More Money, More Problems?In a recent article on CNN http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/22/us/unc-paper-classes-lawsuit/index.html the fight between student athletes and the NCAA continues to rage on. For the last few months many current and ex-student athletes have been battling the collegiate athletic system for compensation for the use of their images and for their appearances on nationally televised programs. The athletes argue that the multimillion-dollar schools and companies that profit from their hard work should be paying them for their services.
            In this latest article,  ex-student athletes are also enraged by the practice of creating “diploma mills”. Many of these graduates are accusing the schools of slacking on the educational strictness of athletes. Two UNC graduates are filling a class-action lawsuit against the NCAA. Saying that “It says UNC and the NCAA and have, in "spectacular fashion," broken the promise to give athletes an education in return for keeping the millions of dollars generated each year from revenues.”
As a student athlete myself, this thought appalls me. Nearly every day here I am reminded that I am a “student-athlete” and that means my school will come before my athletics. I am here for an education above all else. So if students are coddle to the point where they do not get the proper education to succeed, what’s even the point of going to school? Although some student athletes like the think of themselves as “athletic-students” instead.
The article went further into detail by naming schools that have been caught tampering with grades of student athletes.... this confused me even further. How could places of “higher learning” knowingly and continually degrade the stock of their alumni by allowing subpar STUDENT- athletes to call their university their “alma mater” . It’s kinda disrespectful, almost like a slap in the face to the hard working students. Just because someone is athletic and can help the school win a few games or meets, doesn’t mean they get free hand outs and a laxed attention.
WE ARE HERE TO LEARN. We should view college as a place to grow and mature, not just a bus stop to the pros (even if that is your destination). Use the gift you get, take advantage of a great educational system and better yourself for the future. Athletes won’t be young forever, when the talent and speed is gone that they relied on... what will they fall back on? Hopefully the knowledge and skills they learned while in college.
But I digress… give us money, please?-Lil’ OG Poe (my pen name… thoughts?)