Leonard Fournette now caught up in an investigation

Nov 7, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama won 30-16. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

What the NCAA is doing to it’s student athletes these days is more criminal than anything these day. A player and bring in millions upon millions of dollars for his university but can’t even make money off his own likeness. The NCAA is even willing to pay people to make sure that players aren’t doing things like that.

And this year’s witch-hunt has gone to LSU to investigate star running back Leonard Fournette. The NCAA is trying to figure out if Fournette’s family violated their rules with a website business built to sell merchandise. According to USA Today, an LSU attorney has begun speaking with people associated with the online venture.

The name of the website was “Buga Nation”, a name associated with Fournette, who had been the No. 1 running back recruit in the nation. It launched the week of LSU’s 2014 season opener, but shut down almost immediately. According to Fournette’s mother Lory, sales of T-shirts and hats were stopped within 24 hours.

NCAA rules prohibit athletes or their family members from profiting off the athlete’s name, image or likeness. But “BUGA Nation” is a catch-phrase Fournette made up used as the logo in LSU colors on the apparel. There’s a big difference between name, image or likeness and a catch-phrase.

The fact that a player can’t even make money off of their own name image or likeness is ridiculous. It reveals just how bad the pimp-prostitute relationship is between the NCAA and the athletes. More than the stipend that’s been fought over lately, athletes should be able to make money off their image.

Does an athlete not belong to himself?

Yet this is over a catch-phrase, not a name image or likeness!

Please close the witch-hunt!