First, they are well aware of the risks involved in the sport. Secondly, no one is forcing them to play. Third, the millions of dollars that they can make (and subsequently piss away) in the NFL are enough payment. Fourth, I'm sick & tired of people marginalizing the value of a scholarship. It's not my fault that half of these guys major in useless degrees (that they often don't even finish). I majored in engineering and left school with $40,000 in student loan debt. I would have gladly "sacrificed my body" to not have had that debt. Although, if by "sacrifice" you mean become ridiculously ripped and bang the choicest trim, then I'm not sure who the supposed victim really is. I don't feel sorry for collegiate athletes. Not one bit. They have countless opportunities and advantages that the rest of us could never even dream of. Scott Paterno wrote an excellent article on this topic a couple of years ago. I recommend finding it & reading it.
This is the way I see things too and have felt this way for quite some time. If this union takes hold, this is going to be how things settle out or something very close to it.
There should be a broader view of the situation than just college football and those players. First it is well documented that the TV revenues from football and to some extent basketball fund the rest of college athletics. This include the great majority of other men and all women who ARE MUCH more amateur athletes. Likewise 90% or so of scholarship football and basketball players have little to zero chance of making a living as pros. Second to say scholarships are not worth a lot ask any parent who has paid or pays for their child's college education and see if they think it is nothing. In fact if you add the total amount spent per athlete on a scholarship you would find that amount taken as salary to put him/her in a high middle class income. Calculate the tax allocation and their recompense exceeds $100k/yr I bet. That ain't bad wages if you ask me for a 17-21 year old. Those numbers pale to the value they get by having 4+ years to grow and mature and learn. For me college was an extra 5 years to become a man; learn the requirements of living as an adult with out the consequences of having no other support. BTW they leave with ZERO debt. There is no doubt that appearances indicate the money is divided unfairly with coaches getting millions in salary etc. However that skews the picture as the total distributed for the scholarships, other sports and in a few cases like LSU the university is much greater. Likewise it ignore the fact that many if not most schools athletic budgets run at a deficit. There isn't the great bundle of cash available. Could the current scholarship rules be better??? Of course and there are some crazy stupid rules that can interfere with helping athletes that need changing. However to turn the system on its ear for a mirage of wealth the athletes are supposedly being denied would cause far more harm. I believe the effect of unionizing players, considering them employees/professionals would change the whole structure of college athletics and make it much much poorer an institution.
how are these unions going to fare in a right to work states? are these states (all of the sec, little of the b10, btw) going to change their laws? even if their teams start losing? seems like players are now eligible for workman's comp. i think ncaa now needs to make strict limits on athlete's time obligations (its about time!). its grotesque that they spend 50 hr/week on athletics while they are supposed to be students. the Northwestern decision seemed to emphasize the crazy time requirement. limiting it to 20/wk, like its supposed to be may make this all go away.
maybe the ncaa will become one on its own. if players are workers, there may not be a requirement to be a student. the schools and ncaa wont take this, but athletic depts, boosters and fans wont take dissolution, so....top programs break from the ncaa and maybe universities altogether.
It would change the whole structure of universities. Already athletic departments are under fire from the rest of the universities because of the higher employee pay, the public attention, and the general lack of academic excellence. But the athletes are students first in the NCAA. Unionizing them would lead to lawsuits involving every other sector of the university. Professors are already unionized in a few states. Graduate students would expect to be unionized. The frigging band would demand unions. Chemistry majors would unionize and demand the same pay as physics majors or they would go on strike. A university could not function properly if curriculums, programs, tenure, research, activities, etc were all controlled by a complex set of contracts rather than by individual ambition, excellence, and personal performance. A university essentially is not a business. It can't be run like a business. If professional football training in this country must be conducted like a business, it needs to leave the university and become a minor league. Then let the universities can run student athlete programs designed to produce graduates that can go on to pro football, or into coaching, or into one of a hundred different major fields of study.
I'm just thinking of how quick it would take Muschamp or Saban's head to explode if their players went on strike.
Why "obligate" the kid when the University is not "obligated"? A kid on full academic scholarship can have an uncle or friend give them 100 bucks too.
We're well aware of the risks when we get behind a wheel too. Doesn't mean we don't have a right to be compensated if someone crashes into us. Weak example I'm giving- it matches the one I'm responding to. Not addressing this to you, necessarily but I've always felt poor black kids get abused in this moreso than any others. The "white man" uses them for entertainment, at their expense, and then get jealous of the ones who end up going pro and making mega bucks. What you say about them "pissing away" is a symptom of this. MANY kids with no formal upbringing come into lots of money and can't handle/manage their situation.
That's true, I do agree with that, but what is more empowering? An education or a quick mil that's easily blown. How many nfl'ers end up broke with nothing. If sports media wasn't around.... Wow. I know people who are still paying off college loans, way into their adult life, that's huge in my opinion, getting a free degree...
