From an Ethical Standpoint

9/15/10
There are multiple ethical complications that come into play when discussing whether agents who engage in inappropriate contact with college football players should be reprimanded with the athletes themselves. In a general sense, the entire issue begins with, and revolves around, greed. The agents themselves are driven by a selfish agenda: hoping that they will lure the targeted athlete/client into hiring them for the job by enticing them with lavish gifts. In a dog-eat-dog business world, our basic morals are inherently thrown out the window, much like these agents who become entwined in such a dirty competition of trying to sell themselves to young athletes. It seems simple: players should not accept these incentives because it is against the NCAA rules. However, with the reality of human nature involved, it becomes much more complicated as our ethics come into question. Think about it: you are a young star-athlete, about to be drafted to the NFL, with agents desperately fighting to get their hands on you. Put yourself in their position - would you be strong enough to say no? As an outsider looking in, it's easy to say so, but the reality is that it would be almost impossible to withstand the constant flow of gifts being thrown at us from all directions. Because these athletes feel untouchable, they don't think of the consequences before their actions. In situations like these, our greed can easily override our moral conscious.