Paying college players is neither immoral or destructive.
According to ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” college athletes are, for the first time in history, seeking union representation as a way of being recognized as official employees. ESPN’s Tom Farrey reports:
Backed by the United Steelworkers union, Huma also filed union cards signed by an undisclosed number of Northwestern players with the NLRB — the federal statutory body that recognizes groups that seek collective bargaining rights. {Click here for full story}
Imagine you are a poor, under-privileged seventeen year old and someone hands you a check for several thousands of dollars. They then say, “You didn’t get that money from me.” {Or pays you for a job you never did…} This brings about all kinds of moral and ethical dilemmas. They are told to lie and manipulate before they ever actually enroll in classes. Then, players like Tyrran Mathieu are released, because they become problem kids.
Why not just pay them honestly?
Why do we frown upon paying these kids to play football? Colleges and Universities pay students for services all the time. Band members get full scholarships along with a weekly salary. They are considered an employee of the school. Students get paid to work in the libraries, bookstores, and mow lawns. Why can’t we consider an athlete an employee of the university? Look over a college athletes schedule and find time for a part time job: at least a 12 hour class load, study, weight room, practice, and sleep.
It just doesn’t exist.
Not only do athletes not have time for a job, on or off campus, the schools are making millions of dollars off of these kids. The Tiger Athletic Foundation {TAF} ended the 2011 year with a total net value of $99,846,634. Once again that is $99,846,634! But paying the student-athletes would corrupt the game? Say what?!
The university presidents and NCAA bureaucrats aren’t worried about the integrity or well being of the players. They are worried about their own well-being and the integrity of their bank accounts. I respect the programs paying these athletes way more than these major money making institutions who keep it all for their greedy little-selves.
This whole “pay for play” stuff really needs to go away. Just because someone is getting paid for something doesn’t deem them a professional. My mom paid me fifty dollars to feed and watch her dogs this weekend. That doesn’t mean I am a professional dog sitter. It just means I’m competent enough to put food in a bowl and lift the lid on the toilet so they can get some water…
I really think the general public, university administrations, and especially the NCAA need to relax the rules a bit and let these kids benefit from some of the revenue they bring in.
