Why We Shouldn't Pay College Athletes
Colin Longmore
Professor Serpas
WR 1- Mon/Wed 9:00am-10:50am
09 April 2012 Semester Project Pt. 2
Before they appeared on national television playing for thousands of adoring fans, the majority of professional athletes started off at some point as wide-eyed, college freshman recruits, eager to bring glory to their school and to themselves. The hierarchy was set. Starting off at the bottom of the totem pole, they knew that the only way to gain any kind of playing time was to work hard day in and day out, during every practice. Sure enough, the rookie freshman became the All-Star senior who led his school to a championship season. This triumphant story of amateurism resonates in almost every university team’s locker room. Today, however, a hotly debated issue in the National Collegiate Athletic Association threatens to change the very essence of what makes college sports what they are. Back in my high school years, one of my good friends, Anthony Wilkerson, had earned a full-ride scholarship to Stanford University, thanks to his solid GPA and superior skills on the football field. He had been on the bench for most of his freshman season, but this year, he was set to get more carries, more yards and, hopefully, more touchdowns. My girlfriend had a close friend, named Karen, who was accepted into the University of Southern California. Ever since she received her acceptance letter, Karen vowed to invite us to go see a game at the Coliseum with her. As fate would have it, that same year, Stanford and USC were set to square off in Los Angeles! It was as if the universe had aligned itself perfectly for me. The College Football Gods had sown the seeds and I was about to reap from the glorious harvest. After receiving the news that we would get the opportunity to see our beloved friend Anthony play close to home, my girlfriend and I instantly starting making preparations. Days-Off were requested at work, carpools were arranged and Trojan game-day outfits were
Professor Serpas
WR 1- Mon/Wed 9:00am-10:50am
09 April 2012 Semester Project Pt. 2
Before they appeared on national television playing for thousands of adoring fans, the majority of professional athletes started off at some point as wide-eyed, college freshman recruits, eager to bring glory to their school and to themselves. The hierarchy was set. Starting off at the bottom of the totem pole, they knew that the only way to gain any kind of playing time was to work hard day in and day out, during every practice. Sure enough, the rookie freshman became the All-Star senior who led his school to a championship season. This triumphant story of amateurism resonates in almost every university team’s locker room. Today, however, a hotly debated issue in the National Collegiate Athletic Association threatens to change the very essence of what makes college sports what they are. Back in my high school years, one of my good friends, Anthony Wilkerson, had earned a full-ride scholarship to Stanford University, thanks to his solid GPA and superior skills on the football field. He had been on the bench for most of his freshman season, but this year, he was set to get more carries, more yards and, hopefully, more touchdowns. My girlfriend had a close friend, named Karen, who was accepted into the University of Southern California. Ever since she received her acceptance letter, Karen vowed to invite us to go see a game at the Coliseum with her. As fate would have it, that same year, Stanford and USC were set to square off in Los Angeles! It was as if the universe had aligned itself perfectly for me. The College Football Gods had sown the seeds and I was about to reap from the glorious harvest. After receiving the news that we would get the opportunity to see our beloved friend Anthony play close to home, my girlfriend and I instantly starting making preparations. Days-Off were requested at work, carpools were arranged and Trojan game-day outfits were
Cited: Currie, Duncan. “Should College Athletes Get Paid?”. National Review Online. National Review Online., 5 Apr. 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2012. Eagan, Matt. “Why College Student-Athletes Should Not Be Paid”. MiddletownPatch. Patch. 2 Apr. 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2012. Horne, Lisa. “Why College Football Players Should Not Get Paid To Play”. Bleacher Report, Bleacher Report. 4 Oct. 2008. Web. 9 Apr. 2012. Posnanski, Joe. “The College Connection”. www.Sports Illustrated.com. Sports Illustrated. 28 Jul. 2011. Web. 9 Apr 2012 Slattery, Mark. “Why College Athletes Should Not Get Paid”. www.ChatSports.com Chat Sports Online. 20 Oct. 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2012