Keep 'agents' out of high school

To me the most distressing issue surrounding whether O.J. Mayo violated his amateur status while at North College Hill High School in 2005 and 2006 is that we need to have such a conversation at all.

We are talking about a Division III high school program. Granted, Mayo and his buddy Bill Walker weren’t what we normally see in Division III. They were out-sized talents who migrated to little North College Hill to find willing showcases for their talents – talents that powered the school to Division III state championships in 2005 and 2006.

Mayo showed off elsewhere for his senior year before moving on to the University of Southern California where he got in a season of college ball before declaring for the 2008 NBA daft. It was a career path he staked out early and good for him if he makes it. But now come allegations from a dissatisfied former “associate” who told ESPN that Mayo accepted thousands of dollars in cash and gifts from a “street agent.” The Ohio High School Athletic Association is now trying to decide if A) Mayo did anything wrong, or B) if he did do something that it occurred so long ago as to be moot.

Agents and expensive gifts have always been the plague of top college players considering their pro options. To see it ooze down to the high school level is sickening. Kids who are 16 and 17 don’t need “street agents” or “associates” any more than they need gold cards or their own apartments. The adults in their lives should make sure they don’t get such things until they’re old enough to bear the consequences.