NCAA athletes: slaves?

[bhsmte]

Who decides who gets paid and how much? Will the women's track and field team be paid? They aren't making the university any money, but they put in time and effort just like the men's basketball team does. (Interesting how Title 9 will affect this. I don't know they details of the law so I can't say) What about the fourth string safety, will he be as much as the starting quarterback, if at all? He isn't the one that's bringing in profits. Why she he be paid? And if we are only going to pay star athletes in major sports, could the colleges argue that letting them showcase their talents for free is payment in itself? It's like one of the purposes of colleges. You put in time and effort to impress future employers.

I am not claiming to have a solution to this problem. I am asking you to understand why many see it as a problem.

 

[Manic Spinoza]

Okay, sorry to misinterpret you. I agree that athletes have every right to profit of their name. I can sympathize with someone who grew up in poverty wanting money for themselves and relatives. I just simply think they are well compensated for their services.

 

[keith99]

Okay, sorry to misinterpret you. I agree that athletes have every right to profit of their name. I can sympathize with someone who grew up in poverty wanting money for themselves and relatives. I just simply think they are well compensated for their services.

I agree, for student who actually belong at the schools they are attending. A Stanford education is very valuable for anyone who had a legitimate hope to get in there based on their academics. And by legitimate I mean as good a chance of getting in as a Hail Mary pass does of working or for that matter a Stanford Band play.

But for someone who flat out does not belong there the 'education' would be of little value. As far as I know Stanford does not bend the admission requirements that far. That is not true for some other schools.

 

[bill5]

The conversation about the state of intercollegiate athletics in the U.S. and needed reforms is increasingly including people stating that NCAA athletes are slaves.

LOL

Which people are these? Those at Al Sharpton's family reunions? lmao

comparing them to slaves is absurd.

Ya think?

 

[Cearbhall]

If they can't quit then they are slaves. If they can legally walk away then they are not slaves. I think the term slave in the US is something people are trying to keep around despite it being a dead word around the world except in some African countries where Muslims still keep slaves.

It's not just about the law. Just because slavery is against the law doesn't mean you can't be sold and forced to stay. There are tons of slaves in the US.

 

[bill5]

Please, point us to these "tons."

 

[keith99]

Please, point us to these "tons."

At an average weight of 100 Lbs (low) and 2000 Lbs to a ton that just means 40 people for 2 tons.

There are more than that in sexual slavery in any large city.

Slavery does not have to be enforced by the state to be enforced.

 

[bhsmte]

I would not call NCAA athletes slaves.

What I would say though, is they are being exploited (especially in division one) by universities to be able to make hundreds of millions of dollars, off of their popularity and skills.

 

[cow451]

Okay, sorry to misinterpret you. I agree that athletes have every right to profit of their name. I can sympathize with someone who grew up in poverty wanting money for themselves and relatives. I just simply think they are well compensated for their services.

This type compensation will not buy a single gallon of gas. And, there are other restrictions. The athlete is forbidden to earn money at anything, even in the off-season. The athlete is not allowed to accept a free meal from a friend or family (at a restaurant).

When I played in college, one of our starters quit after his junior year because he was "tired of being poor". Like the vast majority of college football players, he did not have NFL-level talent. He got a labor job and said he was going to be a part-time student.

My daughter is in a grad school on academic scholarship. She does not have time to get a side job, but she can accept any amount of cash anyone gives her, any free meal anyone will buy her and any gift someone gives her. That is a big difference.

 

[bhsmte]

This type compensation will not buy a single gallon of gas. And, there are other restrictions. The athlete is forbidden to earn money at anything, even in the off-season. The athlete is not allowed to accept a free meal from a friend or family (at a restaurant).

When I played in college, one of our starters quit after his junior year because he was "tired of being poor". Like the vast majority of college football players, he did not have NFL-level talent. He got a labor job and said he was going to be a part-time student.

My daughter is in a grad school on academic scholarship. She does not have time to get a side job, but she can accept any amount of cash anyone gives her, any free meal anyone will buy her and any gift someone gives her. That is a big difference.

Agree, when I played in college, we were read the riot act by our coach who was very conservative and very leery of the NCAA.

Could have a job, couldn't accept a free meal, couldn't take a dime from anyone, but your family.

Yet, universities, are raking in the dough, based on the players playing skills and popularity.

 

[keith99]

Agree, when I played in college, we were read the riot act by our coach who was very conservative and very leery of the NCAA.

Could have a job, couldn't accept a free meal, couldn't take a dime from anyone, but your family.

Yet, universities, are raking in the dough, based on the players playing skills and popularity.

99.9% of the time that popularity exists because of the school. I'm not saying the school make any player popular, rather that the popularity depends at least as much on the uniform worn and the school's marketing as the ability of the player.

Some of the can't take anything is a bad situation, but I have no solution. Under current standards some of the things I did would be a problem. I bought one of the guys a new battery for his car. Got a home cooked meal (who says football players can't cook!) as thanks. Heck he was a fraternity brother.

BUT for the 8 years leading up to the time I graduated there was never a time when there was not a member of the Fraternity who had big bucks.

Normal friends should be allowed to pick up dinner or drinks at the bar, but how does one tell the difference between a real friendship and a big bucks booster (who just happens to still be a student) providing an illegal benefit?

 

[LOVEthroughINTELLECT]

The NFL and NBA are using the NCAA as their developmental league rather than have their own extensive minor league system like Major League Baseball does. That is the problem.

Maybe the solution is to make NCAA schools affiliates of NFL and NBA franchises. The NFL and NBA franchises would draft players out of high school and then assign them to one of their affiliates. So the Atlanta Falcons might draft a linebacker out of high school and then assign him to their affiliate Clemson University. Or they could trade the rights to him to the New York Jets who then assign him to their affiliate the University of Illinois. Such a system would end the business of recruiting. It would end the arms race--there would be no recruiting so schools would not have a recruiting advantage if a wealthy donor pays for a new practice facility in exchange for access to the team, or something like that. It would end the need for, oh, probably 90% of the NCAA rule book.

I do not know if that would mean that coaches are still employees of the schools or if they are employees of the NFL and NBA franchises. College football and basketball programs would probably be quasi-professional organizations with some autonomy and under some control of their NFL or NBA affiliates.

Saying that we need to "pay the players" barely addresses the problem.

 

[bhsmte]

99.9% of the time that popularity exists because of the school. I'm not saying the school make any player popular, rather that the popularity depends at least as much on the uniform worn and the school's marketing as the ability of the player.

Some of the can't take anything is a bad situation, but I have no solution. Under current standards some of the things I did would be a problem. I bought one of the guys a new battery for his car. Got a home cooked meal (who says football players can't cook!) as thanks. Heck he was a fraternity brother.

BUT for the 8 years leading up to the time I graduated there was never a time when there was not a member of the Fraternity who had big bucks.

Normal friends should be allowed to pick up dinner or drinks at the bar, but how does one tell the difference between a real friendship and a big bucks booster (who just happens to still be a student) providing an illegal benefit?

Yes, the popularity is established on going by the school name, but that popularity was established by the quality of talent that school has had over the years.

If Alabama didn't have really good student athletes playing football at their school over the last 50-60 years, the name Alabama and football wouldn't have the meaning it does today without those players who have performed.