Bernie Sanders: Pay College Athletes

[Uncle Joe]

(snip)

College athletics has ballooned over the last two decades into a $14 billion industry with only about 12% of that being directed to students, almost entirely in the form of academic scholarships. The NCAA basketball tournament alone, which is widely known as "March Madness," draws upward of 100 million vierwers, has nearly 100 corporate sponsors and generates more than $1 billion.

While this is the first time Sanders, a top Democratic presidential contender, has weighed in on the issue, he's far from the first member of Congress to call for paying college athletes.

In March, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut published a report, "Madness, Inc: How everyone is getting rich off college sports – except the players," in which he argued the NCAA is broken and that paying athletes is both a labor fairness issue and civil rights issue.

"You can't hide from the fact that the majority of the athletes that are playing the big time college sports, football and basketball, are African American and almost none of the adults who are making money off of them, the coaches, the ADs, the CEOs of the big athletic companies, are African American," Murphy said in an interview earlier this year. "When you have a whole bunch of adults who are white making money off the free labor of a whole bunch of young people who are largely African Americans that has to be part of why we consider this a civil rights issue."

https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2019-09-06/bernie-sanders-pay-college-athletes

[dalton99a]

1. College football is a big business that uses a plantation model

[Tipperary]

2. They are already being paid.

It is a sick system.

[DrFunkenstein]

3. People More Likely to Get Uptight About Players Getting Big Money

And barely spare a thought for the people behind the scenes who are making the real money. They're more likely to think that executives in suits "earn" their money than athletes and artists.

Hopefully, this thinking goes the way of dinosaurs and gasoline with lead.

[world wide wally]

4. I have thought this for a long time...with one caveat.

Their declared major would just be football or basketball, or whatever they play. The opportunity to major in anything is there, but then they must do the same things required of other students. Just NO academic fudging for athletes.

[George II]

5. College athletes get full tuition scholarships and (almost, not always) free room and board...

...while they're attending college, and lots of other "perks".

Maybe they should get paid and then pay their own way through college?

[NurseJackie]

6. Whew! What a relief!

Whew! What a relief! I've been so worried about this! It's one of the major issues facing our nation today. Thank GOD that SOMEONE is finally talking about it!

we consider this a civil rights issue."

[sheshe2]

8. One of my favorite scenes from My Cousin Vinny!

[Recursion]

7. Yang was there first

Yang's been advocating this for two years...

[Thekaspervote]

9. More pandering to the young vote that will never be delivered

[Uncle Joe]

10. So you don't believe college athletes should be paid?

[George II]

32. Why do you always post these "either/or", "yes/no" questions about complicated issues?

It's like the age-old question that's been around for decades, "have you stopped beating your wife?"

[Thekaspervote]

42. They are being paid. It's called room and board. In one's monthly budget that's equal to 30-40%

Of what any working person would pay monthly.

[NurseJackie]

15. Exactly right! This is not a "civil rights" issue as is being claimed.

Exactly right! This is not a "civil rights" issue as is being claimed. It's also not on-par with any of the other issues that are much more important to millions more people... both nationally and internationally.

More pandering to the young vote that will never be delivered

Yes. It's transparent and it's the sign of a campaign that's struggling to stay relevant.

Don't forget... you'll recall that at is rally in North Charleston, SC is a MAJORITY BLACK city, only 2.5% AA were in attendance? That rally was also being held in an historically black church in a predominantly black neighborhood... yet the crowd looked like they had been flown-in from Vermont.

All I'm saying is... if he can't "connect" or draw enough interest from locals to even bother attending his rally to hear what he has to say, then that tells me that his campaign is doomed.

To bring this "issue" up now (presumably to shore up his civil rights creds) seems to be a rather desperate move. It's unclear to me if he's coming up with these strategies ALL ON HIS OWN, or... is he simply getting BAD ADVICE from his campaign team and advisors.

[Uncle Joe]

17. So you don't believe college athletes should be paid?

[NurseJackie]

19. I believe that anyone who gloms onto this "issue" has a campaign that is in serious trouble.

I believe that anyone who gloms onto this "issue" has a campaign that is in serious trouble.

So you don't believe college athletes should be paid?

Oh good grief. GMAFB! You know perfectly well that's not what I said. In fact, I didn't comment one way or the other. I recommend that you read my previous post again.

What I did say, however, is that this is not a "civil rights" issue as is being claimed. It's also not on-par with any of the other issues that are much more important to millions more people... both nationally and internationally. It's transparent and it's the sign of a campaign that's struggling to stay relevant.

Don't forget... you'll recall that at is rally in North Charleston, SC is a MAJORITY BLACK city, only 2.5% AA were in attendance? That rally was also being held in an historically black church in a predominantly black neighborhood... yet the crowd looked like they had been flown-in from Vermont.

All I'm saying is... if he can't "connect" or draw enough interest from locals to even bother attending his rally to hear what he has to say, then that tells me that his campaign is doomed.

To bring this "issue" up now (presumably to shore up his civil rights creds) seems to be a rather desperate move. It's unclear to me if he's coming up with these strategies ALL ON HIS OWN, or... is he simply getting BAD ADVICE from his campaign team and advisors.

(See? I can cut-and-paste, too.)

[Uncle Joe]

20. I read your post and I asked you a question which you never answered.

Whether you cynically believe Bernie is doing this as a "sign of desperation" or this not being a "civil rights" issue is irrelevant to my question.

So you don't believe college athletes should be paid?

Yes or no?

[NurseJackie]

23. You're not even asking a question.

is irrelevant to my question.

Actually, whatever it is you think you're pursuing is what's "irrelevant." It's not even a proper question. It's just a statement--a conclusion--with a question mark at the end. Clearly, it's in the hopes that the subject can be changed and a desire to talk about ANYTHING other than the flailing state of the BS campaign. It's a distraction.

All I'm trying to say here is that even though someone may want to change the subject, nothing will change the fact that this IS INDEED a desperate move by a campaign that's in trouble.

[Uncle Joe]

25. Let me rephrase then. Do you believe college athletes should be paid?

[NurseJackie]

28. I guess you didn't hear me the first time. Allow me to repeat...

Let me rephrase then

Feel free to "rephrase" it all you want. I guess you didn't hear me the first time. Allow me to repeat... I didn't comment one way or the other. I have no opinion on the subject.

What I can tell you is that this is NOT a "civil rights" issue. It's also not on-par with any of the other issues that are much more important to millions more people... both nationally and internationally. It's transparent and it's the sign of a campaign that's struggling to stay relevant. It's pandering.

Don't forget... at is rally in North Charleston, SC (which is a MAJORITY BLACK city) only 2.5% AA were in attendance. That rally was also being held in an historically black church in a predominantly black neighborhood... yet the crowd looked like they had been flown-in from Vermont.

To bring this "issue" up now (presumably to shore up his civil rights creds) seems to be a rather desperate move.

[George II]

33. Most, if not all college athletes ARE paid - many get athletic scholarships that pay their tuition..

...room and board, and some expenses like books, supplies, and fees.

They're not playing football, basketball, etc. for free.

[Uncle Joe]

36. Then paying athletes or at the very least allowing them to market themselves for profit

for risking their lives and/or livelihoods in order to bring big bucks to their universities would be just if every other student were allowed to attend a public university tuition free.

Would you agree with that?

[George II]

39. I don't know what you're saying here. Are we talking about ALL universities or now just public....

...universities? I don't know what attending public universities tuition free has to do with this.

BTW, they're "risking their lives" for themselves to get an education. It's their choice, and playing college athletics isn't "risking their lives", although some college athletes have died (not through injuries in games)

[MichMan]

11. Under Title IX would all players in all sports would need to be paid the same amounts?

I don't believe that the Football starting QB could be paid any more than a Women's Golf team player, but maybe I am incorrect.

[Uncle Joe]

13. I believe pay should be equitable per that particular sport.

No Men's Golf team should be paid more than the Women's Golf Team.

As to the other sports, I believe funds generated to the university and physical risk to the player (s) should be taken into account as well.

[MichMan]

16. What about the vast majority of sports that generate zero revenue ?

Should those players get paid at all ?

[Uncle Joe]

18. I haven't decided on that yet but at the very least they should be able to as

Lebron James states.

(snip)

The tweet came in response to one sent by LeBron James, professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers, who was rallying support for SB-206, California's "Fair Pay to Play" Act, which would allow student athletes to earn compensation in connection with the use of their "name, image or likeness."

(snip)

https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2019-09-06/bernie-sanders-pay-college-athletes

[MichMan]

27. I don't recall seeing the names, image, or likenesses of any players on golf, tennis or soccer teams

Last edited Sat Sep 7, 2019, 11:58 PM - Edit history (1)

of my alma mater. Guess according to Lebron, they are out of luck then.

I am not in favor of paying student-athletes. They already receive free tuition and room/board at expensive universities without needing student loans of tens of thousands of dollars like their classmates. In many cases, they would not meet admission requirements if not for their athletic abilities, yet they can earn a degree and education from a prestigious university. Given that the vast majority will never play professionally, that is a pretty good deal IMO.

[MichMan]

12. If you feel colleges are taking advantage of you as a player, just don't go

Go straight to the Pros like Lebron James did.

[Uncle Joe]

14. Speaking of Lebron James

(snip)

"College athletes are workers," the senator from Vermont tweeted Friday morning. "Pay them."

The tweet came in response to one sent by LeBron James, professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers, who was rallying support for SB-206, California's "Fair Pay to Play" Act, which would allow student athletes to earn compensation in connection with the use of their "name, image or likeness."

The bill overwhelmingly passed the state Senate in May. If approved by the California Assembly in the current legislative session, it would become law in 2023 and apply to all private colleges in the Golden State and the University of California system.

The NCAA opposes the bill, arguing that it would create a dynamic in which the best athletes in the country flock to California schools. NCAA President Mark Emmert threatened to bar California's college teams from participating in national championships and asked state lawmakers to postpone their consideration of the bill until the NCAA conducts its own review about compensating athletes.

(snip)

https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2019-09-06/bernie-sanders-pay-college-athletes

[dalton99a]

21. +1

[BlueMississippi]

22. Wonderful idea but it needs to be extended ....

Since college athletes come from High School athletes - pay them too so more of them can become college athletes. This will cost a measly $21 billion.

Since HS athletes are derived from middle school athletes ... well .. you get the idea.

For a mere $100 billion, we will transform sports forever.

[Uncle Joe]

24. It's too bad, you don't believe that even though middle and high schools are free to the public that

four years at a public university or trade school should be tuition free.

Our nation would be much more competitive if they were.

[BlueMississippi]

26. Yeah ... I missed the whole point of this program

Last edited Sat Sep 7, 2019, 02:23 PM - Edit history (1)

only 5% of high schoolers and 0% of middle schoolers can vote .... so no soup for them

I get it ... only voters get the benefits ....

[NurseJackie]

29. LOL!

[George II]

35. In most towns and municipalities middle school and high school is NOT free to the public...

Where I am, more than 60% of the town's budget, which is funded by taxing the residents, goes to pay for schools.

I pay roughly $4500 a year in taxes here, so that means I'm paying almost $3000 per year for our "free" schools. I don't even have children.

[Uncle Joe]

37. Public middle and high schools are tuition free.

Virtually everyone's taxes support public education, police, fire departments, road construction.

I don't have children either but the day comes when your life and society in general from which business thrives depends on an educated workforce in all manner of way.

[BlueMississippi]

38. The point is NOTHING is ever "free"

By some people's definition, "free" is something paid for by other people -- the ones they hate.

Because ---- one person's "free" is another person's tax -- someone, somewhere, some time will have to pay cash.

[Uncle Joe]

40. That begs the question, what is the cost of our current set of systems?

I'm not just speaking of education, but of health, criminal justice, for profit prisons, environmental, etc. etc. etc.

Because every time Bernie or another progressive candidate proposes solutions to long festering problems, the cost of said solution is always taken into account but the cost of the status quo almost never.

[BlueMississippi]

44. ...

[Thekaspervote]

43. Oh no!!! A posted based in sanity....thanks!!!

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

30. It's a new pander every day with this guy

Learn NOT cash in.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

31. I agree that there are big problems with college athletics.

But it seems to me that you're either a student or a football player - you can't be both, the way the system is structured now. The student-athletes are students in name only; they don't get much of an education because they were recruited to play football, period. When they graduate, if they graduate, the only thing they're really qualified to do is play football, but only a few are selected by professional teams.

If they graduated maybe they could get jobs coaching high school football somewhere (though not if there is a requirement for education credentials); if they didn't graduate they're back to working at McDonald's. If they are to be paid while playing for the college, then they should be deemed employees of the college, but not students. Like other college employees, they would be eligible for discounted or free classes if they wanted to take them, but playing football would be their job.

[USALiberal]

34. NO! Free college is enough! nt

[OilemFirchen]

41. I like the idea.

And expand those same salaries to student artists, musicians, researchers, et al. If their course of study generates revenue (performances, grants, etc.) then by all means, give them their due. At the same time, eliminate sports scholarships for parity.

[JI7]

45. would cheerleaders get paid ?

[LongtimeAZDem]

46. On the contrary; I think the university should get a percentage of their pro contracts

Let's treat them like grad students that do patentable research as part of their dissertations.

[LudwigPastorius]

47. "Bernie Sanders: Pay College Athletes"

"LudwigPastorius: No"

[Duppers]

48. K & R