Sen. Ted Cruz Talks About NIL ‘Wild West,’ Warns It Could Wipe Out College Sports
The Senator from Texas also talked about his favortie one-liners from Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy
Senator Ted Cruz joined OutKick's Dan Dakich for a wide-ranging interview that touched on everything from saving college sports to making sure betting on prop bets doesn't lead to corruption of integrity to the one-liners of Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy.
As I said, wide-ranging, and you can check out the interview in its entirety on the Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich YouTube channel.
One of the biggest stories in sports these days has to do with the state of college sports and how it has been impacted by NIL. Sen. Cruz talked about how, while it's good that athletes can make some money off of their name, image, and likeness, the bidding wars we see are going to threaten the existence of college sports.
There's An Absolute Crisis In College Sports | Don't @ Me w/ Dan Dakich
"So look, I think there's an absolute crisis in college sports. I think the current situation [is] the Wild West," the Republican senator from Texas said. "Every school is in a bidding war. It keeps going up and up and up. With the transfer portal, you've got people jumping from school to school to school, and I don't think any of this is good for college schools.
"I think we're on a path where, if Congress doesn't act, we're going to see a handful of schools, maybe 30 [or] 40, schools that are ‘super schools’ that survive… But a whole bunch of other schools on the current path — I think division two schools, division three schools, and even a bunch of division one schools — this bidding war is pricing them out of being competitive. That's not good for sports."
Cruz also talked about how sports that don't typically earn income for their schools are going to be in a lot of danger because of the current system, and how that could take away incredible opportunities for those student-athletes.
"I'm really worried about all the kids that this is their only hope to get an education," Sen. Cruz said. "To learn the discipline and teamwork and all the skills you get playing sports that then help you in life, help you get a job, help you build a business, help you provide for your family. And so I think there is an urgent need for Congress to step in."
Another major issue impacting sports that Dakich and Sen. Cruz discussed has to do with sports gambling. Specifically, prop bets and how easy it can be for players to manipulate them, thereby threatening the integrity of the game.
Sen. Cruz: Prop Bets = Corruption Waiting to Happen | Don't @ Me w/ Dan Dakich
"I can tell you, I've recently sent oversight letters to the NBA and Major League Baseball inquiring, getting the facts about how many, how many complaints I'm particularly concerned about prop bets," Sen. Cruz said. "If you can bet on whether the first pitch in a game is going to be a ball or a strike, well, you know what? The pitcher can't necessarily guarantee it's a strike, but 100% of the time, he can guarantee it's a ball, and that just invites corruption."
Sen. Cruz mentioned that he has talked to leagues and gambling platforms about this issue and is exploring ways Congress might be able to help maintain the integrity of games.
"I don't think anyone wants to see sports where you don't trust the outcome, where you think it's rigged, where you have an athlete throwing a game because he wants to make a buck," the senator said. "That's a bad outcome, and I do think we need to work to prevent it."
And finally, Dakich and Cruz hit on a lighter topic, and those are the legendary one-liners of Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy.
"That judiciary committee hearing where John Kennedy leaned forward into the microphone and he says, ‘Christmas tree ornaments and Jeffrey Epstein: two things you know, didn't hang themselves.'" Sen. Cruz recalled. "I always fell out of my chair. I'm like, Wait, how was that out loud?"
How great is that? It would've made a perfect Carnac joke back in the day.
Dakich then mentioned that one of his favorite Sen. Kennedy lines, "She's not the dumbest person in the country, but she better hope the dumbest person doesn't die."
"John is essentially a stand-up comedian," Sen. Cruz said, before bringing up an all-time Kennedy gem. "He said things like ‘AOC is why they put instructions on shampoo.’"
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Be sure to check out the entire interview on the Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich YouTube channel.