Thanks to SFDB for noting my, "Miami Herald fumbles Pulitzer prize in its own backyard." Judging from the torrid response by the Herald, the editors at the city's only daily newspaper are reorganizing.
If convicted criminal Nevin Shapiro's allegations prove out, the University of Miami football program could be facing the NCAA "death penalty". But wait, here is the question that should be answered first: what is the problem this outcome would solve? From what I've read, I am pretty certain that NCAA officials and college presidents are doing their own fumbling.
The horses left the barn a long time ago on the matter of compensating athletes in big time college sports. As a former Division I athlete (when dinosaurs roamed) and coach through my children's generation, it is obvious that the sacrifice young athletes make to qualify to play in college ranks has reached its outer limit. By the time they arrive at the Big U, the purported goal of "integrating" athletes into college life-- especially in big time college sports-- is fiction. I treasure my time playing for the team, but there is an enforced separation that has little to do with segregated dormitories or eating halls.
Put another way: I am all for the ideal of the scholar athlete, but in big time college sports that is more theory than practice. NCAA rules and enforcement should focus on players who sleep walk through college with a little help from friends. If it was clear, in high school and earlier, that the "death penalty" is based on academic performance, fewer big time athletes would arrive with smirks.
NCAA officials and college presidents should put together a commission to explore a new way forward. Competitive athletes in big time colleges are like piece workers in a manufacturing enterprise; no one is hurt if athletes are paid for it, so long as they obey all the other rules to graduate. After repetitive scandals and enforcement problems at schools like the University of Miami, reforming to allow pay for athletes and stiff penalties for sleep walking through classes and passing is where the NCAA and college presidents should address their focus.
If NCAA colleges can't come to terms with academic performance, then call the athletes what they are: professionals qualified to play.
9 comments:
The football players are called student athletes and the NCAA are the players pimps. The athletes cant get a free pair of shoes but the NCAA makes millions of dollars on the players. Let break away from the NCAA at I bet we could get fifty of the best collage schools to join. We pay the players several hundred dollars a week and lets play ball.
The same thing went on in my school (a major football university, always in the top 20) when I was there. Maybe not as blatant. The school turned a blind eye when athletes got in trouble. Alumni gave money and gifts to players. This is not news.
I haven't researched this at all, so I'm just speaking off the cuff and maybe out of my a$$, but many, many years ago, we had only unpaid amateurs competing in the Olympics. Then, because other countries allowed professional athletes, we starting allowing pros to compete.
How do other countries deal with college-level athletes? Are they paid? Are they heavily recruited? Are they lavished with fancy boat trips and whores?
I'd be curious to learn about that and see if, once again, American "amateur" athletics could/should follow the lead of the rest of the world.
Nevil Shapiro? How was it so easy for this lowlife con man to get so much access?
Donna Shalala? She looked like a douche today on Channel 10.
Where was the adult supervision?
What were you a Division I Athlete in...Chess?
Let's get real here. College presidents are to money as rats are to cheese. After all, they have violated every ideological principle they teach their students about fairness in the manner in which they take advantage of football players. If I had a million dollars divided into $50,000 checks and called a bunch of college presidents and put a $50,000 check in their hands, I bet you, if that was all I wanted, I could have unlimited access to their football teams.
Handing out money and favors to these ghetto kids? Who thought that would work out well?
Let's face it, Division I college basketball, football, and to some extent, baseball are the minor leagues for their professional counterparts.
As such, the NCAA should give up the charade of the " student" athlete, which is the rare exception, not the rule.
Provisions should be made to provide them with the ability to live their lives while honing their talents for the big leagues; including their monetary needs.
The University has hired counsel to protect their interests in this affair, and I think the players need counsel to protect their interests with the University and the NCAA. The problem is, they have no money. Maybe, some lawyers will step-up to represent them in talks with the NCAA and with the University. Their whole futures are on the line, so they certainly have interest to be protected too.
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