I don't think it will, but I've been wrong before.

 

My opinion? If these kids want to be employees, they can be. They can quit sports and work all the jobs they want to.

 

Now, I'm not saying football isn't "work"...it takes a lot of hard work and effort. But it isn't "work" or a "job" in the typical sense of an employee/employer relationship, never has been and I don't think ever should be.

 

A kid goes to play college football for a D-1 school. He gets an education while there along with two bum knees, a jacked up shoulder and hides multiple concussions in order to prove his toughness and live up to expectations. The school he plays for rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars while the kid gets a free ride, free healthcare and free meals for 4-5 years. After the kid leaves school he can barely walk on his bum knees, his shoulder is still jacked up and he has trouble remembering what floor his job interview is on even though the nice lady at the desk just told him twice what floor it was on. But hey, at least his school was paid for so he doesn't have to worry about loans while he tries to remember his training on how to make a French vanilla mocha latte now that he is a barista at Starbucks. Good thing he learned how to be tough since he can't afford to go to the doctor. Fight on though.....

Really hate how he ended up, thought for sure I was going to be seeing him on Sundays.

 

Those injuries and coaching changes hurt that dream.

A kid goes to play college football for a D-1 school. He gets an education while there along with two bum knees, a jacked up shoulder and hides multiple concussions in order to prove his toughness and live up to expectations. The school he plays for rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars while the kid gets a free ride, free healthcare and free meals for 4-5 years. After the kid leaves school he can barely walk on his bum knees, his shoulder is still jacked up and he has trouble remembering what floor his job interview is on even though the nice lady at the desk just told him twice what floor it was on. But hey, at least his school was paid for so he doesn't have to worry about loans while he tries to remember his training on how to make a French vanilla mocha latte now that he is a barista at Starbucks. Good thing he learned how to be tough since he can't afford to go to the doctor. Fight on though.....

 

Ok...lets say we could snap our fingers today and every kid playing football makes $20 an hour for practice time, game time, film session time, etc. How exactly would that do ANYTHING for what you stated above that I have bolded above? It doesn't.

 

To take care of the issues above, there is only one option...don't play so those things don't happen. But, lets set that aside for a minute as we both know that's probably not going to happen. What would your remedy be to help with the injuries and healthcare issues you mention above? Lifetime healthcare provided by the school? Does that include EVERY athlete on every sports team? Ok, lets just limit it to football. If every school had to do this, go ahead and close every football program down that's not in a power 5 conference...in every level of college football...and probably a few that are in a power 5 conference as well. Because that's what would happen...it's probably what would have to happen financially.

 

Now, no doubt the issues you mentioned above occur. But how are they taken care of?

Ok...lets say we could snap our fingers today and every kid playing football makes $20 an hour for practice time, game time, film session time, etc. How exactly would that do ANYTHING for what you stated above that I have bolded above? It doesn't.

 

To take care of the issues above, there is only one option...don't play so those things don't happen. But, lets set that aside for a minute as we both know that's probably not going to happen. What would your remedy be to help with the injuries and healthcare issues you mention above? Lifetime healthcare provided by the school? Does that include EVERY athlete on every sports team? Ok, lets just limit it to football. If every school had to do this, go ahead and close every football program down that's not in a power 5 conference...in every level of college football...and probably a few that are in a power 5 conference as well. Because that's what would happen...it's probably what would have to happen financially.

 

Now, no doubt the issues you mentioned above occur. But how are they taken care of?

 

No clue and far from my point. My point is that everyone is fine with the NCAA and D-1 colleges using these kids for everything they can get from them but hey, it's cool, they get a free education as long as they perform on the field. Scholarships are year to year anyways. You don't perform on the field then you'll get replaced and school may not be free anymore. All is well though. Nothing to see here.