

 

[Pablo]

https://gomason.com/news/2020/11/17/athletics-seven-mason-teams-earn-100-percent-in-ncaa-gsr.aspx:

"The NCAA publicly announced Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of all Division I institutions, with George Mason University scoring an overall 88 percent. Seven Patriots' teams posted a 100 percent four-year score in the latest data reported today.

Women's rowing recorded a 100 percent GSR for the 11th straight year while men's tennis remained perfect for the seventh straight year. The Patriots' women's volleyball and lacrosse each earned a perfect 100 for the fourth straight year. Women's basketball recorded 100 percent for the third straight year, softball for the second consecutive year, and men's volleyball earned a 100 percent score. Thirteen Mason teams were above 80 percent.

The national average for the 2010-2013 cohort GSR is 90."

 

[p8triotfan4life]

congrats to the students for such great grades min the classroom!

 

[tblack33]

Has this always been a thing? Was just poking around the Mason website and came across it and had never heard of it (not surprised, I'm probably not their target demographic for this). Pretty interesting little list of benefits. Am I always just in the gold room when they get recognized every year?

COACHES CIRCLE , Men's Basketball
The Coaches Circle is dedicated to providing essential resources to help the Mason men’s basketball program thrive and grow. Support from Coaches Circle members not only helps the Patriots compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference, but also supports our student-athletes on their collegiate journey by developing skills and molding champions on and off the court.
Financial Commitment: Diamond Patriot or Green Coat Society members ($5,000 annual gift) who contribute an additional $2,500 per year for the Coaches Circle. Renewable annually. Please contact Greg Kennedy at (703)993-9340 or gkenned1@gmu.edu to join Coaches Circle.

Benefits
• Invitation to exclusive event at the home of Coach Dave Paulsen and Kathy Paulsen
• Invitation to attend a private practice followed by dinner with Coach Paulsen and the team
• Private preseason lunch with Coach Paulsen and his coaching staff in the Green Room
• Receive e-communications from Coach Paulsen throughout the year
• Exclusive Coaches Circle gear (item to be determined each year)
• Invitation to attend a special sporting event with the Paulsens

 

[mkaufman1]

Has this always been a thing? Was just poking around the Mason website and came across it and had never heard of it (not surprised, I'm probably not their target demographic for this). Pretty interesting little list of benefits. Am I always just in the gold room when they get recognized every year?

COACHES CIRCLE , Men's Basketball
The Coaches Circle is dedicated to providing essential resources to help the Mason men’s basketball program thrive and grow. Support from Coaches Circle members not only helps the Patriots compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference, but also supports our student-athletes on their collegiate journey by developing skills and molding champions on and off the court.
Financial Commitment: Diamond Patriot or Green Coat Society members ($5,000 annual gift) who contribute an additional $2,500 per year for the Coaches Circle. Renewable annually. Please contact Greg Kennedy at (703)993-9340 or gkenned1@gmu.edu to join Coaches Circle.

Benefits
• Invitation to exclusive event at the home of Coach Dave Paulsen and Kathy Paulsen
• Invitation to attend a private practice followed by dinner with Coach Paulsen and the team
• Private preseason lunch with Coach Paulsen and his coaching staff in the Green Room
• Receive e-communications from Coach Paulsen throughout the year
• Exclusive Coaches Circle gear (item to be determined each year)
• Invitation to attend a special sporting event with the Paulsens

I think this is relatively new, but I think its probably the second iteration of the insiders that got killed off during Hewitt. But someone can correct me because I am not sure if the Insiders required that much of a donation to participate.

 

[Mason2005]

Tough to pay $7,500 to hang out with a coach who might be gone after this season. I'd pay 250 bucks for it.

 

[mkaufman1]

Tough to pay $7,500 to hang out with a coach who might be gone after this season. I'd pay 250 bucks for it.

You generally get a lot more benefit if you become a big donor. It’d be nice if you got some of those benefits even if you donated 1000 dollars.

 

[Falco]

Benefits
• Invitation to attend a private practice followed by dinner with Coach Paulsen and the team

It seems weird that you can pay to have dinner with the team/players. Remember they are “student athletes". They shouldn’t be for sale.

 

[gmubrian]

I think this is relatively new, but I think its probably the second iteration of the insiders that got killed off during Hewitt. But someone can correct me because I am not sure if the Insiders required that much of a donation to participate.

This seems like at least the fourth iteration of an Insiders type thing. Some of the benefits sound similar to various aspects of the original Insiders as well as later iterations. The Insiders was somewhat unofficial in nature. There was a minimum to go to the dinner and then donations were highly encouraged. The required amount was not near the additional $2,500, but I'd be willing to bet it raised a lot more money and this money all went to the benefit of basketball program, not to the general Patriot Club pool for all sports. It was run by volunteers headed by Brion of Brion's Grille and Coach L obviously participated and the Patriot Club/AD seemed to pretend it didn't exist at some level. There was obviously some sort of friction within the AD and/or PC about it, but Coach L put his weight behind it, so it happened. At one point, Brion handed control over to the Patriot Club (I can't remember why, might have been forced and/or when Hewitt came).

In the second iteration (the first iteration run by the Patriot Club who succeeded in ruining what it had been almost immediately) they would hold a dinner event with the coach and the team that was nice enough, just a lot more stuffy than the Insiders had been and it ceased to be much of a fundraiser, which was the main purpose of the original Insiders.

Sort of a third iteration was a very similar program to this latest one that included some one on one time with the coach at a sporting event. It was not advertised very widely and it was tailored for Hewitt to be a little more low key with fewer people per Hewitt's. I got the impression that Hewitt was sort of shy and did not like to speak to large groups of people. This was instituted, I think, like the first or second year of Hewitt's tenure. It would have been the year after Vaughn Gray initially disappeared from the court as I remember I got to ask him personally about the Vaughn Gray situation just before the start of the next season.

I am glad to see in this fourth iteration that they are really focusing on trying to raise funds for the program.