Should college athletes be paid wages? (Bellamy)
Yes-College athletics take time and dedication
By: Chris Bellamy
Issue date: 9/12/03 Section: Sports
Are you not entertained? Well if you're a college football fan, you should be.
During the fall, you pack massive stadiums to the brim-stadiums that seat 80,000. 90,000. 100,000.
You spend millions of dollars each year on jerseys, merchandise and concessions. You give out handfuls of cash to school fan clubs and season tickets.
You tune in to ESPN and ABC-or if you're a Notre Dame fan, even NBC.
You (and I) have turned college football into a business.
But don't tell the players that. Because if this is a money-making business, someone's getting cheated-and it ain't us.
We're not the ones doing all the work. Nor are the athletic directors and promoters and advertisers and boosters who make so much money on college sports.
It's the players, silly.
Or should I say, student athletes.
As privileged as college athletes are often portrayed to be, any one of them will tell you it isn't all fun and games. Unless, of course, you consider a full day of classes, weight-lifting, meetings, playbooks, homework and practice "fun and games." I know I don't.
The fact is, the system of college football takes advantage of the very people who make it so successful. They treat their players like gladiators, second-class citizens who perform for our enjoyment, while those on the top of the mountain collect all the winnings.
These people risk life and limb every bit as much as anyone in the NFL, NBA, NHL-you name it. They play the same games and endure the same injuries. They deal with the same pressures. And with classes and homework thrown into the equation, they are every bit as busy-or even busier-than their professional counterparts.
And yet these college kids reap very few of the benefits.
Isn't there something wrong with that picture?
These kids aren't even allowed to have separate jobs-and with all the time they spend in the classroom and on the field, most of them wouldn't have time for outside work anyway.
During the fall, you pack massive stadiums to the brim-stadiums that seat 80,000. 90,000. 100,000.
You spend millions of dollars each year on jerseys, merchandise and concessions. You give out handfuls of cash to school fan clubs and season tickets.
You tune in to ESPN and ABC-or if you're a Notre Dame fan, even NBC.
You (and I) have turned college football into a business.
But don't tell the players that. Because if this is a money-making business, someone's getting cheated-and it ain't us.
We're not the ones doing all the work. Nor are the athletic directors and promoters and advertisers and boosters who make so much money on college sports.
It's the players, silly.
Or should I say, student athletes.
As privileged as college athletes are often portrayed to be, any one of them will tell you it isn't all fun and games. Unless, of course, you consider a full day of classes, weight-lifting, meetings, playbooks, homework and practice "fun and games." I know I don't.
The fact is, the system of college football takes advantage of the very people who make it so successful. They treat their players like gladiators, second-class citizens who perform for our enjoyment, while those on the top of the mountain collect all the winnings.
These people risk life and limb every bit as much as anyone in the NFL, NBA, NHL-you name it. They play the same games and endure the same injuries. They deal with the same pressures. And with classes and homework thrown into the equation, they are every bit as busy-or even busier-than their professional counterparts.
And yet these college kids reap very few of the benefits.
Isn't there something wrong with that picture?
These kids aren't even allowed to have separate jobs-and with all the time they spend in the classroom and on the field, most of them wouldn't have time for outside work anyway.