Say What????

Many years ago I got into a debate with great mentor Jeff Howe about the comparative value of athletics at a university and the normal student. He pointed out to me that even though athletics generate millions of dollars to a school, do not dismiss the value of what non athletes bring to colleges and universities. I told him that College athletes should be paid because even though their education is paid the money that they bring in allows for the average college student to have microscopes and things that on may need over a college career. He did not fully disagree but he again spoke of the value of the scientist who is doing research that brings money to a university or other majors that do research to help society. I agreed with his position but I concluded by saying that a Biology student is not getting his name in the paper because he failed his classes or if he dropped a beaker in class as opposed to an athlete who is slammed because he dropped a first down pass or failed human studies because he cannot read. Now 18 years later I feel the same on the topic but even stronger.
College coaches make a sick amount of money in most sports. Football and Basketball generate so much money for universities and colleges. In some schools like Miami, LSU, Syracuse, USC, North Carolina, they have incredible sport programs in more than two fields. North Carolina may have the best programs in the country. They have great men and women sports and even though the football team has not competed for a championship in years, the soccer, baseball, lacrosse program make serious money for the schools as well. Texas has the big three. When Coach Mack Brown was awarded a contract extension and a raise, some of the teachers complained that the timing is not right and that the raise was excessive. All he has done is played or competed for a championship every yer that he has been in Texas. In fact just for getting his team to the championship game alone this year the school will receive in excess of 25 million dollars. what people don't know is that every team that goes to a bowl game gets a boat load of money. The students get to wear cool apparel and get a small stipend to feed themselves for a week since they cannot find a job. In fact at most Universities around the country, college coaches in the school biggest bread winning sports make more money than the governors and other important people in the state. Coach Jim Calhoun was in the news last year when Connecticut gave him a raise in the millions. Pete Carroll at USC makes 4.4 million a year here in L.A. Bob Stoops and Nick Saban 4 million and Charlie Weis just got paid a ridiculous amount of money in a settlement with Notre Dame. The reason I still support the student athlete is most represented in the Brian Kelly situation. His players over the last two years have won over 20 games and played in 2 B.C.S. games. Cincinnati does not have a rich football history and because of the success of the football team, Brian Kelly "earned" the Notre Dame job, got paid a king's ransom and his players got nothing left but memories. So if the coaches are getting "broken off" why can't the players?
So this what college age athletes are doing now. Most of them are going to school for one year in basketball or over seas to play in Europe and getting hands on training. A couple of them have unsuccessfully petitioned leagues to play pro early in football. Maurice Clarett is the saddest athlete in the world. He has gone from a national champion and super freshman to fresh meat in a prison cell. All due to the fact that he wanted to go pro before they put out an age requirement in football. He did get drafted but was so unprepared and disillusioned that his fall is tragic. Mike Williams has not had any career to speak of. He was drafted by the Lions and then he was picked up by Oakland and he seems to not be able to stay healthy enough to play in the league. In baseball, the athletes are going to the minor leagues and honing their skills there, although college baseball still gets great prospects. Most schools have two baseball seasons so those athletes don't have a chance to get jobs either. In the other sports that don't have professional careers, prepare for careers in other fields or hope for Olympic glory and hope to get sponsorships to further their pursuits. I say pay them all and let the chips fall wall they may. Coaches are making way to much money. They get too much credit and too much blame. These two athletes probably would have stayed in college if they got paid. Please don't feed me that nonsense about perks and hush money from boosters that some of the families get. When they get busted and have to pay it back or ruin programs for schools is not a prevalent today as it was in the 80's. If an athlete is good enough these days they usually figure out a way to go pro. "Blue Chips" was a great movie though....