Johnny Manziel and many other athletes have helped make the case for getting paid Should the rules be changed? (Thomas Cambell/USA Today Sports)
PAY UP
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There is a never-ending debate going on across the country and the sports world, whether the NCAA should pay their student athletes some of the millions of dollars that they bring in from the names, likenesses and memorabilia of their student athletes. Everything from video games and jerseys to teddy bears and posters is sold to the public taking advantage of the student athletes that make college sports so special, and the people that make the business possible (the student athletes), don't ever get a penny of it.
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It’s time.
From the days of Chris Webber and the Fab Five to the antics of Johnny Football, college athletes have deserved to get paid. The NCAA has never made more money off college athletes than it is right now. Meanwhile, the common college athlete is struggling to make it through the week. Ordering pizza is expensive for them. Their friends, who aren’t involved in sports and look up to them as rock stars, are the ones going out and getting jobs, pizza, movie tickets, etc.
It's time.
These college athletes, who may have full rides, don’t have the time to go and get jobs to help support themselves. Between class, practice, travel, game day and sleep, they simply don’t have enough room in their schedule. They can’t stop practicing (unless they’re Bo Jackson of course), because doing so ensures that they’ll be in the coaches doghouse and that they’ll be effectively giving up on their dream of going professional.
It's time.
Some say that a free education is the best payment. All of your books are paid for, your room is paid for along with all of your food. That’s great, to the guys that get a full ride. But as we know, not everyone on any team is going to be a scholarship athlete. Some guys are partial scholarships while others are walk-ons. Those walk-ons, who are most likely 2nd and 3rd stringers, are doing it for the love of the game and the hope that the make it onto an NFL team. Those guys need to be paid the worst of any group. To tell them to quit the team is to tell them to give up their dream to make it to the pros in order to pay off their, likely, college loans.
It's time.
The guys that have full rides need something, some type of stipend, more than ever. Between College GameDay, benefits and local interviews, the big-time athlete is in demand more than he was even 20 years ago. They see people wearing jerseys with THEIR name on the back when THEY (the college athlete) can’t afford to buy it themselves. That’s a shame. That’s something that we have to change.
It’s time.
There is an idea, a stolen idea if you will, that has caught my attention and seems fair and reasonable to both the students and the colleges. The idea is to give student-athletes heavy discounts (about 75%) at grocery stores or places like Target, Walmart, etc., so they are spending money, but not at the same level other, non-athlete students would be spending. They wouldn’t be paid, or getting free anything. But they would be able to hold onto whatever little money that they do have and not spend all $300 that they have for the month on food. Is it perfect? No. But it’s a start.
It's time.
From the days of Chris Webber and the Fab Five to the antics of Johnny Football, college athletes have deserved to get paid. The NCAA has never made more money off college athletes than it is right now. Meanwhile, the common college athlete is struggling to make it through the week. Ordering pizza is expensive for them. Their friends, who aren’t involved in sports and look up to them as rock stars, are the ones going out and getting jobs, pizza, movie tickets, etc.
It's time.
These college athletes, who may have full rides, don’t have the time to go and get jobs to help support themselves. Between class, practice, travel, game day and sleep, they simply don’t have enough room in their schedule. They can’t stop practicing (unless they’re Bo Jackson of course), because doing so ensures that they’ll be in the coaches doghouse and that they’ll be effectively giving up on their dream of going professional.
It's time.
Some say that a free education is the best payment. All of your books are paid for, your room is paid for along with all of your food. That’s great, to the guys that get a full ride. But as we know, not everyone on any team is going to be a scholarship athlete. Some guys are partial scholarships while others are walk-ons. Those walk-ons, who are most likely 2nd and 3rd stringers, are doing it for the love of the game and the hope that the make it onto an NFL team. Those guys need to be paid the worst of any group. To tell them to quit the team is to tell them to give up their dream to make it to the pros in order to pay off their, likely, college loans.
It's time.
The guys that have full rides need something, some type of stipend, more than ever. Between College GameDay, benefits and local interviews, the big-time athlete is in demand more than he was even 20 years ago. They see people wearing jerseys with THEIR name on the back when THEY (the college athlete) can’t afford to buy it themselves. That’s a shame. That’s something that we have to change.
It’s time.
There is an idea, a stolen idea if you will, that has caught my attention and seems fair and reasonable to both the students and the colleges. The idea is to give student-athletes heavy discounts (about 75%) at grocery stores or places like Target, Walmart, etc., so they are spending money, but not at the same level other, non-athlete students would be spending. They wouldn’t be paid, or getting free anything. But they would be able to hold onto whatever little money that they do have and not spend all $300 that they have for the month on food. Is it perfect? No. But it’s a start.
It's time.