Small forward #31, the NCAA, and EA sports

[e61893]

As someone who earned full academic and athletic scholarships a few years ago to go to school, I think a lot of you are just wayyyyy too bitter. I understand you have college debt and that sucks, but you obviously didn't do anything to earn a free schooling for yourself. If you wanted to graduate debt free you should have either excelled on a field or in the classroom and earned a scholarship. That being said I think the athletes should receive some kind of stipend. Playing college sports is tough. It's a full time job and you have to go to class on top of that as well. You give up a large chunk of the college experience to play sports. No afternoon classes, no study abroad, no part time job, not a lot of time to go out, can't go home on weekends, missing important holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving etc.) not to mention basketball players miss multiple days of class a week.

[RenDogg]

I played college basketball D1. I'm grateful school was paid for, but some of you guys don't understand some of the sacrifices we had to do. I'm from Texas and played in Tennessee, I couldn't just go home when I wanted. I missed every holiday, not to mention spring breaks. Its not fun being the only people on campus thanksgiving and Christmas etc. Also not being able to work, that little check for full ride scholarship you got monthly was by no means enough to live on. I see both sides of the argument, but some of you guys act like just because it's paid for life was gravy. It was basically your full time job.

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[TIMB0B]

Call me bitter if you want, but I don't think you understand the difference. I will be a debt slave for 30 years paying off student loans. That does not include a mortgage, car payment, phone bill, and any other necessity. I make sacrifices all the time to pay off debt, and will be for two more decades. Athletes have to make a sacrifice for a mere four to five years in school, and be debt-free. Boo hoo. If I could pay off all of my debt in five years, and miss spring break, Christmas and Thanksgiving, I would. You've got to be kidding me with this garbage.

I was an honor student in high school, but that wasn't good enough to get me an academic scholarship at a good college. I could have gone to a garbage school, but the education would have been subpar. How many athletes choose a crappy school over a prestigious one? Good Lord, the entitlement society in this country is astonishing!

How about this? If student-athletes want to get paid, then go on strike. Just refuse to play. See what happens. I'm sure every walk-on, FCS, D-II, D-III, NAIA athlete will be beating down the doors of FBS schools to fill those scholarship slots. Playing at the collegiate level, especially FBS/D-IA, is a privilege, not a right. Just as my acceptance into a major university was a privilege.

[LastExit]

Quote: Originally Posted by RenDogg

I played college basketball D1. I'm grateful school was paid for, but some of you guys don't understand some of the sacrifices we had to do. I'm from Texas and played in Tennessee, I couldn't just go home when I wanted. I missed every holiday, not to mention spring breaks. Its not fun being the only people on campus thanksgiving and Christmas etc. Also not being able to work, that little check for full ride scholarship you got monthly was by no means enough to live on. I see both sides of the argument, but some of you guys act like just because it's paid for life was gravy. It was basically your full time job. Sent from my V8000_USA_Cricket using Tapatalk 4

No, I hear you.....my post was in response to the concept of paying a monthly stipend to every college athlete on scholarship.....a lot of schools just wouldn't be able to do that.

That aside, I've always had a ton of respect for student-athletes and the burdens they take on, regardless of the sport they played. The pressure to get through all your classes was enough.....I couldn't imagine the pressure of the schedule you keep playing sports as well as continuing to perform lest you lose your scholarship as a result.

It's not exactly comparable, but I spent 3 and 1/2 years getting my masters degree working full time and going to school at night. So in some way I know what you're talking about.....it was rough but in the end it was my choice to do it. Those three and a half years consisted of nothing but work, class, research and study, eating and sleeping.

[RenDogg]

Props to you Lastexit, a master's Degree is no joke nor the time and effort put into it. Timbob you sound bitter. Every college athlete makes it professional so we end up with same car payments, mortgages And what not just like you. No one feels entitled, if anything you come across bitter angry and entitled

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[RandyBass]

Waaaaaa... They're taking away my NCAA Football... Waaaaaaaaaaa!

If you cannot see the exploitation going on in college athletics then you are blind as a bat.

[Peter_nincompoop55]

Haha, so if you don't think division one athletes should get a stipend beyond the athletic scholarship that includes books, room and board, meals, an extra 500-800 dollars a month for under privileged students thanks to pell grants, and all of the other perks of playing major college athletics you are "bitter"? How does that work? Do people here realize that division one athletes get up to a thousand dollars a month for off campus housing and if they room together they can keep the extra money? As I posted before a 4 year athletic scholarship for a football player at a school like Ohio State is worth nearly 2 million dollars! For the average student athlete there is NO exploitation going on, they are given plenty on top of their free education.

[Peter_nincompoop55]

Football Players Receive upwards of $17,000 Annually in Cash..........

The typical non-freshman Arkansas football player received the cash listed below in 2010-11:

$5,500- Pell Grant
$500- Clothing Fund
$8,024- Fall and Spring Room and Board
$3,016- Summer Room and Board

See more at: http://www.holyturf.com/2011/05/foot....y8VaEjNS.dpuf

Keep in mind that if student athletes live off campus they get cash, up to 1,000 dollars a month at some schools (at Arkansas for example it's over 11,000 dollars a year), to pay rent. Many live with multiple roommates and pocket the extra cash on top of the 5-8 hundred dollars a month (for qualifying student athletes, and at the big schools most qualify) they can receive through Pell Grants. The myth that student athletes are broke and can't afford new clothes and what not is just that, a MYTH!

As for those of you who claim to be former division one athletes you are either a) lying because you would know this or b) you attended a small school whose athletic program would more than likely be destroyed if the NCAA allows schools to pay players http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...489442936.html. Ironic huh? Thousands, upon thousands of division one athletes would never have the chance to receive a free education just so players like Johnny Manziel can get their piece of the pie. Now that's fair!