The NCAA is the farm league for the NBA. Most of the kids going to school are going for the basketball and not the education. If there is an opportunity to jump to the "majors" most kids would do it. And as long as we're talking about it, what do you get an "education" for? Most would say to earn a better living. I don't begrudge anyone the opportunity to better themselves as long as it is in a legal area. Last time I checked, basketball was a viable tool to earn money. What you do with it is your own concern. If there is a high school student drafted to a minor league baseball team it isn't an issue. If he chooses to go to school he can, but it isn't a requirement. The same should apply for those who have chosen basketball. They are adults and capable of making their own decisions. As far as I'm concerned the NCAA can stuff the graduation rates of colleges. Frankly, it's none of their business.
Bros, about the most depressing moment I ever had as a teacher involved a "student" athlete at the University of Texas. He was a baseball player and I don't even remember his name. What I do remember is that he was hopeless. If there were a grade lower than F, it would have been named in his honor. Who ever was his high school principle should have been hanged at high noon for malfeseance for graduating this guy, while not teaching him to read and write the English language. Anyway, the kid's grade was still in play at the end of he semester as I mark all Fs as a 55 since I don't want to doom someone on a single bad test. Our hero had gotten a couple of (generous) C-'s and so was stil close to a D. I get this call from a tutor in the Athletic Directors office (I didn't know we had such a thing, and why wasn't every other student offered private tutors?). Anyway, he proceeds to ask me about my final exam so he can prep our guy for it. I let him finish, and then informed him that the Final (as noted in the syllabus) was a take home essay that had been handed out 4 days ago and was due by 5 pm that day. I heard the most defeated sigh I've heard from another human. The tutor said, "I've been working with this guy all day and he can't remember anything I told him before lunch time". I said, "He's still got 3 hours and I'll take it hand written". To which the respose was "Why make his hand tired"? I asked what position he played. The response was second base. I asked "Is he good at it? Because maybe he should stick to that".
The point to this story BROS is this. Our universities should have students first and athletes second. Here's the easy solution employed by the Ivy League and a whole lot of liberal arts colleges. Eliminate athletic scholarships and replace them with academic ones. Do well in schoool and we'll fund you. Do well chasing a ball around, well that's nice, but its not what we're in the business of teaching people to do. If STUDENTS want to play sports great. I'm all in favor of funding a robust athletic program for all the obvious reasons about building character, teamwork, discipline etc. BUT, I don't want seat in my classroom filled by someone who has no business being there so they can mark time till they hit the NBA. I'd rather have it filled by a smart kid who wants to be an engineer or a doctor or what have you. Let the media pay for gifted young athletes, God knows there's money it, and I watch. I have no anti-sport bias. But lets not kid ourselves here. Athletic "scholarships" are in no one's interest but a school trying to make money by selling tee shirts and TV rights. Think I'm kidding? Go to any major state university. Dig on the web a bit and you'll pull up salaries. Compare what the football coach gets paid to what a nobel laureate teaching physics gets. Its about the green, not the school's mission, not the deserving kids who get left behind, and not even the athletes, as they are being set up to fail except for the lucky few who do make successful pro career. Rant over.
FQ13
MBTV
Forum Index
Help
Calendar
Contact Info
Register as a member
