Vandal
12-15-15, 12:02
Found this on a friend's Facebook page. Essentially Rep Brattin's bill would revoke the scholarship of collegiate student-athletes who talk about striking, act in a way that leads to a strike or actually go on strike and refuse to play in an organized manner. The thought is since they are receiving state money, there should be some consequences for their actions.
Scholarships Revoked If Student Athletes Strike (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/14369127/missouri-legislator-proposes-bill-revoke-student-athlete-scholarships-strike)
I have some mixed thoughts on this. The NCAA and the universities make a ton of money on the backs of the athletes, most specifically football. The athletes on scholarship are fairly well compensated though. Free education, dorm room or off-campus stipend, spending money, medical care, food and nutrition counseling, better workout facilities than what non-football or non-athletes have access too. Don't forget the tutoring to get a lot of those guys to pass their classes. I'm still paying off my loans.
If they want to be treated like employees, then you don't work, you don't get the benefits. Most of the "student"-athletes I knew in college rarely showed up for class, when they did they didn't take notes and were pretty much off limits for in-class discussions. A few would participate, show up on time, not the "skilled" players as a general rule. I work with a former scholarship wide receiver from a PAC-12 school with a good degree because he knew his future wasn't in football.
The other part of me thinks they have the right to free speech and they could feasibly argue that a strike is a form of speech and protest and this could be a 1st Amendment violation. At the same time the football players at Mizzu were acting like spoiled children and need to be taken down a peg or two to be reminded who they "work" for.
Scholarships Revoked If Student Athletes Strike (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/14369127/missouri-legislator-proposes-bill-revoke-student-athlete-scholarships-strike)
I have some mixed thoughts on this. The NCAA and the universities make a ton of money on the backs of the athletes, most specifically football. The athletes on scholarship are fairly well compensated though. Free education, dorm room or off-campus stipend, spending money, medical care, food and nutrition counseling, better workout facilities than what non-football or non-athletes have access too. Don't forget the tutoring to get a lot of those guys to pass their classes. I'm still paying off my loans.
If they want to be treated like employees, then you don't work, you don't get the benefits. Most of the "student"-athletes I knew in college rarely showed up for class, when they did they didn't take notes and were pretty much off limits for in-class discussions. A few would participate, show up on time, not the "skilled" players as a general rule. I work with a former scholarship wide receiver from a PAC-12 school with a good degree because he knew his future wasn't in football.
The other part of me thinks they have the right to free speech and they could feasibly argue that a strike is a form of speech and protest and this could be a 1st Amendment violation. At the same time the football players at Mizzu were acting like spoiled children and need to be taken down a peg or two to be reminded who they "work" for.