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News Article: How the unruly black market for HS athletes tore a California family apart .. (about a current Ohio State freshman)

BamaNation

BamaNation

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Nuts. This story should be the centerpiece of urgent federal legislation that bans this kind of stuff.

It is a WSJ paywalled article from yesterday (12/4/25), but this gift article link should make it visible

about Phillip Bell III, a current Ohio State freshman.
Ohio State wide receiver Phillip Bell III was dragged through the world of Southern California youth football, where a secret economy for top talent has heated up ...


Bell’s mother, who abused drugs, shopped him from school to school, demanding up to $72,000 a year, according to court filings, public records and interviews with relatives and others who knew the family. He also joined a club team that paid thousands of dollars a weekend.

Bell is now a freshman at top-ranked Ohio State. In the era of NIL compensation, the best college players have essentially become their own businesses, and Bell has the potential to earn millions of dollars in college on his way to an even more lucrative career in the NFL.
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  • Wow
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“Travel” youth football is becoming more and more popular. They play year-round in hopes of opportunities like this. One dad bragged to me that his ELEVEN year old son played FORTY-FOUR football games last school year. Took a short summer break and was back at it in August. He’s mentioned before his son’s “earning” potential after high school. This kid will be a 7th grader next year, and he’s already gone to the high school coach asking if he can bypass JH and go straight to varsity.
 
rolltide_21 said:
“Travel” youth football is becoming more and more popular. They play year-round in hopes of opportunities like this. One dad bragged to me that his ELEVEN year old son played FORTY-FOUR football games last school year. Took a short summer break and was back at it in August. He’s mentioned before his son’s “earning” potential after high school. This kid will be a 7th grader next year, and he’s already gone to the high school coach asking if he can bypass JH and go straight to varsity.
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Some parents are even more delusional than the kids.
 
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BamaNation said:
beyond all the things mentioned in the article, I have questions about how he became academically eligible to go to OSU given all the moves and drama.
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What is this word you used......."academically"

Professional football players have no need for such menial things.
 
rolltide_21 said:
“Travel” youth football is becoming more and more popular. They play year-round in hopes of opportunities like this. One dad bragged to me that his ELEVEN year old son played FORTY-FOUR football games last school year. Took a short summer break and was back at it in August. He’s mentioned before his son’s “earning” potential after high school. This kid will be a 7th grader next year, and he’s already gone to the high school coach asking if he can bypass JH and go straight to varsity.
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that is a kid who has a good chance to end up with a very screwed up adulthood
 
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DzynKingRTR said:
Actually, I don't think I nor anyone on here would be all that shocked.


Whatever happened to Prop 48?
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No trust me, it goes deeper than you think. I will just say I had an SEC assistant tell me that they really wanted _______ _________ (Current Dallas Cowboys WR) and that it was impossible for him to be eligible. He told me that he could not even get approval from admissions to get him in school. He flat out said, "if he plays for ______ (another SEC school he was committed to) next year they flat out cheated to get him eligible."
 
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BamaNation said:
beyond all the things mentioned in the article, I have questions about how he became academically eligible to go to OSU given all the moves and drama.
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We may not know how, but we do know with absolute certainty that it was completely above board and legal because it is Ohio State after all and they NEVER cheat or abuse the rules in ANY way, unlike the dirty cheaters in the SEC.

Oh and... blue font of course.
 
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I personally think travel ball should be banned. Goodness, I can't imagine being a parent and have to go somewhere every weekend. Go camping or something. The kids in the family who don't play are forced to go along.
 
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RTR2u said:
I personally think travel ball should be banned. Goodness, I can't imagine being a parent and have to go somewhere every weekend. Go camping or something. The kids in the family who don't play are forced to go along.
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Why are people backing 7-on-7 trips to Hawaii?
That’s an honest question? What’s the roi?
 
cdub55 said:
No trust me, it goes deeper than you think. I will just say I had an SEC assistant tell me that they really wanted _______ _________ (Current Dallas Cowboys WR) and that it was impossible for him to be eligible. He told me that he could not even get approval from admissions to get him in school. He flat out said, "if he plays for ______ (another SEC school he was committed to) next year they flat out cheated to get him eligible."
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No doubt it was awbern...:rolleyes:
 
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