Question of the day: Are college sports ruined more by agents or coaches who want to win too much?

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Reporters from around the Tribune family tackle the question of the day, then you get a chance to chime in and tell them why they’re wrong.

Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune

Nick Satan (CQ) has done more than his fair share to suck the fun from college sports, the latest being his skirting of NCAA rules by hiring all those “quality control” and assistant strength coaches for his bloated staff. (They wouldn’t be there to supervise the players’ “voluntary” summer workouts; would they, Nick?)

But the man is right about agents. The unscrupulous ones ruin it for the guys who trying to follow the rules. The solution seems simple enough: Work with the NFL and the NFL Players Association to punish the rogue Jerry Maguires.

If you’re caught giving money to a player – or a buying a house for Reggie Bush – you’re banned from representing players for five years. End of story.

Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel

Sports agents have the stigma of being a specter overshadowing college athletics.
But a bigger shadow is cast by those college coaches who value winning above all else.

Concerns for academics and character building of the athletes are gone, replaced by the goal of winning. That is not the fault of the agent but the coach.

Coaches heap promises of playing time, national exposure, and championships, all the while searching for bigger and better things. They want the best players to provide them with the best chances to win.

Nick Saban’s rant against agents is ironic considering it was made after one of his players was implicated. Would he have been as passionate if we were talking about one of Urban Meyer’s players?

Probably not.