So there is another scandal brewing in college football. Some players are accused of taking impermissible benefits. What kills me is that the people that are so critical are people that are making money talking about the sport! Universities, coaches, athletic companies all make millions. Most of these kids will not make it to the next level they have to figure a way to give these kids a stipend to curb this. I just hate the guys that say they let the team down they don't know a persons struggle or what they have going on. Sorry for the rant thoughts?
Players receiving benefits
- Thread starter TonyRome
- Start date
As a non-athlete college student, it REALLY pisses me off. The football team receives a ridiculous amount of the school's funding. Add in the fact that the players aren't paying tuition AND they get free shit all the time, while the rest of us pay an arm and a leg for everything.
The only thing they're working for is a spot on the field. They deserve nothing else.
The only thing they're working for is a spot on the field. They deserve nothing else.
a free education isnt payment enough?
my niece was a college basketball player...
her "full ride" included housing, books, meals, tuition, etc... absolutely everything was included.. her parents paid exactly $0.00 for her education...
She knew going in that she wasnt going to the WNBA.. that professional sports wasnt in the cards for her...
So she pursued a degree in a field with exceptionally high employment, good wages/benefits, etc.. (nursing)...
Considering her mother was a "single mom" at the time.. with 2 other kids in school (middle school).. working an hourly position.. etc..etc.. this was of huge benefit... if she hadnt gone to school on a full ride.. she simply wouldnt have been able to go to school (unless she was willing to take out student loans, or find money elsewhere)... mom was in no position to pay for her education....
Was the educational package (worth over $100K) not payment enough for the "services" of an 18 year old.. with no prior work experience, no other job skills, etc...?
Its all about ethics... they know the rules when they decide to play college ball... as do the people that offer illicit "benefits"...
my niece was a college basketball player...
her "full ride" included housing, books, meals, tuition, etc... absolutely everything was included.. her parents paid exactly $0.00 for her education...
She knew going in that she wasnt going to the WNBA.. that professional sports wasnt in the cards for her...
So she pursued a degree in a field with exceptionally high employment, good wages/benefits, etc.. (nursing)...
Considering her mother was a "single mom" at the time.. with 2 other kids in school (middle school).. working an hourly position.. etc..etc.. this was of huge benefit... if she hadnt gone to school on a full ride.. she simply wouldnt have been able to go to school (unless she was willing to take out student loans, or find money elsewhere)... mom was in no position to pay for her education....
Was the educational package (worth over $100K) not payment enough for the "services" of an 18 year old.. with no prior work experience, no other job skills, etc...?
Its all about ethics... they know the rules when they decide to play college ball... as do the people that offer illicit "benefits"...
A free education is great I don't knock that part of it. Most football programs bring in the most money for their respective schools. I know both schools I've attended University of Michigan and now Central Michigan the football programs are the bread winners. And there are a lot of perks but its the outside influences that muck up the waters agents and runners. I applaud the student athletes that stay the course and use the full ride to their benefit. The kids that have pro potential though face a whole different type of peer pressure all I'm saying is don't blame kids for making kid mistakes when it's adults that cause the problem.
I agree with you to a certain extent...
I am sure its tough for atheletes to make the right decision.... when some fat cat, alumni, 100 yard club, president... comes knocking at your door with keys to a new car... $1000 in cash.. and a cool new set of sneakers... thats a whole lot of temptation to have to resist... especially when you know the same fat cat was knocking on your buddys door just 20 minutes ago... and that everyone expects you to join in the fun (and not snitch them out)...
The question is.... when do we start holding people responsible for their actions? what is the right age? when are they no longer "kids"?
at 18 you can vote... you can join the military... you can commit a felony and face the electric chair..etc..etc..
but we dont want to hold the same 18 year old kids responsible for making stupid "daily life" decisions..
I made a whole lot of dumb choices when I was young (still make them occasionally today..)....
the difference.. is I expected to be held accountable if/when the day of recconning came... I didnt expect to be able to hide behind the excuse of "peer pressure" or "im young" or "the old fat guy with the keys to the corvette made me do it.."...
I made the choice.... now I pay the price... if the other guy that helped me make the bad decision gets hammered too.. so be it... but that still doesnt make my decision the "right" one... he is accountable for his actions.. and I am accountable for mine...
these days it seems to be everybody elses fault... any anybody under the age of 25 shouldnt be accountable or responsible for anything...
which I find to be a huge disservice to not only the young adult... but also to society as a whole...
I am sure its tough for atheletes to make the right decision.... when some fat cat, alumni, 100 yard club, president... comes knocking at your door with keys to a new car... $1000 in cash.. and a cool new set of sneakers... thats a whole lot of temptation to have to resist... especially when you know the same fat cat was knocking on your buddys door just 20 minutes ago... and that everyone expects you to join in the fun (and not snitch them out)...
The question is.... when do we start holding people responsible for their actions? what is the right age? when are they no longer "kids"?
at 18 you can vote... you can join the military... you can commit a felony and face the electric chair..etc..etc..
but we dont want to hold the same 18 year old kids responsible for making stupid "daily life" decisions..
I made a whole lot of dumb choices when I was young (still make them occasionally today..)....
the difference.. is I expected to be held accountable if/when the day of recconning came... I didnt expect to be able to hide behind the excuse of "peer pressure" or "im young" or "the old fat guy with the keys to the corvette made me do it.."...
I made the choice.... now I pay the price... if the other guy that helped me make the bad decision gets hammered too.. so be it... but that still doesnt make my decision the "right" one... he is accountable for his actions.. and I am accountable for mine...
these days it seems to be everybody elses fault... any anybody under the age of 25 shouldnt be accountable or responsible for anything...
which I find to be a huge disservice to not only the young adult... but also to society as a whole...
I see your point I know I was held accountable for bad decisions lol
I'm not sure where I stand on this, but the free education argument is a good one against compensating athletes--as this is obviously a huge compensation.
On the other hand what % of athletes get full rides?
Some athletes get $$$ in the form of full rides while the rest get a pile of debt. Seems like it'd be fair to let the non scholarship players get some piece of the pie?
I assume the NCAA is crooked and the entire system needs some house cleaning. If only the govt would fix things for them/us (bad jk)
On the other hand what % of athletes get full rides?
Some athletes get $$$ in the form of full rides while the rest get a pile of debt. Seems like it'd be fair to let the non scholarship players get some piece of the pie?
I assume the NCAA is crooked and the entire system needs some house cleaning. If only the govt would fix things for them/us (bad jk)
the non scholarship atheletes arent the ones getting offered ilicit "benefits"...
Walk ons generally are offered noting more than a "chance".. if they do well once they make the team.. they pick up a scholarship the next year...
Walk ons generally are offered noting more than a "chance".. if they do well once they make the team.. they pick up a scholarship the next year...
For "major" sports.. the vast majority of them... when you start talking the kids on the golf, tennis, etc.. teams.. most schools offer tuition only.. (youve got to cover housing, meals, etc..)...
but.. like walk ons, on the major sports teams.. they arent the ones being offered illicit benefits either..
again.. I go back to the argument of ethics...
you know what you are signing on for when you take the scholarship... you know what the rules are... and you agree to them...
whether or not the "other guy" (whether we are talking about the NCAA, the fat cat, the govt, or whomever) is "wrong" is irrelevant.. you signed up for the deal... you should hold to the agreement, maintain your ethics, etc...
going back to the story of my niece... she was offered a tuition only scholarship to Princeton..
she ended up passing on that opportunity.. and took a full ride scholarship to a small public university in Arkansas...
why?
because she knew she needed the full ride in order to go to school... while Princeton would have given her one of the best educations available in the US.. the partial scholarship wouldnt have met her needs.. and she would have been faced with making some very tough decisions down the road (not that anyone is going to offer a member of the womens basketball team the same kind of "benefits" that they are going to offer a marquee player on a division 1 football team..)... but she wouldnt be able to afford housing, meals, travel, etc..etc.. without working A LOT (could have become a conflict with both her study schedule and NCAA rules).. wouldnt be able to come home very often (couldnt afford it)..etc..etc..
so at 18.. she made a very tough, but very responsible choice.. and passed on Princeton..
Instead of putting herself in a position where she would have to make even more difficult decisions/choices down the road...
What bothers me most is how people are "shocked." Really as everyone know when your talking about millions for making it to a bowl game Universities/schools/Players are going to do whatever it takes to get a piece against the rules or not. It will continue cause NCAA really doesn't/can't punish people enough to deter them. Look at USC agents in the locker rooms, booster money left and right. what is Pete Caroll punishment, none reward NFL job. Not to mention all the players who got nice contracts in the NFL. Yeah USC was banned from BCS bowls for couple years and some scholarships taken away and championships vacated but did they have to pay any of those millions back. NO so it amounts to nothing but a slap on the wrist.
If you want to clean up College football you got to start comming down hard I mean REAL HARD. having schools pay back bowl money, taking away scholarship/eligibility from kids, and I would like to see NCAA have power to knock down a school from FBS to FCS, but that won't happen cause the sad thing is NCAA also makes money off these big time football programs so how can they be trusted to lay down the hammer if their hand is in the till.
If you want to clean up College football you got to start comming down hard I mean REAL HARD. having schools pay back bowl money, taking away scholarship/eligibility from kids, and I would like to see NCAA have power to knock down a school from FBS to FCS, but that won't happen cause the sad thing is NCAA also makes money off these big time football programs so how can they be trusted to lay down the hammer if their hand is in the till.
thejavaman
BoM December 2012
Well said.
bdc30
BoM May '11
Not really having a full understanding of the economics of college athletics (it's VASTLY different up here obv), my initial thought was that the programs bring in SO much money for the schools, the players deserve to be compensated. After reading the thread though, it's easy to say that Mdwest wins the internet in this corner. Great posts, thanks for the insight.
AlohaStyle
BoM Sept '12 & Aug '13
My short answer is this... I'm torn on the subject. On one hand I hate the fact that there are flat out cheaters of the system and clean programs/people lose out, literally. But on the other hand, who are people kidding when they try to tell themselves that all student-athletes are equal around the country? Sure the majority of college athletes take their education serious because they know they will not become a professional athlete. But you know for damn sure that the big schools with big programs, their athletes could care less about the education and the administrators could care less about their education as well. It's all about the sports, winning and money. Oh did I mention the money?
I can't stand cheaters and I can't stand the hypocrisy of the NCAA making millions while trying to claim they are "student" athletes.
So again, I'm torn but lean towards wanting some kind of compromise. If you flat out allow payments, what's going to happen to the small schools that try to compete with the big boys? It aint gonna happen no more...
I can't stand cheaters and I can't stand the hypocrisy of the NCAA making millions while trying to claim they are "student" athletes.
So again, I'm torn but lean towards wanting some kind of compromise. If you flat out allow payments, what's going to happen to the small schools that try to compete with the big boys? It aint gonna happen no more...
I just don't care. I think it's stupid that a kid can get in trouble if some rich guy buys him a car or whatever.
I do not think college students should get compensated in any way because of the full rides they receive. If they want to pay these kids then there should be no scholarships for them. I do think they need to crackdown hard on people breaking the rules. Let the students know outright that breaking the rule is a years suspension. Let the alumni/colleges know that the penalties will be sever such as wins being taken away, staff being suspended, donors/alumni being black listed, etc.