Editorial: McCoy’s choice is just good business

‘ ‘ ‘ When the news broke last week that Pitt star tailback LeSean McCoy was leaning toward… ‘ ‘ ‘ When the news broke last week that Pitt star tailback LeSean McCoy was leaning toward entering the NFL Draft, people said he was making a big mistake. ‘ ‘ ‘ Some said that he should come back and be loyal to his team, and some said he was greedy and just wanted to get his hands on a paycheck. ‘ ‘ ‘ But before making any decisions about McCoy, people need to live a few minutes in his cleats and backtrack a few years. ‘ ‘ ‘ McCoy began his senior year at Harrisburg’s Bishop McDevitt as the No. 1-rated tailback prospect in the nation. He had endless college coaches sitting in his living room, telling him why he was such a perfect fit for their schools. But four games into the season, McCoy went down hard. And when he looked down and saw bone sticking out of his leg, he got a harsh look at what the business side of sports really looks like. ‘ ‘ ‘ The compound fracture not only finished his senior football season, but it resulted in the loss of interest from several college programs. He eventually spent a season in prep school and, after some heavy recruiting by Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt, came to Pittsburgh. ‘ ‘ ‘ At Pitt, McCoy was basically the team’s only means of offense the last two years. Given the success he had, declaring early was always something that Pitt fans, media and coaches thought of as a possibility. But until last week, it was something he dismissed. ‘ ‘ ‘ McCoy said after Pitt’s win against West Virginia that he still had some more to prove at Pitt. But now that he’s leaving, a lot of fans feel betrayed. ‘ ‘ ‘ People all over point fingers and claim that players seeking big contracts don’t care about the game. And there is truth to that in some cases. But doesn’t it work both ways? Hasn’t football been, and won’t it always be, a business? ‘ ‘ ‘ The bottom line is that the NFL is the richest sports league in the world. Forbes reported in 2007 that the average NFL team was worth about $956 million. Do you think if a player like McCoy is hurt playing one more year in college, one of the owners taking in profits will feel bad for him and give him a spot on a roster? Don’t think so. ‘ ‘ ‘ What about the colleges that didn’t offer McCoy a scholarship because they didn’t think his leg would heal right? There’s a business side to that, too. ‘ ‘ ‘ McCoy could probably benefit from another year at Pitt. He could get a year closer to earning his degree, increase his strength and even improve his Draft stock for next season. He might even make a few million dollars more in the following years if he stays. But there’s still that risk of injury. And he has a chance now to live out a dream that millions of people wish they could. He’ll have plenty of time to earn his degree later if he wants it, and he can even expand his career at the next level by skipping out now and preserving another year of health. ‘ ‘ ‘ McCoy loves to play the game. No one who has met him would argue with that. But he knows people don’t get many second chances in a business like the NFL. He knows the reality. And just like the colleges and the NFL owners who look out for themselves and their profits, McCoy should do the same for himself. —— Mike Gladysz, Sports Editor