Nope. The athletic program can not provide any type of clothing that does not have to do with the sporting event. Anything outside of a jersey, workout cloths, etc...is not allowed...
I was kinda hoping RWS would have said this....
It's a wormhole opened by all the TR stuff...
As far as RWS not getting the issue with a booster selling a university's player's items after a cease-and-desist letter? I can't help him. He isn't going to see the problem with that. ...even though the University of Alabama did and told him to quit, RWS sees no issue.
Let me try this one more time... I'll make this simple...
1. Tom Al-Betar is a booster. There is ZERO chance of him being identified otherwise.
2. He uses Alabama football to promote his business. (at minimum)
3. He was told by The University of Alabama to stop doing so. He ignored it as clearly identified in January 2011 pics where current player jerseys are STILL seen in store window AFTER the cease-and-desist letter (which doesn't even mention the window jerseys, it had more to do with the kiosk selling the signed jerseys outside the store).
4. Trent Richardson is seen out to dinner with this known booster alone. Could he have paid for the meal himself? Certainly. However, it's in these times where that burden is now placed on them to prove it went down right.
Those are the clear issues.
The deeper and potentially larger issues are POSSIBLY...
1. As a program in their 17th year of probation, Alabama should have reported this issue to the NCAA and SEC. They say they didn't see a violation or indication that the player involved benefited, but it was very clear already that T-Town Menswear had a print ad with Maze in it (current player) and was using jersey's of current players (Nico Johnson, McCarron and Richardson) in his store windows to draw attention to his store. That's called promoting his business.
Now, you can say that Trent Richardson didn't benefit, but at minimum, he was familiar enough with the practice of this store, over the course of at least a few years, to display items in their store to promote itself and their relationship with Alabama football. The likelihood of TR NOT knowing what his jerseys were being used for, is very small. Did he think they were being sold? Maybe not, but it's clear that a kiosk owned by Al-Betar was selling those jerseys and had to be shut down.
2. The suit situation. How do these players all afford tailor-made suits? Especially a new one for every game? If the University can not provide them, how do these players afford the suits? It's a fair question considering the source of the suits, the memorabilia signings and sales. Especially in the wake of Ohio State.
Now, if you don't think there are reasonable, deep questions to be asked, you're just being a giant fucking douchebag with black hole type blinders on, let alone crimson lenses.
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