It seems to arise most often when the subjects are most in the spotlight, however, it is never far from the surface. Whether it comes up in response to calls for the plus-one concept or with regards to endless recruitment, memorabilia and agent scandals, it is all the same year after year. And now, in the midst of a very memorable March Madness, Ralph Nader wants to do something about it. In case the clues were not self-evident, the 'it' here is the growing professionalism of collegiate sports and all of the subsidiary problems that go along with it.
Are student athletes more student than athlete? Does it matter? Should students miss finals to participate in bowl games and tournaments? Should they be paid? Why should they even receive full scholarships? Should 17 and 18 year olds be under so much pressure? Why should colleges be able to sign such lucrative television contracts on the backs of students? All are questions posed by either side of the debate. None of them have easy answers, even for those who have put the most thought into such things.
Mr. Nader is calling for, among other things, the elimination of athletic scholarships. It does not seem very likely that he will succeed; the structure he is railing against is one of the most entrenched in all of American culture. However, as the debate rages on, he could provide some additional data points on the topic, and at least get some more people thinking, whether they agree with him or not. At the very least, the ongoing debate provides an endless source of fodder for legal/economics thought pieces... Whoever said the mind of the economist worked in dismal ways?
No comments:
Post a Comment