Kenny Bell and NCAA Reform

[StPaulHusker]

As a fan of schadenfreude, I really would enjoy Kenny Bell, Boulder Colorado (one of the nicest a reason the planet) native, and son of an NFL player get in front of microphone to talk about hardship.

I don't know what Bell's family income status is and don't care to know but why should that stop him from speaking up for or with a kid who doesn't have the same background as him?

 

His status shouldn't, but his common sense damn well should.

That's debatable

[Scratchtown]

I sit here at work and I'm also wondering if Kenny decided to drop $700+ on a trip somewhere during Spring Break.......

 

So what if he did? It's not yours or anyone else's place to judge what they spend money on.

 

How would you like it if you went to your boss and asked for a raise and were denied because they questioned how you would spend the extra money?

 

 

Thats not even the point. They aren't an employee. So it doesn't really matter. We shouldn't be handing out money for kids to spend recklessly. What does that teach them at probably their most important time of their lives?

[MsideHusker]

Not sure if this was discussed, read many of the posts, but not all.

 

I do think that the kids on scholarship should have enough funds to cover basic expenses and needs. Athletes are restricted on work, but I also think that this should apply to academic scholarship students. They also dedicate much of their time and energy trying to maintain a level of academic standing that is required to earn the scholarship.

 

Also get tired of the "coaches and ad make so much off these kids." Their job is to win games, get donations, and make the department as profitable as possible. Just as with the professor in the history department. Their job is to teach and get the students to the best possible spot and also to make the institution as academically prestigious as possible which in turn creates more revenue for the school. The coach is an employee and should be rewarded for the work that he does based on his contract. Kenny Bell is also rewarded in the same manner. If he works hard and plays hard he earns his scholarship and all the little things that come with it. If he doesn't play hard or doesn't get his grades in line he then loses that opportunity.

 

The fact is that you have guys looking at a Johnny Manziel or Clowney and thinking that they are somehow getting screwed. Manziel may have a case, but without the marketing clout of A&M and the SEC where would he be right now? Would you know about Johnny Football? Would he be a potential #1 pick? Or would he be some kid that was out busting his hump trying to get people to notice him so he could maybe earn a spot on a free agent practice squad? They are losing site of what they have. Yes Bo makes millions of dollars, but would any of us or those players want his job? I sure as hell wouldn't.

 

Another big point missing from all this dollar talk. How much money does Nebraska athletics earn from donations? Think about all the football tickets that are sold? Face value is $65? Who really pays $65 per seat? We all pay the standard donation every single year and pay more if you want better seats. Yet when its time for adding onto the stadium who pays? Well they do more fundraising to get more donations because they don't have the funds to cover. Pull all those donations out of the equation and see how much money is left. Then you will hear about the coaches again making all this cash. Well guess what. I make less than my CEO and I can tell you that i generate way more revenue to this company than that man does. However the stress and the scope of what his duties are is so much more than mine. I wouldn't want his job and the stress of keeping a $billion company running smoothly. These kids don't truly know what they are asking for. They have to many adults whispering in their ears telling them that this is right, but who is going to make the money? Agents and lawyers.

 

So Sad.

[Landlord]

I do think that the kids on scholarship should have enough funds to cover basic expenses and needs.

 

 

They already do. Discussion over.

[Abdullah the Butcher]

I do think that the kids on scholarship should have enough funds to cover basic expenses and needs.

 

 

They already do. Discussion over.

 

They use meal money on tattoos and Xbox instead.

[BigRedBuster]

I know a guy who coaches track at a decent sized University. I was discussing this with him. He looked at me and said...they are already paid. One way he said is that every time a team goes on the road, every player and coach gets something like $100 per day for food. He told me that he will come back from a track meet and have over $100 left in his pocket every time and that isn't skimping on what he eats on the road.

 

This is just one example.

[StPaulHusker]

I sit here at work and I'm also wondering if Kenny decided to drop $700+ on a trip somewhere during Spring Break.......

 

So what if he did? It's not yours or anyone else's place to judge what they spend money on.

 

How would you like it if you went to your boss and asked for a raise and were denied because they questioned how you would spend the extra money?

 

 

Thats not even the point. They aren't an employee. So it doesn't really matter. We shouldn't be handing out money for kids to spend recklessly. What does that teach them at probably their most important time of their lives?

So we are just protecting them from themselves by not giving them anymore money?

[Landlord]

So we are just protecting them from themselves by not giving them anymore money?

 

 

um. yes...

[StPaulHusker]

So we are just protecting them from themselves by not giving them anymore money?

 

 

um. yes...

If that is a universities or the NCAA's stance on this issue, they are doomed and will end up paying more to the athletes.

[Landlord]

So we are just protecting them from themselves by not giving them anymore money?

 

 

um. yes...

If that is a universities or the NCAA's stance on this issue, they are doomed and will end up paying more to the athletes.

 

 

It's not the entirety of the stance but it's something that needs to be considered.

[StPaulHusker]

Thats not even the point. They aren't an employee. So it doesn't really matter. We shouldn't be handing out money for kids to spend recklessly. What does that teach them at probably their most important time of their lives?

There are people that would disagree with you that they are not employees. That is why this union mess is where it is at right now. It's going to come down to a judge to decide this and if they rule against it, it's not because they are worried that the players will be irresponsible with the money.

[sd'sker]

There are people that would disagree with you that they are not employees. That is why this union mess is where it is at right now. It's going to come down to a judge to decide this and if they rule against it, it's not because they are worried that the players will be irresponsible with the money.

yeah, pretty sure that would be a very unpopular opinion in a capitalist society.

 

as far as a i can tell, the main argument against paying athletes is that the fans enjoy the sport the way it is and do not want it compromised. which is a little disingenuous when no one seemed too upset that the bcs was nothing more than a cash grab (extremely corrupt, by the way), there are tv networks dedicated to college athletics, and coaches have multi-million dollar contracts.

 

the main argument for paying athletes is that everyone involved with college football is making a ton of money except the athletes.

 

again, with so much money being made, this was going to happen. the ncaa should have got ahead of it. however, per usual, they ncaa is behind with no clue what to do.

[BigRedBuster]

I have no doubt somewhere there is a judge that will rule that the players are employees of the programs. However, I firmly believe that most athletes will regret that ruling and it will destroy college athletics as we know it today.

[Landlord]

as far as a i can tell, the main argument against paying athletes is that the fans enjoy the sport the way it is and do not want it compromised.

 

It's not just how you are making it sound, with a "wahh we dont' want you to change our favorite thing!" kind of whining because of personal preference. It's because athletics within the education system were founded with a certain vision and ideals that we are going in a complete 180 in direction from. It's not just that fans get off on it being a certain way, it's that fans think, beyond personal preference, that if we keep going down this path, college athletics will lose all of their integrity.

 

which is a little disingenuous when no one seemed to upset that the bcs was nothing more than a cash grab (extremely corrupt, by the way)

 

Haha, you're kidding right? The BCS has been nothing if not controversial due to the decade and a half of coaches and officials and fans being nothing but upset about it.

 

 

the main argument for paying athletes is that everyone involved with college football is making a ton of money except the athletes.

 

Either reference football players or reference athletes - it's important that we don't equate the two, because non-football athletes are a huge part of this discussion. But regardless, college football players are making a ton of money too, compared to their peers. Why are we comparing what they make to what coaches and AD officials make? That makes no sense. You don't compare what the mail sorters in the basement make to the CEO's to cry that it's unfair - you compare what the mail sorters in the basement make compared to the mail sorters at a different company, or compared to the janitors, or compared to the receptionists, or compared to the delivery drivers.

 

Is it fair that a coach or an athletic director makes millions and a student athlete doesn't? Depends on who you ask. But even if it's unfair, then that is a problem that is running throughout our entire country, not just college sports, and if that is a problem, then let's actually treat the problem instead of treating a small microcosm of a symptom of it.

[Landlord]

To go along with the above, the median spending per-athlete in 2010 was $92,000 per year.

 

 

The median spending per-full-time-student (non-athlete) in 2010 was $14,000.