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Mike, Mike, Mr. Smith,
I just listened to the interview with Mr. Smith on the Mike and Mike morning show, thank you for bringing this topic to your show. I grew up in a union household, my father was a union welder for 42 years. I am now a business executive although not in an organization that has a union.
I must say how disappointed I was in Mr. Smith’s stance. The vitriol in his responses do nothing to encourage the dialogue that is so critical to address a very serious issue. Examples include characterizing the NCAA and its partner institutions as “un-American”, referring to Kain Colter and his teammates as “kids” when referring to being taken advantage of, but also as “brave young men” to stand up to the NCAA. Stating these are the same issues that have been needed since the founding of the NCAA in the early 1900s. Stating this has nothing to do with money.
This language is patronizing and extreme. This discourse is very American. Kain Colter is not a kid, he is a brave young man whom I am so excited has sparked this dialogue. The lack of prevalence and the lack of knowledge about sports injuries today is incomparable to 100 years ago. This is exclusively about money (and it should be), and how that money is spent to ensure the safety and fair treatment of everyone in the equation.
Mr. Smith has likely done a tremendous service by swaying public opinion with his grandstanding, but has contributed nothing to encourage the dialogue that is so desperately needed to address a very real and serious problem for thousands of student athletes, our academic institutions that produce millions of capable and intelligent citizens, and the NCAA.
The defense for this approach is most certainly that embarrassment and harassment is the only way to bring whomever is on the other side to the table. I disagree. It is a dysfunctional and disrespectful approach that unfortunately is endorsed by more and more of our nation’s institutions every day.
I am very excited that Mr. Colter has forced this issue to the forefront, change must happen in the current NCAA system. I am saddened that this cause will be pirated by individuals like Mr. Smith whom are only interested in using this issue to continue to advance their own extreme thoughts and agenda.
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Still incensed on the topic and wanting more, I forwarded my thoughts to a friend who played football in the NFL for a decade. He pointed me to this article. This is the first detailed account I have read to educate myself about the topic. I have limited my commentary in the past, most recently with Ed when asked, based on knowing that I'm not versed on a topic that my friend described as "such a nuanced/multi-faceted issue and gets oversimplified by grandstanders and trumpet blowers". Among the most important aspect of this very thorough and detailed article are the following set of questions:
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Would college players be content with the augmented scholarship or allowance now requested by the National College Players Association? If a player’s worth to the university is greater than the value of his scholarship (as it clearly is in some cases), should he be paid a salary? If so, would teammates in revenue sports want to be paid equally, or in salaries stratified according to talent or value on the field? What would the athletes want in Division III, where athletic budgets keep rising without scholarships or substantial sports revenue? Would athletes seek more or less variance in admissions standards? Should non-athletes also have a voice, especially where involuntary student fees support more and more of college sports? Might some schools choose to specialize, paying players only in elite leagues for football, or lacrosse? In athletic councils, how much would high-revenue athletes value a simple thank you from the tennis or field-hockey players for the newly specified subsidies to their facilities?
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This is an incredibly complex topic that few truly understand (I am not among them). But what I am sure of is that the student-athlete model and the NCAA is a deeply flawed institution that needs a complete overhaul. I can only hold out hope that the lawyers and grandstanders don't trade one subpar process for another enriching only themselves in the process. And I'm going to work to continue to educate myself on the topic as it will remain impactful on me for personal, social and professional reasons.
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