Trolling the NCAA

I can’t say much for the design of the t-shirts, but I love how former University of North Carolina quarterback Caleb Pressley is trolling NCAA president Mark Emmert on the amateurism issue. He’s creating t-shirts that are the sort of likenesses of several current NCAA players, selling them, and saving the money to (supposedly) give to the player after the leave their university, thus allowing them to retain their eligibility. His t-shirt of Emmert, he’s keeping those profits. But this interview of Pressley is great because it’s troll all the way:

BL: Why did you decide to make a t-shirt of NCAA president Mark Emmert?

CP: Well, I just graduated college in May. And while I was in college, my entire four years, I was affiliated or I was even a member of the NCAA institution. And Mark Emmert, you know, he’s the president of that governing body. He was always a role model to me. When I graduated — you go through a stage in your life where you’re like, “What’s next? What am I gonna do?” These are times you have to look up to your mentors, to your role models.

I looked up to mine. I said, ‘What would Mark Emmert do right now?’ I said, ‘You know what, what he would probably do is find some people or find one person and then take their image and their ability and skill and just make as much money as possible off them, and then not give it to them.’ You know what I’m saying? I’m just out here trying to follow in his footsteps. Now, have I started a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, and am I making a million dollars or more in annual salary yet? No, I’m not. But I’m still following in his footsteps. Hopefully, I’ll be there one day.

BL: Now, 15 of the shirts in your line feature the likenesses of current players. It looks like I can choose between Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott and Vanderbilt running back Ralph Webb. Have I got that about right?

CP: No, you’re completely incorrect. Those are just kinda like artistic abstractions of college athletes. To put a name on it like that, I wouldn’t go that far. I don’t know. The art is hard to describe. You either get it or you don’t. But the thing with those shirts, though, is they also make $12.50 in profit, every single one of them. They’re $25 on Barstool. I’m saving all of that money as well — except to the savings account. Mark Emmert to the checking account. I will save all of that money, and then in one year, two years, three, even maybe four — whenever the time is appropriate — I’ma go back and I’ma donate that money. I’m trying to be a more charitable person.

So whenever the appropriate time comes, I think I’m going to donate that money to 15 different people. Now, I don’t know who those 15 people are going to be. But I think over the next one to four years, hopefully, I’ll be able to find someone I feel is deserving.

Got to respect keeping this act up. It’s Colbert-like. And hilarious.