College football athletes do not get paid. And even among Division I programs, just 3.8% of football players will be drafted into the NFL. To put that in perspective, out of a typical Division I roster of 125 players, about five will get a shot a professional career. Most of the young people who strap on a helmet do not have a payday in their future.
Greed is one of the seven deadly sins. Certainly could be for football, fans and players. Not to mention back to school in general. Donald Trump can be blamed. His mishandling of everything he touches encourages public bad instead of good.
Those if his ilk jump on the band wagon in all facets of life.
Years ago, before there was no discussion of playing hazards, my husband saw playing any kind of sport well but primarily football, would get him off the farm and into a better life. This is what drives so many kids today and has now for generations. As a consequence of his decision he played varsity ball in high school, college and almost two full years playing pro ball in Canada. He sustained a career-ending injury during his second year and spent the next 4 years in his own personal hell until an orthopedic surgeon could put him back together, sort of.
This intro is written because long before COVID, sports and the powers that be promoting them have always been about the all mighty dollar. Yes, they drape it in the cloak of the selfless student athlete but we have seen way too many times how these young, hungry, and impressionable kids are abused and it’s all for the money. Over the years we’ve heard of former athletes graduating barely being able to read, badly injured and left without their scholarship money to finish at school, promoted like a piece of meat, or spoiled so much that they think they can get away with lawless activities. A lot of schools end up in trouble over such crass abuse.
So this is not new. Money in amateur sports has been a thing for years. Playing with COVID is just another “thing”.
Let’s bring up racism as it pertains to football. Aren’t most the players from minorities? So let me get this straight. We are asking young men of color to risk their lives for NO PAY so they can enrich the colleges and coaches they represent and punishing them if they refuse due to fears of the virus. Sounds a lot like slavery to me.
What is the primary race of the football teams suspending their seasons vs the ones that are pushing ahead with play? An analysis of football team populations should be done. I bet the population leans heavily African American on teams forcing season play.
Again, thanks Judd for such full coverage of an important issue. One aspect, maybe overlooked, consider what fun it is for athletes to play their sports. They'd happily do it for free just to play. Another example to illustrate this point: a friend of mine who was successful in Hollywood told me that actors need agents because they love their work so much that they'd happily work for free.
Greed is one of the seven deadly sins. Certainly could be for football, fans and players. Not to mention back to school in general. Donald Trump can be blamed. His mishandling of everything he touches encourages public bad instead of good.
Those if his ilk jump on the band wagon in all facets of life.
Years ago, before there was no discussion of playing hazards, my husband saw playing any kind of sport well but primarily football, would get him off the farm and into a better life. This is what drives so many kids today and has now for generations. As a consequence of his decision he played varsity ball in high school, college and almost two full years playing pro ball in Canada. He sustained a career-ending injury during his second year and spent the next 4 years in his own personal hell until an orthopedic surgeon could put him back together, sort of.
This intro is written because long before COVID, sports and the powers that be promoting them have always been about the all mighty dollar. Yes, they drape it in the cloak of the selfless student athlete but we have seen way too many times how these young, hungry, and impressionable kids are abused and it’s all for the money. Over the years we’ve heard of former athletes graduating barely being able to read, badly injured and left without their scholarship money to finish at school, promoted like a piece of meat, or spoiled so much that they think they can get away with lawless activities. A lot of schools end up in trouble over such crass abuse.
So this is not new. Money in amateur sports has been a thing for years. Playing with COVID is just another “thing”.
Let’s bring up racism as it pertains to football. Aren’t most the players from minorities? So let me get this straight. We are asking young men of color to risk their lives for NO PAY so they can enrich the colleges and coaches they represent and punishing them if they refuse due to fears of the virus. Sounds a lot like slavery to me.
"Sit in the back of the classroom." I think that says it all.
What is the primary race of the football teams suspending their seasons vs the ones that are pushing ahead with play? An analysis of football team populations should be done. I bet the population leans heavily African American on teams forcing season play.
Again, thanks Judd for such full coverage of an important issue. One aspect, maybe overlooked, consider what fun it is for athletes to play their sports. They'd happily do it for free just to play. Another example to illustrate this point: a friend of mine who was successful in Hollywood told me that actors need agents because they love their work so much that they'd happily work for free.