2006-09-05

More Absurdity of Interscholastic Athletics

These guys got arrested for maryjane and weapons possession. Why should they miss playing a football game? Why should their athletic interests compel them to attend a university? Why should a university stage sports spectacles?

3 comments:

Paul Hue said...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/09/05/clemson.mcelrathbey.ap/index.html

Even more absurdity, this heartbreaking. This Clemson football player is raising his younger brother. Without interscholatic sports, this guy could be playing for a farm team, making a few thousand bucks a month. In this presposterous situation, he can't accept help from people, due to risking his eligability.

Nadir said...

The Texas players got off easy. In some states possession of a firearm and even a small amount of weed would find them facing mandatory minimums, impounded vehicles and revoked scholarships. Lucky they are football players. The cops probably called the coach first.

The Clemson player should be allowed to receive help in taking care of his brother. Forget the farm team. He's a college student. That should be the primary concern.

Now of course, if colleges paid their athletes as has been suggested, because they make so much money, he wouldn't have this problem either.

Paul Hue said...

If we eliminate college sports, this Clemson player would be free to enroll in school whenever he wants, wherever he qualifies academically, without regard for his athletic skills. Paying players on college teams would be even worse than the current situation. Just think about it, and consider that only about 5 sports programs generate enough money in total to pay for the entire operation. Would you pay basketball players more than lacrosse players? Starters more than reserves? Quaterbacks more than punters? At all but 5 or so schools in the country, the rest of the university pays for the athletic program. Paying players would increase this drain, unless only the players in the money programs got paid.

People of this age who play tennis and golf are free to attend college... or not, with the money they earn. Some opt to get so-called "athletic scholarships", but this is not mandatory for professional participation in those sports.

Ahtletic scholarship is an obvious scam... obvious to anybody willing to examine the facts prior to committing themselves to an opinion.