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Pollard on Deadspin

Bret44 said:
I chose to do an unpaid internship in DC on the Hill. Should I start a group for unpaid interns in DC for the fact that they do a bulkhead of the work compared to the congressmen who make a large sum a year?
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Unpaid internships of all kinds are *********, but aside from that whoever you worked for wasn't making hundreds of millions of dollars based entirely on the backs of you and the other unpaid interns.
 
TXCyclones said:
I don't think you grasp the expectations put on college athletes expected to play at D1 level.
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There isn't anything a college athlete could possibly need that they aren't provided with in excess of what a student working a job while in school could provide for themselves. Loans aren't illegal and they get school, housing, food, free gym, the best academic help available, new clothing, etc.
 
NATEizKING said:
There isn't anything a college athlete could possibly need that they aren't provided with in excess of what a student working a job while in school could provide for themselves. Loans aren't illegal and they get school, housing, food, free gym, the best academic help available, new clothing, etc.
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EXACTLY! If athletes need more money, take out a loan, and pay it off when you're done with college.
 
TXCyclones said:
I don't think you grasp the expectations put on college athletes expected to play at D1 level.
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Then, if they train all summer, who are these OU football players selling autos. Wait, they never showed for their jobs.

Frankly, if one person is paid money, all the athletes deserve it. That would be an expensive proposition. Ticket prices would be going up for sure.
 
3TrueFans said:
Residents gets paid somewhere along the lines of $50,000 or so a year. If we assume the value of tuition and room/board for a year is somewhere around $30,000 that leaves an extra $1,666/month more, sounds like a good stipend amount.

During med school however the aspiring doctor has the option of working while going to school, the college athlete does not have this choice based on the time committed to their sport.
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Residents are working more hours than football players are putting in on football. How about we adjust the 50000/year to a per hour amount, place that on the hours spent on football and see if that comes to above or below $30000.

Say they are working 60 hours/week (standard for a resident between on job, reviews, studying, etc.), they are staring down $16/hour. At $16/hour, football players would have to put in 36 hours/week to equal 30000/year. Do the football players put in 36 hours a week 52 weeks a year? Not certain about that.
 
A full time student working a full time job for $8.50 for 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year makes $17680 a year before taxes. How much does a student-athlete get in compensation and do they spend 40 hours a week, every week of the year in training, practice and games?
 
NATEizKING said:
There isn't anything a college athlete could possibly need that they aren't provided with in excess of what a student working a job while in school could provide for themselves. Loans aren't illegal and they get school, housing, food, free gym, the best academic help available, new clothing, etc.
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This is never brought up enough. Former ISU WBB star Lyndsey Medders (now Fennelly) talks about this a lot - that if any student athlete doesn't make academic progress and graduate, it's their own fault, with the huge support system available to them...
 
NATEizKING said:
There isn't anything a college athlete could possibly need that they aren't provided with in excess of what a student working a job while in school could provide for themselves. Loans aren't illegal and they get school, housing, food, free gym, the best academic help available, new clothing, etc.
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Gas, clothing aside from sweats, cell phone, insurance. What happens if your car breaks down or needs new tires or whatever? You get a loan? Or you hope that mom and dad have money? There are a slew of expenses that won't be covered by a college scholarship. Most people would have the option of taking out a loan or getting a job, athletes don't have that luxury.
 
Bret44 said:
Not saying the current situation is perfect, but the fact that they are getting an education (which is very undervalued in today's world) makes it hard for me to feel to bad for them.
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I to don't feel bad for them.
 
3TrueFans said:
Gas, clothing aside from sweats, cell phone, insurance. What happens if your car breaks down or needs new tires or whatever? You get a loan? Or you hope that mom and dad have money? There are a slew of expenses that won't be covered by a college scholarship. Most people would have the option of taking out a loan or getting a job, athletes don't have that luxury.
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Athletes can take out loans and can get jobs.
 
3TrueFans said:
Gas, clothing aside from sweats, cell phone, insurance. What happens if your car breaks down or needs new tires or whatever? You get a loan? Or you hope that mom and dad have money? There are a slew of expenses that won't be covered by a college scholarship. Most people would have the option of taking out a loan or getting a job, athletes don't have that luxury.
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Why exactly don't they have that option? someone in this thread even mentioned having football players as employees. Last I checked banks didn't refuse student loans based on athlete status.
 
3TrueFans said:
Gas, clothing aside from sweats, cell phone, insurance. What happens if your car breaks down or needs new tires or whatever? You get a loan? Or you hope that mom and dad have money? There are a slew of expenses that won't be covered by a college scholarship. Most people would have the option of taking out a loan or getting a job, athletes don't have that luxury.
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Public transportation, I'm willing to guess most BCS universities have it. A car is not a need, a cell phone is not a need. If they didn't have it when they came, they probably don't need it when they do. If they did have it when they came, mommy and daddy probably paid for it before they got here. Why couldn't they take out a loan? They'll have a college degree with minimal debt. Plenty of football players have part time jobs, they could get one when out of season and pay off loans.
 
chuckd4735 said:
EXACTLY! If athletes need more money, take out a loan, and pay it off when you're done with college.
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So because they have the skills and are essentially forced to go to college if they want to make a living on those skills they're forced to take out loans to cover anything above what the scholarship covers?
 
vmbplayer said:
He's not wrong. I love it when a former athlete talks about looking at all that money their making for the school argument.

Ever heard of an unpaid internship? No one is forcing you to play college sports. If you're good enough to get paid by all means go play somewhere that will pay you. You chose to go to the NCAA because you have realized it's the best choice for your future. I chose Iowa State because a 4 year degree led me down a career bath better than going straight into the workforce after high school. It's the same decision.

What's that? You aren't good enough to leave high school and go play pro? So you're kind of benefiting from the facilities and training you're getting in college? Kind of like an unpaid internship. Then there's the fallacy that you're entitled to what you make your company or school. There hasn't been a year since I graduated where I didn't generate way more revenue or cost savings for my employer than I was paid. Believe it or not that's the real world. Then there's the repeated lack of paying attention to the fact that the education is free. Average college student graduates with over $30K in debt. The average cost for room and board for a 4 year institution is over $20K. I guess that 80-100K you get to play sports doesn't count. Also, ask all the PHD candidates how much cash they're rolling in for their breakthroughs.

So I leave it with this suggestion. Strip all athletic scholarships, they pay for tuition and lodging just like every other student. Pay each athlete (no longer student athlete) the average cost of room and board nationwide. Then we can start having a conversation about what their play is worth. Since the athletes that are a part of the APU movement are ignoring the value of the diploma. In the meantime require they maintain good academic standing because the fact that fans have driven up revenue for the athletics departments doesn't change the mission and purpose of the institutions.

And oh by the way...I would go watch ISU play even if there weren't a superstar there slick. Iowa State as a whole is a prime example of this. Over the last 4 years fans have shown up in record numbers for a football team that over that period is under 500. If it was the players making me show and they were being paid to do what they do I'd probably expect to see a hell of a lot more empty seats. Arrowhead stadium isn't selling out when there's been 7 years in a row of .500 football. The idea that it is player talent driving revenue is whack. There were great players in the 70s, that didn't drive up the revenue. The difference has been the media outlets and the advent of technologies like DVR. The only market for live television any more that secures viewers is sports. The DVR, netflix, amazon video, hulu are more responsible for raising the revenue of athletics departments than the players. The overall talent of players hasn't changed dramatically in the last 15 years.
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Best post I have ever read on CF. this should be required reading for every athlete, fan and especially sportswriter.
 
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