Missouri Tigers head football coach Eli Drinkwitz Jan 7, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head football coach Eli Drinkwitz speaks at a press conference regarding Kirby Moore (not pictured) being hired as the new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach before the basketball game against the Vanderbilt Commodores Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

A day after he faced backlash for his comments about the recent influx of NIL money in college sports, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz attempted to not only add more context to his opinions but also double down on the notion that his words were taken out of context by the media.

On Tuesday, Drinkwitz noted that student-athletes are now making more than his pediatrician brother-in-law, adding that the NCAA has “created [its] own problems” by normalizing players getting paid for their name, image and likeness.

Drinkwitz tried to clarify his comments by adding some additional context, but he only seemed to make things worse.

On Wednesday, Drinkwitz appeared on The Paul Finebaum Show and again tried to recover from his comments about NIL that went viral, this time railing against the media.

“I think yesterday was a little bit of a disingenuous approach to media, to be quite honest,” Drinkwitz said Wednesday. “I don’t think my quote that made the rounds on [social] media was taken in any type of context at all. I was referring to the fact that I love the fact that our players make NIL. And I think that’s awesome. I’ve been one of the leaders in the forefront of that. I mean, our state law is one of the most progressive state laws out there. And I’m fighting for our players to have the ability to earn finances off their name, image and likeness.”

“What I want everybody to understand is there is unintended consequences with giving 18 to 22-year-olds a large sum of money. That’s what there needs to be an understanding of. We’re not talking about players making $10,000 or $12,000 a year. We’re talking about guys that are making six figures, seven figures, which is awesome, but with that much money comes a different set of responsibilities. And if we’re not careful, we’re gonna look back in four or five years and we’re gonna be just like the NFL and NBA where 78% of those professional athletes, after five years removed from playing in the NFL or NBA, are bankrupt.”

That all may and well be true, but Drinkwitz shouldn’t have to provide additional context not once, but twice, for his comments to suggest that he’s “fully supportive” of athletes seeking compensation through endorsement deals and other branding opportunities. That’s not on the media, that’s on him.

[The Paul Finebaum Show; photo from Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.