Show me the Money

Amateur-
1. Someone who pursues a study or sport as a pastime.
2. Does not play for pay.

University-
1. Establishment where a seat of higher learning is housed, including administrative and living quarters as well as facilities for research and teaching.
2. A large and diverse institution of higher learning created to educate for life and for a profession and to grant degrees.


NCAA-
1. Is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States.

After five minutes of quick research I found that nowhere within each of these definitions does it state that they are now money making businesses.

Let’s first look at the Amateur athlete also referred to as the collegiate athlete. Take one look around a big time campus and try telling me that one of those star players hasn’t received some type of compensation to play at that institution.



Folks, I live right next to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Division II University. For years I would see some of their star players in football and basketball roll around in expensive cars and dress with nice Bling on. Let’s be honest, most of these guys couldn’t even spell their own name but all that mattered was that they could catch a football or dunk a basketball.

It only gets worse as we look at the division I level. Derek Rose, Reggie Bush, and OJ Mayo are just a few athletes in recent years that have pending investigation on them regarding taking some type of compensation to play a sport. It doesn’t stop there though, look at the police log. Eric Devo, the Tennessee football and basketball team, etc... The list goes on and on.



Why then do we continue to lie to ourselves and call athletics amateur anymore?
This brings into my second focal point of universities. Before you say, “Mario some of these schools have to cut programs because they can’t afford things,” we need to look at the facts. Not one big time university is hurting, but yet your college tuition is still $40,000 a year and they are still handing out scholarships to lil Derek who has a sweet jumper but couldn’t tell you what a pronoun is.

The NCAA is even worse. Year in and year out they are racking in the cash for their lucrative TV deals, sponsorships for championships and many more things that the NCAA has found a way to put their hands on and make money off of.



So can we just call a spade a spade and say that athletics are now businesses!
If we are going to pay a coach 3 million dollars, if we are going to give universities 10 million for playing in the national championship game, how about we just give the kids money legally?

Stop wasting money on investigating schools. Stop saying your university or the NCAA is hurting for money. We live in the USA, where you can do anything right? So let’s stop putting restrictions on these kids.

If the kid wants to be dumb and try and make it in the NBA out of college, let em. If your son has a 95 mph fastball at age 16, Pittsburgh sign’em up. If Dixon runs a 4.2 in the 40 and is strong as an ox at the age of 18 let him play pro football.
Why are we putting limits just because we don’t think these kids are ready? They are ready to hold a gun and die for their country but they aren’t ready to make a million dollars? Seems to me the second one would be the more enjoyable.

If this happens maybe a student attending a university would go back to actually being a student. You wouldn’t have a guy like John Wall who probably went to three classes this semester attending college anymore.



Folks, young athletes are just as likely to use their money foolishly as someone older. It is the professional leagues that need to step up a structure on how to use your money. You shouldn’t be allowed to touch half of your money until you are at least five years in. Set up something that allows these guys to understand that their careers may be short, but the money they made can last them forever.


Enjoy the FINAL FOUR this weekend. Think each time you watch the commercials on CBS that the NCAA is making money, each jersey you see in the stands or tee-shirt the university is making money, and each athlete on the floor..... well I am sure they are making money too.