Mike Golic Needs To Shut Up: College Athletes ARE Being Pimped

Let me start by saying that I know many kids make it to the NFL or NBA and make millions of dollars.  I get it.  These guys get a free education and get treated like royalty. 

However, a lot of these guys are hurting.  Their family situations really suck—and don't pretend like you understand.  Some of these kids come from terrible homes or their parents are in a terrible spot.

So, they may be treated very well and get a free education.  Some of them may be spoiled.  Some of them may be jerks.  I get that.

A lot of kids are not.  No one cares about you unless you are the "star beyond all stars."  You end up on the backburner.  I know better.

The "pimp" in this situation where kids are taking money is the NCAA .  How can anyone blame anybody for taking the money?  It's not for an illegal act.  These kids don't sell drugs or steal cars—they play a sport.

If you're a music major in college and you play gigs all the time, you can get paid for that all you want.  In fact, someone could give you a car because you're such a wonderful singer and no one would be the wiser.  By the way—some of those kids go to school for free too.

However, it's okay to get down on a great football player whose parents have no money—AND this kid had a bad childhood—because he's a "student athlete?"  I don't get it.

And then there's the righteous indignation of people like Mike Golic, who has a free platform on TV and radio.  He went to Notre Dame and he's going to try to get us to believe that he had no money and blah, blah?  He says athletes are treated well—and I'm sure they are. 

But he has no right to tell us to stop crying for athletes who are "pimped" by the NCAA, whose jerseys are sold for a profit, who are put under relentless scrutiny, and who are praying their pro contract is a guarantee.

It isn't.

It's one thing when an agent just hands a kid some cash.  It's another when the coach lets "anything go."  The investigation into USC football proves that.  There's more than just money there.  But just cash?  Cash?  Is this really all about some cash that the agent took out of his own pocket?  Why are we crying about this?

The only way you could get anybody to NOT take money from someone is if that same person could guarantee that there is a future full of riches in the NFL or NBA or whatever.

They can't.  There are no guarantees except the money that is sitting right in front of that kid's face.  How can you fault them for going for the cash?  Imagine their thoughts: "I can buy my parents a house," " I can get my parents out of debt," or "I can send my little sister to college."

It's more complicated than everyone wants to make it out to be.

So, since I don't want to steal someone's bit, I'll come up with my own.

Mike Golic—do me a favor and shut your everloving cakehole.

These athletes are pimped.  The university presidents, the NCAA, and the BCS see them as an ATM.  These conferences can expand to get more TV money, but we blame the athletes for taking some cash?

It's just wrong all the way around.