Leave your championship team? For money? Playing time? What happened to fighting and competing for it? I assume Denzel wasn't ever going to the NBA so he is looking for a big payday.
It’s not that he wants to jump ship. He wants to get paid. He can go to another division one program that has lots of NIL money and get way more money than he will get at Florida. It’s a simple as that. It’s a business. It’s not simply entertainment for college alum and students.
I was thinking about this more and in a way, I think winning a Championship probably makes it easier for Zel to leave. He's is a Florida kid who was part of something special and won a NC at UF. The chances of going back to back are pretty slim and you've pretty much done what you set out to do at Florida. Pretty good reasons to just take the cash at this point, particularly if you don't think you will play in the NBA.
There's the rub.....his connection to uf/alums takes a big hit by going to play somewhere else. I don't begrudge the kid his decision....but his UF legacy is seriously altered. He is remembered as a kid who left for more money
From all I have seen his ask is very high....so it only takes one school to bite. But uf paying him more then Clayton got is a bridge too far
Maybe he really needs the money. If I was in his shoes, and had been broke for years, I’m pretty sure I would. I have no earthly idea of his situation, just saying.
Good points. I hope he could find a reputable financial adviser to guide him through this. I just feel the athletic world is full of scumbag wannabe agents that are reprehensible. It’s happened so many times in sports and the music industry as well. Maybe it’s changed, I don’t know.
I think some schools like UT are telling the athletes no way when hit up for outrageous sums of money.
I would say, for these college kids, it’s worse right now. By the time they’re eligible for the pros, most of them have been coached to get a legit agent. When they’re coming out of high school, a lot of them are being guided by friends, family, and other hanger-ons that do not have the players best interests at heart. Some of them will have a hard time breaking away.
Yep - It's all about $$$$ IMO and good for him if he can get a lot. I was poor as a churchmouse in college and if I could have been paid a million or two to go to another school in my field of study, I wouldn't have thought twice about it.
I think the numbers are changing so fast… from year to year. I’d suggest paying him less than Lee is a bridge too far. Or wouldn’t it be “too short”? I dunno? Whatever. Zel should be paid more
As much as I hate this, I can understand. The possibility of him going pro is more of a long shot, thus to get paid while he can the kind of money that will be thrown his way will help him down the road. It's the system that we're in and kids are going to take advantage of it. Loyalty and the like was the way before NIL and transfer. We are now in a new system. On the other hand, I trust TG to get the best available players.
I think he could have a decent career overseas, but that’s not for everyone. I don’t see a long career for him in the NBA. I can’t predict the future though. I can’t and won’t tell him not to chase the money while he can, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.