I had two choices Sunday afternoon. Either I could go out and do some yard work in 95-degree heat, probably get thorns from a rose bush lodged in my finger, and get bit by a couple of mosquitoes a couple hundred times.
Or I could sit inside the air conditioned house and catch up on some old ESPN Magazines that had piled up.
I chose the latter.
After reading tons of articles, I stumbled upon everyone’s favorite guy: Stephen A. Smith. The title of the article was, “Don’t Pretend to Care if O.J. Mayo Got Paid. You’ll Just Encourage the NCAA (and the media).”
First thought that came to mind?
I can hear him screaming that out as he typed it on his laptop.
Second thought?
Longest. Title. Ever.
Third thought?
What a moronic and utterly stupid read this is going to be. I should have just trusted my gut, turned the page, and continued on my boring Sunday afternoon rather than reading the article.
I would have kept myself a step further away from needing anger management classes, and also saved my dog from hearing me throw out random obscenities while reading. But I got what I deserved for going against my gut.
I’ll summarize for those of you who didn’t read Smith’s masterpiece (you can read the full article here, but I don’t recommend it).
Basically, he says that we shouldn’t judge or care about college athletes who take money from sleazy agents and other clingers while they are still coming up.
We shouldn’t care if a college athlete receives sums that total into the six figures, drives a Benz, and has more expensive technology in his dorm room than most have in their entire house.
Why?
Because schools, television networks, agents, and media all get paid. Why shouldn’t the actual collegiate athlete, the one who is bringing in all the money? Or as Stephen A. put it:
"College basketball, like college football, is a billion-dollar business. Money pours into athletic departments, coaches' pockets, sneaker companies, hotels, airlines, restaurants, souvenir merchants, networks, newspapers, and, yes, magazine columnists. Meanwhile, the laborers who are most in need are expected to watch everyone else pad their wallets?"
(Deep breath Shaun. Deep breath.)
Here’s why they shouldn’t get paid. Last I checked, the average cost of going to a public university in the United States is approx $12,000 a year, which means $48,000 for four years according to CNN Money.
Of all college students, 65 percent graduate with debt that often takes years to pay off due to interest accumulations. A full scholarship athlete, the target of agents and other sleazy folks, has all of his college costs paid for.
You play basketball, or whatever sport, for these four years and win a free college education. Keep in mind that this is a college education that the majority of players would not have otherwise received. Most would have been high school graduates at best, fluttering around the inner cities.
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