The growing debate in colleges today doesn't lie on the academic side, but rather with the athletics. Gaining popularity nationwide, many organizations are calling for student-athletes to receive compensation from the NCAA for using their names and likeness on merchandise. I believe that these athletes should be able to profit of of their own name based on their accomplishments on the field. According for forbes.com, currently, the NCAA makes nearly $11 billion in annual revenue from college sports, more than their professional counterparts, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League. This year the University of Alabama reported $143.3 million in athletic revenues, more than all 30 NHL teams, and 25 of the 30 NBA teams (Edelman, 2014). It is painfully obvious that college athletics have become big business, for-profit enterprises, and everyone seems to be profiting. The US News reports that CBS makes more than $1 billion off the March Madness games alone, raking in ad revenue at a cool $700,000 per 30-second spot (Smith, 2013). Athletic conferences receive millions of dollars from the NCAA when teams advance deep into tournaments. A coaches average salary at a BCS eligible football program was $2.05 million last year. In 40 of the 50 U.S. states, the highest paid public official is the head coach of a state university’s football or men’s basketball team (Edelman, 2014). Various administrators and athletic directors as well see the benefits; The University of Michigan’s own athletic director, Dave Brandon, continues to be the highest-paid employee at the university with a 2013 salary of $850,000, nearly $250,000 higher than even the President of the university, as reported by the Detroit Free Press (Jesse, 2013). The only people not profiting in this thriving industry? The athletes making the NCAA this money. Athletes risk career ending injuries every time they step onto their respective field, court, or rink. The main argument against paying college athletes is that they are paid with a free education—but if they suffer a career ending injury, their scholarship will be taken away and they most likely will not be able to burden the financial obligations in order to finish their degree. Also, with growing information on the lifelong effects of contact sports on players bodies comes concerns about the long-term repercussions of such grueling physical activity. It is increasingly likely student athletes of today will be left saddling a lifetime of medical bills. Does a free education alone compensate them for debilitating injuries caused during their time on campus? In the current system there has been an increasingly common occurrence of corruption both from schools and boosters regularly finding ways to circumvent the rules and provide benefits to these athletes. The increase in social media and the information age, coupled with the increased visibility and popularity of athletes has created a perfect storm for an unprecedented enlightening on how pervasive NCAA violations really are. If athletes could be paid in the open I think it would be much more easily regulated and monitored in a reasonable and equitable way. While opponents argue that paying athletes puts more of an emphasis on sports, and takes away from the importance of the education, I believe that this is a more “for show” argument. While you can argue that education comes first for student athletes, it has been regularly shown with NCAA game and tournament scheduling that school takes a back burner. Student athletes class schedules are required to be planned around practices, and class absences are excused for sporting related events. Forbes reports that “at some schools, the road to the NCAA men’s basketball championship may require student-athletes to miss up to a quarter of all class days during their spring semester” (Edelman, 2014). Furthermore, success of a school in college sports is also believed to improve both the
well”: A this I Believe Essay I believe that hard work pays off. Often times, at least as of recently, people are always looking for the easy way out. Many teenagers want to do the least work possible, no matter the negative effects that occur. The majority chooses to do the bare minimum, whether it be while doing homework or during a practice. However, I have learned, so far, that if I put in the time and put in the work necessary to begin with I will achieve the goals that I have set for myself…
I Believe In finding A Way Out Of The Darkness Every person in this world has tragedies take place in their lives, some tragedies are greater than others, but that does not mean they don’t impact them the same way, they are all devastating nevertheless. These tragedies can turn life into a lifeless, dark, and confiding cave, making it seem there’s no way out until you die. I believe in being able to find the way out, though the dark cave may seem deceptive, you may have lost all hope but one…
I BELIEVE I believe in dreams. Dreams are the foundations of our life today. Many of the great things we have today were created first in dreams. Dreams are a portal to reality. If people didn’t dream where would we be. I BELIEVE IN DREAMS Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. A dream that people will one day live in a nation where people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Madame C.J. Walker had a dream in which a guy told her what to mix together…
I BELIEVE 1 “I Believe,” by Robert Gibson Robert P. Gibson Sr. ENG: 121: English Composition 1 Mrs. Hamilton March 11, 2013 I BELIEVE 2 ‘I Believe” I would like to illuminate you all, to the possibilities of…
age of eleven that I reached a small predicament in my so far, short life. I was with my family, driving through the heart of Saudi Arabia. A combined 34 hours back and forth, visiting the second, third, and fourth largest cities. Jeddah, Mecca, and Medina. A trip like no other as I now recall. It was through the large mountains and deserts that we so swiftly passed through, that I truly understood how gigantic this fantastic world of ours really is. It came to my attention that I was very very small…
Instructors Name April 05, 2013 I believe… Have you walked through the grocery store lately and seen the junk our country is trying to market to our children? All the pretty colors and cartoon gimmicks they use to persuade our young ones to eat their so called “Food.” Have you peeked into other peoples shopping carts? Well I have and I am astounded by the amount of junk people buy and I can’t believe parents are being fooled by these Rat Bastard liars. I have some strong disagreements with how…
The Negative Consequences Of Hydraulic Fracturing. Fracturing a method used in extraction of natural gas stood a test of time. United states of America (USA) has used fracturing for the lengthiest period of time where nearly a million wells are estimated to have been fracked and drilled (The Economist 2011). A ban was imposed in France as the environmentalists took a dislike in fracturing techniques of using chemicals, sand and high pressure. The documentary Gasland brought up…
sticker that says Army Strong. Do you ever wonder how this person’s life was different from the world today? I do this often after listening to my great grandpa talk about his life as a teenager and young adult. For most people his stories were just stories, but for me his stories had meaning because they are part of my family’s past and always taught me a lesson. When I listened to his stories I could really picture how the times were in the 1930’s and 1940’s. One of the first stories my great grandpa…
American Literature and Composition GT “I Believe” When I think about symbolic holidays such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, I see them as more than just a simple celebration among the crowd. Thanksgiving is the time where the heart of all people are set to express their deepest gratitude to one another, and it is the day to forgive and remember the good and bad times we went through as family and friends. It's time to answer the question...what are you thankful for? I am thankful for my life in general, though I used to think a wonderful life was…
HONOR, COURAGE, AND COMMITMENT I still remember the day I graduated from Navy boot camp. I stood in formation and marched in ranks during the pass and review. I was dressed in my newly pressed uniform and polished dress shoes. I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment as I walked by the families and friends of not only myself, but of my fellow recruits, now my shipmates. I also remember stopping in front of the upper chain of command, and listening to the Executive Officer of Naval Station Great…