Don Yee had no problem defending his client against Roger Goodell and the NFL in the Deflategate saga. But Tom Brady’s agent has his sights set on a different target these days.
Yee, who represents the New England Patriots quarterback through his consulting firm, Yee & Dubin Sports, wrote a lengthy editorial Friday in the Washington Post addressing what has become a hot topic of late: Economic and racial inequality in college sports.
Yee pointed out the hypocrisy in a College Football Playoff system that will allow everyone involved in Monday’s National Championship Game between Clemson and Alabama to benefit — except for, of course, the players, who receive zero compensation for their efforts.
“The few players who go on to NFL or NBA careers give up years of potential earnings to play for free in college, risking injury in the process,” Yee wrote. “Most athletes, of course, don’t make it to the pros. No other large-scale commercial enterprise in the United States treats its performers and labor this way.”
Taking his case one step further, Yee pointed out this “financial injustice” also is a racial one.
“After all, who is actually earning the billions of dollars flooding universities, athletic conferences, TV networks and their sponsors?” Yee wrote. “To a large extent, it’s young black men, who are heavily overrepresented in football and men’s basketball, the two sports that bring in virtually all the revenue in college athletics.”
Citing a protest by black football players at the University of Missouri that caused the school’s president to resign, Yee suggested a similar action from ahead of Monday’s title game could produce similar results.
“Change, however, could come rapidly and fairly easily,” Yee wrote. “If even a small group of players took a stand and refused to participate — imagine if they boycotted or delayed the start of Monday night’s championship game — administrators would have to back down. There’s too much money on the line, and no one could force the teams to play against their will. The schools and the NCAA would simply have to renegotiate the bargain with football and basketball players.”
The national championship game is right around the corner, so it appears Yee won’t get his wish. But he makes a pretty compelling case against the NCAA that’s worth a full read.
Click to read Yee’s full op-ed piece >>
Thumbnail photo via Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports Images
