>>> FOR THIS WEEK’S GOTCHA, I
WANT TO TALK TO THE BIGGEST
RACKET IN ALL AMERICAN SPORTS.
THE NCAA, BECAUSE FOR ALL THEIR
PRETTY WORDS ABOUT STUDENT
ATHLETICS AND STUDENT ATHLETES
AND THE VALUE OF AMATEUR
COMPETITION, COLLEGE SPORTS ARE
BIG BUSINESS.
THE NCAA BRINGS IN OVER A
BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FROM
COLLEGE BASKETBALL ALONE.
THE BULK OF THAT STEMMING FROM
THE MEDIA RIGHTS TO THE MEN’S
AND WOMEN’S MARCH MADNESS
TOURNAMENT.
EVEN THAT HAUL IS DWARFED BY THE
REVENUE GENERATED ON THE
GRIDIRON.
THE FIVE BIGGEST CONFERENCES IN
COLLEGE FOOTBALL EARN OVER $4
BILLION EACH YEAR.
BUT "EARN" AS A TRICKY WORD,
BECAUSE WHILE THESE PROFITS GET
BUILT ON THE BACKS OF THESE
MAJORITY BLACK PLAYERS, THEY
AREN’T ALLOWED TO PARTAKE IN THE
PROFITS.
THE COACHES SURE ARE CASHING IN.
IN 39 STATES, THE HIGHEST PAID
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE IN EITHER A
UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL OR
BASKETBALL COACH BECOMES THE
HIGHEST PAID.
STUDENT ATHLETES ARE SUPPOSEDLY
COMPENSATED WITH SCHOLARSHIPS.
HELPFUL IN THIS AGE OF
BALLOONING COLLEGE COSTS.
BUT THE VALUE APPEALS IN
COMPARISON TO THE PROFITS
GENERATED BY THESE ATHLETES FOR
THEIR SCHOOLS.
PLUS THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS CAN BE
TAKEN AWAY DUE TO INJURY OR EVEN
IF THE COACH DECIDES TO DEPART
THE UNIVERSITY, LEAVING HIS
FORMER RECRUITS HIGH AND DRY.
IF ANY ALL STAR PROFESSIONAL
ATHLETES GET HURT IN HIS FIRST
SEASON, HE COULD POTENTIALLY USE
HIS SIGNING BONUS TO FINANCE A
COLLEGE EDUCATION, HE HAS THAT
CHOICE.
IF A COLLEGE ATHLETE SUFFERS A
DEBILITATING INJURY, HE LOSES
OUT ON HIS OPPORTUNITY FOR AN
EDUCATION WITH THE WITHDRAWING
OF HIS SCHOLARSHIP AND THE LOSS
OF ALL POSSIBLE POST-COLLEGE
ATHLETIC EARNINGS.
AND THIS YEAR, THOSE ATHLETES
ARE BEING ASKED TO PUT
EVERYTHING ON THE LINE IN THE
MIDST OF A PANDEMIC IN ORDER TO
MAKE SURE THE NCAA DOESN’T LOSE
OUT ON A SEASON’S WORTH OF THE
REVENUE GENERATED BY THIS UNPAID
LABOR FORCE.
TO RISK PERMANENT LUNG AND HEART
DAMAGE FROM A DISEASE THAT STILL
ISN’T WIDELY UNDERSTOOD SO THEIR
COACHES CAN RAKE IN MILLIONS
WHILE THE PLAYERS RISK THEIR
ENTIRE FUTURE CAREERS.
THE CORONAVIRUS COULD BE THE
LAST STRAW FOR THE MONOPOLY THE
NCAA HOLDS OVER COLLEGE ATHLETES
AND THEIR EARNING POWER.
THE OPENING SALVO CAME LAST
MONTH WHEN A LIST OF SAFETY AND
SECURITY DEMANDS WAS PUBLISHED
IN EXCHANGE FOR THEIR
UNCOMPENSATED LAYER.
THAT MOVEMENT IS ONLY GROWING
WITH MOMENTUM BUILDING FOR A
COLLEGE ATHLETES UNION.
THAT WOULD ALLOW THE PLAYERS TO
TAKE BACK THEIR POWER AFTER SO
MANY SEASONS OF EXPLOITATION.
NCAA HAS BEEN PLAYING MAN-TO-MAN
DEFENSE AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY
OF A UNION FOR YEARS BECAUSE IT
KNOWS ITS CURRENT POSITION IS
UNTENABLE.
BUT THIS PANDEMIC IS CAUSING
ATHLETES TO RECOGNIZE THEIR
POWER.
COACHES AND ADMINISTRATORS COME
AND GO.
BUT WITHOUT THE PLAYERS, COLLEGE
SPORTS WOULD CEASE TO EXIST.
SO IF RECOGNIZING THEIR UNION
AND ALLOWING THEM TO FINALLY
SHARE IN THE FINANCIAL FRUITS OF
THEIR LABOR IS THE COST TO KEEP
THE COLLEGE GAME ALIVE, I CALL