RhowdyRam02 wrote:PlayMikeMotenMore wrote:STC wrote:What a racket the whole system is. $8.8B and no payment for the players is a disgrace.
Spare me the 'free education' bullshit too.
For thus of us preparing to pay for our kids college education, "free education" ain't no BS. Average out of state tuition for a public university is about $24,000...add room and board, plus books and that's another $9000. So for the sake of discussion, let's just say that it costs $33,000 per year for a full ride. Multiply that by 4 years and that's $132,000...and if it takes 5-years, then the tab is $165,000.
I'll write you a check for $165,000 and you tell me if that's BS.
Players seem to have enough money for Beats by Dre headphones (approx. $200), cell phone, and many tattoos ($75 to $150/hour). Players have no extra money to pay for a pizza or movie??? That's where the BS is. You want extra spending money? Go get a job during the summer while taking summer classes.
And here's PMMM spouting the standard NCAA line. You can cite the sticker price for standard students, but of course that doesn't make sense because most students don't pay sticker price after scholarships and grants. The more relevant number, which the NCAA and schools have no intention of letting people find out is how much does each scholarship actually cost the school. That's the real value of what the student athletes receive and it is significantly less then all of the numbers PMMM used.
Also the just get a job line is a total joke. The NCAA severely restricts what type of jobs and hours student athletes can work, the student athletes still have duties for their teams in addition to the course work, and they aren't able to use their best skills for compensation. If a student gets a music scholarship they aren't in any way restricted from using their talent to make money outside of the university, but athletes, in the NCAA's quest to make them the same as all students, aren't allowed the same opportunities. They can't get paid for training other players, can't get paid to play outside of the university setting, can't even get paid to endorse products or sign autographs.
The whole system exploits athletes and I celebrate every single victory they get in battles against the NCAA.
1) The exact figure is irrelevant. Fine...tell me the price tag you want to place on a 4-5 year out of state college education? It's between $100-$200,000 for public institutions and far more for private. We can agree on that.
2) Most students have LOANS to pay back...which is far more than any scholarship or grant.
3) I, yes believe it...I was an actual Division One student-athlete who trained and worked in the summer. There is so much down time during summer school that I can't imagine what I would've done had I not had a job. Spare me the NCAA restricts what jobs you can do. Excuses are for losers.
4) A student-athlete has access to all the resources a university has to offer. Talk about opportunity!! You get to use the facilities, weight room, best coaches, athletic training, etc. to prepare yourself for pro basketball career...if that's what your goal is. If you're more focused on life beyond basketball, you have tutors, advisors, and professors to guide you along. You want to paid for signing autographs? Be my guest...join the D-League or play in Europe. If you believe that's better training for a vocation as a pro basketball player, then that's certainly an avenue of choice.
5) Yes, a scholarship is a 1-year renewable contract. But how many times do coaches pull the scholarships? You only hear about the times that does occur...how about the 99% of the time it doesn't. When has it happened at URI?
5) Being a member of the basketball team provides exposure on TV, arenas, scouts, pro coaches, professional marketing firms, etc. It's like getting your resume in front of thousands to millions of people every time you step on the court. Gee, those poor student athletes. They're really being taken advantage of.
If athletes want to claim that they're victims, then they'll continue to be victims. Otherwise, they should take advantage of all that they're given for being able to put a ball thru a hoop, hit a baseball, catch a pass, or whatever it is they do. I'm grateful for my 4-years competing that I was able to experience.