On another board that I really hate, there was an argument about whether Golden Tate should be allowed to play baseball or whether he was really keeping his football career in perspective. Also, Charlie's policy of allowing players to play two sports was put into question whether his policy is good for the football program or not.

 

Those arguments are all made up by self-serving fans. If a kid can and wants to play two sports, he should be allowed to - no "ifs" "ands" or "buts." People need to get over themselves. Football isn't the only thing out there. It should be applauded that a kid can and does contribute in two different sports for the University and that the kid can develop himself in two different arenas, not including the development he receives academically.

 

If the fans who are making these arguments aren't self-serving, then they are either football coaches or dads who envy the fact that they never made it past high school football. Either way, it is completely ridiculous that anybody would take away from a kid who who wants to play two sports. It's just football. A kid's opportunities to be involved are MUCH more important. That kind of simple-mindedness has always pissed me off, especially when you go to a school that prides itself on being well-rounded and involved.

Uh, his football career in perspective? The friggen kid was drafted by the Diamondbacks out of high school! What are they talking about?! Teams will love to have that speed in centerfield. He might be the next Shark type player to choose baseball.

 

More money + less injury concerns + longer career = No Brainer.

 

Also, he's an amateur athlete. He should be allowed to play 2 sports. Kids go to universities to become well rounded individuals. People need to get over themselves.

baseball, for sure..................

I'd take the NFL in a heartbeat, the season lasts 5 months a year, one game a week, one hard practice a week......

 

Baseball on the other hand, 162 games in 180 days, season lasts 10-11 months a year, grueling travel schedule, and its a whole lot harder to stay in the Major Leagues, that is of you even make it....ask Drew Henson (the can't miss baseball prospect)

Maybe I am a jaded product of the work force, but I take easiest job, highest pay. I think baseball provides that in that it is low impact, doesn't require constant fitness (see: kirby puckett, Jon Kruk, or any first baseman/rightfielder for that matter), and whether you make it to the majors or not, you can get a sweet contract immediately.

 

It will be funny if Golden chooses baseball over football. ND will become the school that produces the best Wide Receivers the MLB has ever seen.

Totally agree with you wave - especially since baseball doesn't really conflict with football other than maybe a few spring practices. Hell, a kid could just as easily have a few school conflicts and miss some spring practices. It's hard on the kid, but if he can do it, that's great.

 

For the future, I'd do baseball due to the longer career assuming he can hit big league pitching. That's usually where the best "5 tool" buys either pan out or if they don't - if they can consistently handle the curveball from a big league stud pitcher.

Ask Jeff Samardzija if he made the right decision. How many Millions did he get guaranteed? As for Golden, he came to ND wanting to play both, so go for it!!!! BTW what a frickin stud you have to be to play both sports at a big time school

I'm all for Tate or other players to play multiple sports. I think its a bonus to recruiting if athletes are allowed to try out for multiple sports. In the end they may decide themselves to just stick to the one they are on schollie for. If I would have been able to get a schollie at the DI level I would've liked to still have the option to wrestle. As it was I played FB and wrestled through college at DIII. I just couldn't stand the down time or not being involved in sports, heck I even thought about trying out for baseball or maybe soccer to fill the gap from mid March when wrestling was over until school let out. I was a year round jock in HS and loved to participate in sports, and I feel that having great athletes not just football players is a huge bonus, so why not let them try another sport as long as their grades etc are good.

 

As for the NFL or MLB argument, I personally am not a big fan of the NFL, but love college FB, and would probably opt for MLB in that situation.

If the thread was asking "Should a scholarship FB player at ND be allowed to play another sport (LaCrosse, or Baseball)?" my answer would be similar to what Coach Weis has said- If you are good enough to start on the other squad and really contribute, then yes. I would even go a little further, if you can contribute to the other squad and it does not markedly hamper your ability to play on the football team, then yes.

 

Last year, I was very concerned that Tate would not grow as a football player, partly because I thought that the split time spent playing both Football and Baseball would hamper his development during spring training.

Then the season came, and he showed/proved to me I should keep my day job, cause I could not have been more wrong. And this was with my already seeing Maust, Sharpley and the Shark before him doing both.

 

If you are good enough to play more than 1 sport at the Collegate level, I say "Good on ya, Mate!"

I'd take the NFL in a heartbeat, the season lasts 5 months a year, one game a week, one hard practice a week......

 

Baseball on the other hand, 162 games in 180 days, season lasts 10-11 months a year, grueling travel schedule, and its a whole lot harder to stay in the Major Leagues, that is of you even make it....ask Drew Henson (the can't miss baseball prospect)

 

On the other other hand, if you are solid starter at both:

 

NFL 3-5 million, avg career 5yrs

MLB 7-11 million, avg career 9 yrs

 

So overall income om low sides for both: NFL = 15 Mil MLB = 63 mil

 

63 mil is more money : )

I'd take the NFL in a heartbeat, the season lasts 5 months a year, one game a week, one hard practice a week......

 

Baseball on the other hand, 162 games in 180 days, season lasts 10-11 months a year, grueling travel schedule, and its a whole lot harder to stay in the Major Leagues, that is of you even make it....ask Drew Henson (the can't miss baseball prospect)

 

Baseball = guaranteed money. This is a no brainer if he has any kind of business prowess.

i really don't like baseball... but i would take the mlb over nfl ANYDAY! Take out the money issue, even though that is not even close. Health issues people!

Your guys are think of baseball correctly - your thinking of major league baseball, and you shouldn't be. I would guess that there is a 1-5 shot, if its that good, that Tate makes it to major league baseball, for all the gauranteed money you are talking about. We are not talking about a pitcher here, we are talking a position player. He'll come out of ND, go to maybe AA, if he's lucky, and spend years in the minor leagues, if not spending his whole career there. Major League Baseball is not a gaurantee, its a very rare player that can make a career at that level.

 

I've played against and watched some of the best baseball talent in the midwest do you guys realize Drew Henson hit 70 home runs in high school - National Player of the year, went to UM, got re-drated by the Yankees and got a grand total of 8 at-bats in the majors, 8, no big contracts, no big gaurantees.

What was his initial contract, though?

Your guys are think of baseball correctly - your thinking of major league baseball, and you shouldn't be. I would guess that there is a 1-5 shot, if its that good, that Tate makes it to major league baseball, for all the gauranteed money you are talking about. We are not talking about a pitcher here, we are talking a position player. He'll come out of ND, go to maybe AA, if he's lucky, and spend years in the minor leagues, if not spending his whole career there. Major League Baseball is not a gaurantee, its a very rare player that can make a career at that level.

 

I've played against and watched some of the best baseball talent in the midwest do you guys realize Drew Henson hit 70 home runs in high school - National Player of the year, went to UM, got re-drated by the Yankees and got a grand total of 8 at-bats in the majors, 8, no big contracts, no big gaurantees.

 

I understand what you're saying Fanatic, but if it actually comes down to a true decision for him...then he will have to have some sort of MLB offer in which to make that decision. Therefore, he will know what kind of money he's getting up front regardless if he bats once or one thousand times. Armed with that info, if he got 5mil guaranteed I would say he'd be stupid to go to the NFL. He won't be drafted high enough, IMHO, to get a big guarantee out of the NFL and that of course runs a big element of risk should he get hurt. Out fielders are a dime a dozen IMHO because, honestly, how hard is it to run after a ball 4 times in 5 hrs? The bat is what separates the good ones.

What I want to know is, where are they getting that he's not already reaching his potential doing what he's doing? Did they have their eyes open during the Hawaii Bowl? The guy is practically clowning DBs out there, and they've got a problem with him playing baseball? Wow.

 

I'm sure he would have gotten an extra 200 yards receiving this year if he hadn't played baseball last spring.

 

If the kid can keep his act together academically, while not jeopardizing his primary commitment to his scholarship, more power to him. And based on the results we see on the grid iron, I don't think he's exactly "hurting the team" by shagging fly balls in the outfield in his spare time.