Trump Touts New Pro Sports Option for Service Academy Athletes

[Judi Lynn]

BY BOWEN XIAO
December 15, 2019 Updated: December 15, 2019

President Donald Trump pitched a new administration policy at the annual Army-Navy football game on Dec. 14 that clears the way for U.S. military academy athletes to be eligible to play professional sports after graduation.

The changes would delay the active-duty service obligations of academy athletes who are considering a career in professional sports. Trump said he was giving athletes with professional potential the chance “to make a fortune and after you’re all finished with your professional career, you’ll go and you’ll serve and everybody’s thrilled.”

Turning to Army coach Jeff Monken, the president joked that, “it probably gives the coach no reason to ever lose another game.”

Trump’s comments at the annual football game follow changes made by Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who in November signed a memo detailing new guidelines allowing military academy athletes to go straight into professional sports upon graduation.

More:
https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-talks-new-pro-sports-option-for-military-athletes_3174885.html

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. Priorities!

[jberryhill]

2. That would be kinda dumb, no?

Haven’t we invested a lot or tax dollars into a chosen few to provide leadership in our armed forces?

[TexasBushwhacker]

3. Are any of the Army/Navy players good enough for the pros?

I don't watch much football. Anyway, they already got their taxpayer funded educations in exchange for their service. A deal's a deal. I have a second cousin that went to the Air Force Academy and decided to make it a career. He just hit 20 years.

[Brother Buzz]

15. Roger Staubach is probably the most famous one, but there were a couple of others

Staubach, like most of them, fulfilled his military obligations before going pro. Hell, he was a Heisman trophy winner to boot.

[brewens]

4. I thought that was already going on. I'm sure they even said so during the

Army/Navy game. They still have to serve late but could be in the reserves while playing. Trumps plan must relax things even more.

I can't see it being a priority to draw top prospects to the academies for football.

[Wounded Bear]

18. They do already allow this...

It's just Trump claiming that he thought of a "great idea" that was already in effect.

[Ex Lurker]

19. You're not going to get the sure fire blue chip prospects

But you might get some kids from the next tier below that.

[Ron Green]

5. It's all about Entertainment.

That’s the only field in which Trump’s ever had any success, and the highest achievement he can imagine for a college student.

[Kingofalldems]

6. Cadet Bone Spurs

[Hoyt]

7. Hate agreeing with trump, but this makes sense and it's not like we are against tax payer

funded education.

Besides, maybe we’ll get more Colin Kaepernicks and Tim Duncans to go to schools that appear full of white wing racists. But don’t mention that to trump or his buddies.

[Kath2]

8. I could not care less about football or any sports.

Total waste of time IMO. Sports culture sucks and it says a lot about this country that there is an obsession over these stupid games.

[LastDemocratInSC]

12. Bread (delivery pizza) and circuses (televised sports)

[Kath2]

13. That is what I tell my GF.

Propaganda to sell big trucks, shitty and unhealthy fast food and beer. The whole thing is an diversion from what your life should be about.

[keithbvadu2]

9. Their service academy education/training is geared for military service and immediate service is the

Their service academy education/training is geared for military service and immediate service is the most efficient time to serve.

After several years out of the loop, how much would they really want to begin?

[keithbvadu2]

11. Especially knowing that the military is a secondary career.

Especially knowing that the military is a secondary career.

[hatrack]

10. Sure, hey, why not? The NFL already has most of America's universities as free farm clubs . . .

Why not add the service academies while we're at it?

Fucking bullshit.

[xmas74]

14. How often has this ever really been an option?

The academies have height and weight requirements that other universities don't need to meet. David Robinson had to have his height waved while in the Naval Academy. He was drafted in the NBA Draft, served two years and then played for the Spurs. He also had the option of reentering the Draft after his two years since he didn't sign a contract with the Spurs.

How many other academy athletes in any sport are of a calibre of Robinson? (Legitimate question-he's the one that comes to mind.)

[Ex Lurker]

16. There are probably one or two most years who would qualify

The Steelers have a starting lineman right now who's a West Point graduate. Napoleon McCallum from the Naval Academy played for the Raiders back in the eighties or nineties.

By the way, all the services have robust sports programs. If you're good enough you can train full time while on active duty. For instance, the Army has whole flock of Kenyan distance runners who enlisted as a means of continuing their running careers after they used up their college eligibility.

[tenderfoot]

17. why are articles from right wing epoch times being posted here?

https://www.msnbc.com/stephanie-ruhle/watch/pro-trump-news-outlet-the-epoch-times-funded-by-chinese-spiritual-group-66566213836

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/the-epoch-times/

Editorially, there is a very strong Pro-Trump bias, with almost all articles praising Trump and denigrating the left such as these Democratic Party: A Broken Kaleidoscope? and Five Reasons Trump’s Celebration of America Was Epic Display of Patriotism. According to an NBC News report the “outlet has spent more than $1.5 million on about 11,000 pro-Trump advertisements in the last six months, according to data from Facebook’s advertising archive — more than any organization outside of the Trump campaign itself, and more than most Democratic presidential candidates have spent on their own campaigns.” In general, straight news reporting is sourced and mostly low biased, however op-eds 100% favor the right with some promoting conspiracy theories.

A factual search shows that they have not failed any fact checks. However, the Epoch Times has a section called Beyond Science that publishes pseudoscience news, such as Supernormal Abilities Developed Through Meditation: Dr. Dean Radin Discusses. Further, the above referenced NBC News report states “In addition to claims that alien abductions are real and the drug epidemic was engineered by the “deep state,” the channel pushes the QAnon conspiracy theory, which falsely posits that the same “Spygate” cabal is a front for a global pedophile ring being taken down by Trump.”

Overall, we rate The Epoch Times Right Biased based on editorial positions that consistently favor the right. We also rate them factually Mixed due to the publication of pseudoscience as well as propaganda against China and the promotion of pro-Trump propaganda. (M. Huitsing 8/21/2017) (Updated 10/15/2019)