I agree, doug. So why not O'Bannon v. NBA -OR- O'Bannon v. NFL? You are receiving something for playing in college (an education). It is not the fault of colleges that TV networks, fans and others pay $$$$ to them for these games. I also do not think the colleges owe anything other than an education to these players. That is what THE PLAYERS AND THEIR PARENTS AGREE TO when they sign with a college. Free education for playing a sport there. No one is duped. Feel ripped off, then play at Tiffin College rather than OSU. If you are that good, the pros will know (see Robert Parrish or Dennis Rodman). Feel like you should be paid period, then do not go and fight the NBA and/or NFL.
I am sure my folks would have been very happy to avoid paying for three kids to get a college degree if those kids were good enough to get a sports scholarship. Luckily for them their kids are not of college age today when those college fees have gone through the roof. That college education is worth something. And sure the athletes spend a lot of their time working on their sport, but that degree and education are still attainable if they go for it like a dunk on the court or 1st-down on the field.
I don't disagree with a lot of what you say Doug, but if you think the football players and the men's volleyball players are getting the same benefits that's crazy. First, the football team gets 85 scholarships. The volleyball team? 4.5 to spread around. The football team charters planes to away games. The volleyball team takes a bus. The football team gets free food at the training table. The volleyball players eat in the dining hall. The football team has dozens of dedicated tutors, trainers, strength coaches, position coaches just dedicated to football.
"In our sundown perambulations of late, through the outer parts of Brooklyn, we have observed several parties of youngsters playing 'base', a certain game of ball. Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our close rooms, the game of ball is glorious"
-Walt Whitman
Unfortunately, fighting the NFL or NBA isn't in your best interest.
Again, simply because so many would love to have their education be free doesn't mean a thing to me. These kids are employees for a company whether the company or you want to admit it or not. And they are bringing in millions and millions of dollars every single year for chump change. If you and 11 of your employees at your job were bringing in tens of millions of dollars a year for your company, would you settle for the kind of money these kids get in benefits? Of course you wouldn't. While all of the kids playing college basketball and football aren't bringing in that kind of money, some of them are. And they should be fairly compensated for it. Right now, the kids at big time programs aren't getting anything remotely close to what they are worth to their schools.
Seriously.
It amazes me how completely written off the scholarship aspect of this is being written off. A free education without the burden of being obligated to later pay back staggering student loans is something most people in this country would claw your eyes out for (I know I would.) And yet, in this thread I've seen it called completely worthless, a sentiment I quite literally laughed out loud at.
Not losing any sleep over this. Those players will be perfectly fine.
coachpipe (03-21-2013),Old school 1983 (06-22-2014)
coachpipe (03-21-2013)
The kids are bringing in millions of dollars? I have a major disagreement with the notion that one individual is bring in millions of dollars. Heck I dispute that one team is bringing in themselves millions of dollars. Just for reference sakes Texas A&M averaged 87000 per people in 2011, a year before Johnny Manziel came along. The same Texas A&M who went 7-6 in a lackluster season. Texas A&M's stadium capacity list at 83,000 so its sufice to say that they sold out every football game in a poor season and the heroics of Johnny Manziel really brought nothing in terms of ticket sales.
At Ohio State Braxton Miller has nothing to do with the stadium selling out. It has more to do with the alumni base, prior coaches and players. In 2011 Joe Bauserman played in front of sell out crowds at Ohio State. Urban Meyer has more of a say so in the continued ticket sales than does Braxton Miller. Ticket sales are solidified in the past not what one great player or one great team does.
Keeping that in mind lets pay players. Lets pay Braxton Miller but we understand that he doesn't impact ticket sales. But if we pay him he has to pay his tuition, he has to pay for the usage of the football facilities or he must use what the general students use. Can you imagine Braxton Miller waiting around to use the bench press? But now he has to pay for his flights, has to pay for his lodging and food, and then transportation to and from the games. Now I want to buy a #5 OSU jersey. Does Braxton get all the proceeds from it or does the guy on defense get credit for it? What if I want a #2 OSU jersey, does the current player get credit for it or does Terelle Pryor, Malcolm Jenkins, Mike Doss, or Cris Carter? If I bought a #2 jersey in 2010 did Pryor get the money or Christian Bryant get the money?
coachpipe (03-21-2013)
I give a hot damn. Ed O'Bannon, Oscar Robertson and a whole bunch of other players give a hot damn. The NCAA gives a hot damn.
Just because that is how it is doesn't mean that is how it should be. Lots of things were "just how the world works" until someone changed it.
OK? I'm not feeling that they have the most altruistic of intentions.
How many jobs do you know that compensate employees exactly how much they're worth to the company?
College athletes are getting serious benefits and real compensation for what they offer to schools. I'm not going to shed any tears over whether or not they're paid like pros.
coachpipe (03-22-2013)
I think a lot of companies compensate their employees to the extent of which they are bringing in that others couldn't bring in. That is why McDonalds employees make $7.50 an hour and brain surgeons make whatever it is that they make.
Again, I just can't figure out why college basketball and football can be BILLION dollar industries, but the employees shouldn't be paid because they get an education for free and some free gym time.
I don't think if an athlete got a cut of money made off him would be a bad thing as long as it was put in a trust that he can't access until he leaves school. For every Johnny Manziel jersey sold, Manziel gets a cut, A&M gets a cut and perhaps the NCAA gets a cut. But the NCAA ruled that out already.
Kentucky has what? 5 McDonald's All Americans in their next class? So if they could pay they'd have a few more, I don't see a huge difference.
They'd dominate college basketball just like they do now, but they'd still have down years, just like they just did.
You'd probably see some smaller schools decide to spend, so someone like Liberty might all of a sudden be a top 10 team. There could be some turnover, but I don't think it'd be all that different, honestly. Just a difference of opinion, I see your argument.
Also, if we are making honest arguments, nobody is saying schools should be spending hundreds of thousands or millions on these kids. Most are saying pretty moderate things, like let the stars make money off of their jersey sales, video game royalties, autographs, etc with a small living stipend for everyone else.
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
If universities are to play athletes then they should be treated like every other staff member. There are many jobs in which someone works under a company name but rents space. The benefits scholarship college athletes gets are pretty impressive. As I have said in another post, a guy like Braxton Miller is as responsible for OSU selling out as Terelle Pryor, Troy Smith, Woody Hays, Jim Tressel, Eddie George, Archie Griffin, etc are.
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please. |