tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272539659391885041.post4054223174230256190..comments2019-08-24T10:47:36.839-04:00Comments on Dreaming of Heroes: To pay or not to payA.M. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715032660475732898noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272539659391885041.post-41020781128684464122011-09-07T17:24:56.199-04:002011-09-07T17:24:56.199-04:00The only "fair" approach is to let the m...The only "fair" approach is to let the market decide. If that means Cam Newton receives $3MM per year and the 3rd string RG receives only $3K based on talent and market forces, then that is by (my) definition "fair". Just like any business, the university will figure out what it needs available to pay for facilities, admin, coaching and players and allocate accordingly. The only contrary argument, I think, is the question of what that does to "competitive balance" among the teams. But in reality is there "competitive balance" under the current program between, say, MiamiU/OU on the one hand and OSU/UM/UT etc on the other, save for the occassional "upset"? Furthermore, the current system makes it harder for the mid-majors to break into the gravy train of bowls and TV contracts than it would be if there was open competition for the players (and I don't think that is coincidental). I'm not saying my system would be pretty, but I remain puzzled why everyone looks at the huge TV contracts, coaching contracts, U prez pay packages, etc at the universities without connecting the dots to the fact that those revenue bonanzas are in no small part a direct function and by-product of a cartel that fixes a huge portion of the labor costs. Only in sports is that tolerated and I just don't understand why.<br /><br />Probably the same roots that make college stadia seat licenses to be largely deductible as charitable contributions, even though a direct quid pro quo, but that is a topic for another day :-)DKLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272539659391885041.post-78932271910953719102011-09-07T14:56:17.379-04:002011-09-07T14:56:17.379-04:00Thanks for the comments, DKL ... I understand wher...Thanks for the comments, DKL ... I understand where you're coming from; there are plenty of questions regarding this topic. I've yet to hear any real solutions, however. <br /><br />You asked if a Cam Newton is fairly paid by way of a scholarship. You say that a scholarship is a good deal for Joe Blow, but lead me to believe that a scholarship is not a good deal for Cam Newton. I would disagree. I think it's a great deal for both. But if I agreed with your point, how do you determine how much money players get? Is it stat based? How do you determine the value of an athlete on the field? Is it revenue based? But how do you determine that? Just jersey sales? How do you spread the money from ticket sales, appearances in the public, etc? Where do you even begin to start dividing money up in a way where everyone is getting a fair cut -- from Cam all the way down to Aaron Smith, I mean Joe Blow :)<br /><br />I agree with you that there is definitely a disconnect here, that the revenue is increasing at a rate faster than costs of providing scholarships. But until I hear a fair way to divide revenue for payment to athletes, free rides to school are more than enough for now. I don't want to start giving out arbitrary amounts to football players, star athletes, lesser amounts to sub-par players, and less revenue making sports like lacrosse or even cross country. That will be a real mess. <br /><br />It'd be nice to have some answers to all the questions.A.M. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03715032660475732898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272539659391885041.post-68188219087578033652011-09-07T14:35:52.724-04:002011-09-07T14:35:52.724-04:00Aaron,
You are right that there is much unfair in ...Aaron,<br />You are right that there is much unfair in all of this, but I am still highly troubled by the ability of the purchasers of the labor - the universities - to fix the market price through the NCAA. Is tuition, room and board, etc fair compensation to the student athlete? We don't know, because there is no open market for those services. (There is not even pure free agency, in view of NCAA restrictions on transfers). In view of the money paid to coaches, ADs, universities etc in this system, can you conclude that a Cam Newton is fairly paid by way of a scholarship etc? For Joe Blow, 3 deep on the depth chart, that might be a good deal, but the universities are really price fixing on the top notch game changers so they don't have to share the bounty with those athletes. I agree, that is hardly slavery, but on the other hand name me one other industry in the country that can fix the price of its labor in such a unilateral fashion. Not to mention the disconnect between the huge revenue growth of the universities on the one hand from athletics compared to no growth on the labor cost side (i.e., while nominal dollar increases, they are still based on the same marginal costs of adding an athlete, which costs it is well documented are not increasing as fast as the revenues are increasing). Understand, too, this is not to say that many student athletes do not receive a good bargain via the scholarships, but rather to say that for the top athletes the universities are hiding behind the NCAA to take the "value-added" of the top athletes in the money sports and to pay it to coaches, admins, other athletes. Maybe not slavery, but exploitation that a market would correct if you weren't dealing with a cartel. Respectfully, DKLDKLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272539659391885041.post-32189666811567105932011-08-27T11:52:19.453-04:002011-08-27T11:52:19.453-04:00Anonymous, what about the athletes who don't g...Anonymous, what about the athletes who don't go pro and make millions? What about them? They got four years of higher education for free. If they use that education properly, they will be set for life. The get to leave school with a degree and not a cent of debt. Sounds like a pretty good perk. I'm not going to feel sorry for them.A.M. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03715032660475732898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272539659391885041.post-78490581457860847562011-08-27T11:32:12.125-04:002011-08-27T11:32:12.125-04:00What about college athletes who don't get mult...What about college athletes who don't get multimillion dollar deals to play professinal sports? Didn't think about that did you?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272539659391885041.post-27723178088222299112011-08-27T10:50:09.138-04:002011-08-27T10:50:09.138-04:00Well said. I hear too much about how everybody fro...Well said. I hear too much about how everybody from the schools to the coaches (which, certainly, are not innocent and should definitely be investigated)should be punished, but leave the poor victim-athletes alone; you know, "the devil made me do it!". We make choices in life; there are consequences for partnering up with the devil.Monica E. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12869710851377388881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272539659391885041.post-45307223630554375012011-08-26T16:15:19.531-04:002011-08-26T16:15:19.531-04:00Like I said, Greg, not sure I can tell you any mor...Like I said, Greg, not sure I can tell you any more about how I did it. Something about petioles and agar and being able to plant tons of alfalfa without benefit of good soil in which to plant. Anyway, I'm sure you're bored already :)A.M. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03715032660475732898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272539659391885041.post-16643154443924187812011-08-26T16:12:19.922-04:002011-08-26T16:12:19.922-04:00Wait, you cloned alfalfa? That should be your stor...Wait, you cloned alfalfa? That should be your story . lolGregnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272539659391885041.post-33175473208258508732011-08-26T16:10:49.696-04:002011-08-26T16:10:49.696-04:00Good points, Mathew. There is a lot to this argume...Good points, Mathew. There is a lot to this argument that I didn't begin to touch on. There is the argument that colleges should take on the Olympic model and allow athletes to market themselves to earn money ... i.e. advertisements, endorsements, etc. I don't think I would have a problem with that. What I do have a problem with is the expectation that schools should pay collegiate athletes in addition to their scholarship. That's just overboard. The benefit these athletes are already receiving -- free education, free housing, free food, television exposure, good PR to professional sports teams -- should be enough. The woe-is-me approach from these athletes needs to stop. Especially after the LSU quarterback was found to have 49 pairs of shoes in his house. I don't think I've owned 49 pairs of shoes in my lifetime.A.M. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03715032660475732898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272539659391885041.post-5608192331449039432011-08-26T15:59:01.351-04:002011-08-26T15:59:01.351-04:00Good post ... should they be allowed to work other...Good post ... should they be allowed to work other jobs? Should they be allowed to sell their own merchandise or sell their own autographs? Hard to say, but you're dead on with your assessment.Mathewnoreply@blogger.com