Paying Athletes

by Bobby Briggs on Jul 10, 2008 2:57 PM CDT

I know in my thoughts I've jumped around on all sides of this issue. I found this link originally on Deadspin.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/36519-a-scholarship-is-nice-but-college-athletes-should-still-be-paid

"The truth, however, is if there is money to be made, the NCAA finds a way around all the complications. When it is time to negotiate the complications of getting a $4 million dollar per year coach onto campus, the NCAA finds a way to get the deal done. When they have to negotiate multi-year TV rights deals, international broadcast restrictions, and complex zoning regulations in order to prepare for the Final Four, they get it done. But when the athletes come to the table demanding their share of the gravy train, the response suddenly becomes “we can’t figure out how to make it work, it’s just too complicated!” This form of intellectual laziness is problematic from an organization that has gobs of PhDs in its association. "

Not specifically Alabama related, but always interesting.

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Don't pay athletes

If anything, give them a larger allowance, but don’t pay them. Athletes get free tuition, books, meals, and meal money. I know the complaint when I was in school was, “We don’t have money for a social life” so that is why I suggest giving a larger allowance. Guys try to eat cheap on the weekends or drive to bowl games instead of flying so they can pocket their per diem.

Give them an allowance. But if they want more, screw them. Hey, kid, you don’t have to play college football. There are a million guys who would play for free and would gladly take even a partial scholarship to the university you’re playing for.

You’re getting a free education, whether you take advantage of this or not, whether you ACTUALLY belong at a university or not (HUGE POINT), so be happy. In the Chain of Being, football and football players are about as important as the stack of ‘80s action DVDs next to my TV. You are entertainment. Your compensation is a free education. If you’re good enough to get paid, you’ll play in the NFL.

Please, please don’t feed the “Pay Athletes…the NCAA and Universities make millions off these guys” monster. Paying players-especially football players, who tend to be overly macho and conceited to begin with-would only make the situation a million times worse. It’s bad enough when Fernando Bryant drives around in a champagne Mercedes with a golden 25 on his license plate. Don’t make it worse.

by Bamagrad on Jul 11, 2008 9:13 AM CDT reply actions

Paying them

I see giving them some sort of compensation, as in an allowance or stipend, as payment. I don’t really think anybody thinks its possible to pay exorbitant salaries, or even different players different amounts and keep up any pretense of collegiate or amateur athletics. Its just hard to argue that Kareem Jackson, when he runs out onto a field in a Jersey with a Nike Swoosh on it, in front of 90,000+ people who paid $50+ to get in, in front of a television audience of millions with the related advertising compensation that was paid to somebody that exists in the millions of dollars, doesn’t deserve anything some of what’s going around? It’s certainly a good racket that the administrators/coaches/etc got going on, with all of their labor being unpaid and what compensation they do receive in terms of housing and an education coming from boosters, other students, taxpayers of the state, etc.

by Bobby Briggs on Jul 11, 2008 4:43 PM CDT up reply actions