Found this over at blutarsky.wordpress.com. Amazingly well-written attack on the idea of paying college players.
” The easiest way to fix the problem is to address the problem. Beginning in middle school, kids should be told by their coaches, teachers, and parents that they are going to be held to a higher standard. Athletic ability guarantees a free ride. It doesn’t guarantee an open door. If the adults involved in the lives of these kids adjust their mentality from “this is what you need to do to deal with it” to “this is where you need to be to be successful,” all of these problems go away. It’s time to stop saying that a kid from the wrong side of the tracks needs a paycheck because football is their way out and start saying that a kid from the wrong side of the tracks gets an education because football is their way in. Without athletic talent, a lot of the kids we continue to talk about, black or white, would only view a college campus while dropping off a pizza. If perspective is appropriately represented, these kids, given the opportunity of a four year free education, would embrace it, utilize it, and succeed because of it.
Fact is, college athletes graduate with degrees at nearly the same rate as the general student body. They’ve already proven they’re equal to their peers. Why continue the argument that these players, given free educations and equal opportunity, need yet another leg up on the kid who will pay student loans until they’re 40?
Every job has an entry level requirement. The NFL’s entry level requires a player to be three years removed from high school. Players have a choice. They can go to college and build their resume, or hope that three years removed from high school and without experience will get them drafted. How many have you seen skip college? Let’s be real. Let’s be accurate. Paying players creates more problems than it solves, regardless of what Jason Whitlock accepts as his current reality. The solution is as simple as realistic expectations and proper preparation. Can we be realistic for once?
I’m sorry that Ed O’Bannon didn’t cut it in the NBA. I’m sorry that Tyrone Prothro’s injury limited his NFL potential. Heck, I’m sorry that someone told Maurice Clarett when he was 16 that he was destined to be the next great pro running back. Most importantly, I’m sorry that the gravy training jerk-offs who told all these kids that millions of professional dollars were going to be easy ever existed in the first place. If you want to fix the problem, focus on the problem. If you wan’t to put a band aid on reality, pay college athletes and wait for the next problem to surface. I’d bet a healthy sum that paying college players creates more Antoine Walkers than Michael Jordans. Of course, Antoine Walker lacked the funds to pony up for that bet” Dan Wines
Red and Black, Win or Lose