Most Overrated

[wolfboy]

IMHO, this thread.

[paintmered]

Originally Posted by Red in Chicago

e-85 gas - sure it's cheaper, but you get less miles to the gallon, so what are you really saving?

You're saving some shiek from collecting the profits. Sure, ethanol is imperfect and there are much better sources than corn (and they're being aggressively pursued). But at the end of the day, if I get to choose between my money going to Saudia Arabia or Iowa, I choose Iowa every time. As a country, we're exporting $700 billion a year on oil. Let's keep some of that coin stateside.

[BRM]

Originally Posted by *BaseClogger*

Definately not playing, as I have much respect for it, but I get so tired of people talking about the PGA, or what equipment they are going to buy, or about this great story at this course. Blah!

[Ben]

The Ohio State University...from faculty to the athletic teams BLECH! I'd rather burn $12,000 in a fire than give another cent to that university

[VR]

I'm prouder than ever to say I've never heard of Radiohead!

Viva los 80's!!!

[durl]

Originally Posted by nate

You shouldn't be eating those "lobsters" they pull out of the Cumberland!

You mean lobsters are not supposed to be small and brown?

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by paintmered

You're saving some shiek from collecting the profits. Sure, ethanol is imperfect and there are much better sources than corn (and they're being aggressively pursued). But at the end of the day, if I get to choose between my money going to Saudia Arabia or Iowa, I choose Iowa every time. As a country, we're exporting $700 billion a year on oil. Let's keep some of that coin stateside.

I guess, though we don't keep our money stateside on about 95% of the products and services we currently consume. No, that dollar may not go to the Middle East, but it certainly doesn't stay in this country anymore. Nothing is produced in this country anymore.

[OnBaseMachine]

Originally Posted by improbus

What do you think is overrated? It can come from any walk of life. Here is my list for starters:
1) NFL - too many commercials, too much coverage,

Agreed one million percent.

[cumberlandreds]

Originally Posted by VR

I'm prouder than ever to say I've never heard of Radiohead!

Viva los 80's!!!

Me either. No idea who or what this is.?.

[Johnny Footstool]

Originally Posted by cincinnati chili

I agree with your friend from Australia. Div. I-A football and Div-I men's basketball puzzle me the most. Many of the players on MOST of these teams don't care a lick about the institutions, don't go to class, don't do anything for your institution besides suck up resources. Yet, somehow fans find them to be an extension of them.

I also don't get the "personal connection" thing, unless you actually went there. My parents met at Indiana U., and I find it bizarre that in some people's minds this could have made me into an I.U. fan by birthright.

Also, as much as pro sports get criticized for turnover and free agency, all college sports teams turnover at a much faster rate. I feel more of a personal connection to Barry Larkin than any of the athletes at I-U, even though I've never met Barry Larkin.

College basketball and football provide boatloads of income for the institution. Millions and millions of dollars that the university can channel into scholarships, faculty, and facilities.

[PedroBourbon]

Arguing about Radiohead on the zone, entirely overrated.

Oh, Starbucks and American Idol as well for sure

[NJReds]

Originally Posted by Johnny Footstool

College basketball and football provide boatloads of income for the institution. Millions and millions of dollars that the university can channel into scholarships, faculty, and facilities.

Basketball and football also spend most of the money. I would guess that 90-95% of all Division I athletic programs do not make money.

[cincinnati chili]

Originally Posted by Johnny Footstool

College basketball and football provide boatloads of income for the institution. Millions and millions of dollars that the university can channel into scholarships, faculty, and facilities.

Correct at your alma matter (IIRC, you're a Kansas alum). Incorrect at most colleges and universities. Football in particular is a big time expenditure and the money is not recouped directly by the institution. The only justification for it would be psychic or indirect benefits (e.g. a wealthy Tulane Univ. alum comes back for the University of Tulane Univ. of football game, and is so pleased by his experience that he gives $1 million to build a new science building).

Warning: this pdf takes a long time to open, and despite this article being very PRO-intercollegiate athletics, demonstrates that athletics are $$$ losers in most instances.

I'm a firm believer that the psychic and indirect benefits are grossly overstated. If Congress tomorrow BANNED intercollegiate sports from any institution receiving federal funds (but allowed schools to do intramurals), I believe that we'd be a better educated society and we'd get more for our education dollar.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by cincinnati chili

I'm a firm believer that the psychic and indirect benefits are grossly overstated.

Probably.

On the other hand, for lots of schools the only way they ever get high-roller alums back onto campus (where they feel apropriately nostalgic enough to loosen the wallets a little bit) is for a big sporting event of some sort.

Coming from two smaller D1 programs (Tulane and Toledo), I dispise the "more for me, to hell with you" attitudes that major college athletic programs employ. But, that seems to sit well with the major players involved, so it isn't ever going to change.

[Johnny Footstool]

Originally Posted by cincinnati chili

Correct at your alma matter (IIRC, you're a Kansas alum). Incorrect at most colleges and universities. Football in particular is a big time expenditure and the money is not recouped directly by the institution. The only justification for it would be psychic or indirect benefits (e.g. a wealthy Tulane Univ. alum comes back for the University of Tulane Univ. of football game, and is so pleased by his experience that he gives $1 million to build a new science building).

Warning: this pdf takes a long time to open, and despite this article being very PRO-intercollegiate athletics, demonstrates that athletics are $$$ losers in most instances.

I'm a firm believer that the psychic and indirect benefits are grossly overstated. If Congress tomorrow BANNED intercollegiate sports from any institution receiving federal funds (but allowed schools to do intramurals), I believe that we'd be a better educated society and we'd get more for our education dollar.

What about recruiting? I'll bet we see a spike in enrollment at KU in the next couple of years thanks to the performance of the football and basketball teams. Those additional tuition dollars are another indirect result of athletics, at least at the big-name schools. And those students eventually become alumni, with sports as their main connection to the university.