07-30-2004, 12:11 PM
Quote:Originally posted by The Brain
As far as I'm concerned, no system will ever be correct until these kids start getting paid for their playing time.
Sorry, a scholarship and a tiny stipend for food isn't enough. Not when the NCAA makes billions off a seemingly endless list of sponsored bowl games and their TV contracts, not to mention regular merchandising (jerseys, video games, etc.), but keeps the athletes locked in a rigid set of draconian rules all designed to keep them from profiting off their own talent. Hell, a coach can move to a different (and more successful) program with no repercussions... but if a player wants to leave for greener pastures, to get more playing time, or simply because the team isn't getting better (perhaps because the famed coach just left?), he/she loses a year of eligibility.
Think about when Roy Williams left Kansas for UNC-- what about the Kansas players left behind? If they wanted to follow him to his new school, they couldn't play for a year. He, however, could start coaching and recruiting right away. They would be better off just leaving early for the pros, rather than stay in a faltering college program... sound fair to you?
I disagree. The big difference between college football and the NFL is that these kids in college are playing for more than the almighty dollar. Being a former college football player, I know first hand that you are playing for pride and you are fueled by emotion. I played for a brief stint after college and it was a completly different experience. When you are getting paid for it, the sport becomes a job and you lose a lot of that emotion. ~
The GAME DAY atmosphere is indescribable in the NCAA. When you have 80-100,000 fans screaming, the bands playing, etc a player gets goose bumps just thinking about it.
The fact that you get to go to college and not pay a dime for it, (for me, that was worth almost $150,000) is more than enough.
Why do colleges recruit these athletes who run a 4.2/40? Simple, they want to win.
This is why I like NCAA football much more than the NFL. For those who know football, you see many players taking plays off in the NFL. If there is a run play going the other way, you will see 3-4 players loafing (both on Offense and Defense). In the NCAA, you very rarely see this same type of behavior (on any competitive team anyway).
As for my prediction, USC to repeat!:thumbup: