Paying College Athletes?

Major issues in the argument for and against paying college athletes

By Jeremy Philipson

After reading the Time article "It's Time to Pay College Athletes," I felt that many issues were raised, but not addressed. Everyone can point out the problem, but coming up with a solution is much more difficult. 

(Note: The Time article proposed a player limit of $30,000 per year, so I will use that figure for arguments sake.)

Logistics

A lot of my personal issues were raised in the Time article, specifically the point of what happens if the NCAA decides to pay athletes. Who gets paid? Both males and females? Every team, or just ones that turn a profit? How much would each athlete earn? Does it depend on class year? Do starters get paid more than bench players? Would there be a salary cap or maximum salary per player? How would each school afford to do this? Obviously, there is a tremendous chasm between the profits of schools like Alabama, Florida, and Syracuse, and schools like Butler, Wichita State, and Central Florida. If programs can only pay players what they can afford, how do the mid-major programs compete with the big boys in recruiting? Also, I think that Title IX would have to be considered. Women’s college athletics have come a huge way since 1972, and would play a role in determining equal compensation for males and females. Not only is it a slippery slope to get a decision, but there are a multitude of factors that need to be considered before any decision is made.

Amateurism

Getty Images

If Johnny Football, CJ Fair and other top players are getting a check after every game, they can no longer be considered a student-athlete. In my mind, if a player is being compensated for their athletic ability (beyond an athletic scholarship), the word amateur needs to be thrown out. Is college going to become a true "minor league" system for the NFL and NBA? Is it going to become a breeding ground for future professional players? This would totally marginalize their education. Being a professor trying to teach 18-year-old kids who are making $30,000 to, essentially, not sit in class, would be impossible. If I'm a projected first-round draft pick getting paid upwards of $30,000 per year, on top of my full athletic scholarship, what motivation (or reason) do I have to attend a bullshit Earth Science class? Would I really care about my grade in Calc 101? Why not spend that time lifting weights, working out, getting better, and improving my draft stock? Most student-athletes already struggle in the classroom. If they start getting paid? Forget about it.

Cornering the Market

Assuming my prior two issues are solved, a third naturally arises. What stops top-tier schools like Michigan, LSU, Oregon, and Notre Dame in football, and Duke, Syracuse, Kansas, and Kentucky in basketball, from just paying the best players in each recruiting class? You could make an argument that these schools already corner the market on top talent, but besides the top 1%, every program experiences ups and downs in recruiting, talent, and on-field/on-court performance. How can Butler or Wichita State, who both made Final Four runs in recent years, be expected to compete with schools in major conferences with multi-billion dollar television deals? These mid-major basketball schools are either turning very little profit or, at best, breaking even.

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

According to a March 2010 CNN Money report, Butler made $2 (yes, two dollars) in the 2009-2010 season. Louisville, UNC, Ohio State, and Arizona all turned a profit of over $16 million that same year. In football, the difference is considerably greater. In a December 2012 report by ESPN, Texas was named the most profitable program, with revenue of over $100 million and profit of almost $80 million. If a high school senior is choosing between Florida ($51 million in profit) offering him $30,000 per year, or Central Florida (not listed) offering him $5,000 per year, the decision is pretty easy. And these conference TV deals prove the point further. Texas has its own television network (called Longhorn Network) which provides 24 hour University of Texas programming. The new ACC television deal is worth $3.6 billion over 15 years, with each school taking $17 million each year (less than the yearly per-school take for the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12). All I can say to Butler, Wichita State, and Boise State: Good Luck.

Personally, I do not believe that college athletes should be paid. They are receiving an education, sometimes worth in excess of $50,000, for free. Whether they choose to take advantage of that opportunity is up to them. On the other side, I completely understand the thought that these kids are making their schools millions of dollars, and aren’t seeing a dime. To me, there is no middle ground.

I see the NCAA eventually dissolving. The Ed O’Bannon lawsuit (http://bit.ly/14zfYn7) and the Johnny Manziel fiasco this summer proved that change is coming sooner rather than later. Almost everyone agrees that the NCAA is in the wrong; they run a multi-billion dollar industry and pay their “employees” (re: players) nothing. What everyone does not agree on is a solution.

One way or another, the National Collegiate Athletic Association will be changed.

Hopefully, it is for the better.

Can Anything Derail a Seattle/Denver Super Bowl?

Recapping the three remaining undefeated teams, and looking forward to a potential Super Bowl matchup

 AP PHOTO/DAVID ZALUBOWSKI

By Jeremy Philipson

As the year moves into October and the NFL ends its fifth week of play, only three undefeated teams remain. Fans of these teams are no longer hoping for playoffs; they are expecting playoffs.

These teams have survived their early schedules, but are they for real?

Kansas City: Kansas City has started undefeated thanks to an extremely favorable early schedule, which featured three games against teams from the NFC East, a division with every team under .500.

Nevertheless, the Chiefs have been one of the NFL’s biggest surprises, thanks to new head coach Andy Reid. Former San Francisco-castoff Alex Smith has been fantastic in Reid’s West Coast offense, a system that values a quarterback who takes care of the ball.

With a strong front seven and secondary allowing the second-fewest passing yards in the league, the Chiefs are for real. Although they play Denver twice in three weeks in November and play five division games in the last seven weeks, expect the Chiefs to contend for a wild-card spot.

New Orleans: Seeing the Saints demolish my Dolphins last Monday night was all the proof I needed to realize that the Sean Payton-Drew Brees’ relationship is better than ever.

Another strong win in Chicago has solidified the Saints as the real deal. The 0-4 start from a dismal 2012 campaign seems like forever ago, and New Orleans is back to looking like the terror that gives defensive coordinators nightmares.

The Saints still have road games in New England, Atlanta and Seattle, but an extremely favorable final four games (vs. Carolina, at St. Louis, at Carolina, vs. Tampa Bay) gives the Saints an opportunity to have the NFC South in a stranglehold once December hits.

Denver: There isn’t much to say about Denver that hasn’t already been said. Peyton is having a career year in an offense perfectly tailored for his style and is on pace for 64 touchdowns.

Offensive weapons Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas force opponents to pick their poison. But, life isn’t so good on the other side of the ball.

The Broncos could use some help on defense, as shown by Tony Romo and his 500 yards and 5 touchdowns. Help is on the way, though, with top pass-rusher Von Miller returning in Week 7, and top cornerback Champ Bailey working his way back from a foot injury.

The Broncos will need a strong defense, especially with probably cold-weather games in December and January.

Super Bowl Prediction: Even with a loss to Indianapolis this week, I still believe the Seahawks will be playing in February. Russell Wilson has yet to lose a game at CenturyLink Field, and the Broncos offense looks unstoppable thus far.

Prediction: Peyton Manning and Co. facing Richard Sherman and the Legion of Boom on Feb. 2, 2014.

Comments? Don’t agree? Hit me up on Twitter: @jeremyphilipson

My Road to the Final Four

Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament run through the eyes of a pep band trumpeter

By Jeremy Philipson, Syracuse University Class of 2014

9,000 miles. 30 days. 20 missed classes. Six cities. Five beds. Four hotels. One incredible month.

For the past four weeks, I had the opportunity to see each of the Syracuse Men’s Basketball team’s last nine games in person. From the Big East Tournament to the Final Four, I was there every step of the way.

As part of Sour Sitrus Society - the basketball pep band - I was one of a handful of students chosen to travel with the men’s team to every postseason game this year. When I first saw I was traveling with the men’s team, I was ecstatic, as this was one of the main reasons I joined Sitrus as a freshman. Having paid my dues last year by playing at the Women’s Big East Tournament in Hartford, CT, I was ready for the Big Dance.

At first, I was more excited to play at the Big East Tournament than at the NCAA Tournament (until I found out we were playing in San Jose. Who would turn down a week of California with 65 degrees and sunny weather? Peace out, ‘Cuse.). I had not been to Madison Square Garden in seven years, and could not wait to play trumpet in the mecca of basketball. The atmosphere in the building was amazing, especially with over half the building wearing orange. Big-time performances by James Southerland and Michael Carter-Williams carried us past Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, and Georgetown. Even though we lost to Big East and eventual National Champion Louisville, Syracuse played great and carried a ton of momentum into the NCAA Tournament.

After getting back to campus on Sunday afternoon from the Big East Tournament, I found out that we would be flying charter with the basketball team, coaching staff, and spirit squad to the West Coast. That meant leaving Monday night. So, after a quick 24 hours in Syracuse, I was off to San Jose for a week. I cheered the team to victories over Montana and California, 3,000 miles away from the Carrier Dome. I also had the opportunity to meet up with one of my best friends from high school on Wednesday in San Francisco. It was great to see him again and catch up on the “best coast” (according to him).

When got back to Syracuse on Sunday night after 12 hours of traveling, I received an email telling us the flight for the Sweet 16 left on Tuesday morning. That left me with an interesting dilemma: go to class on Monday, or do laundry? Considering I was out of clean socks, laundry seemed like the clear winner. We flew out on Tuesday, which gave me time on Wednesday and Thursday to sleep in and meet up with some family and friends. Watching the team celebrate and cut down the nets after wins over Indiana and Marquette was a truly awesome experience. Armed with an iPhone and a courtside seat, I was able to capture some great videos and pictures from the celebration. Barely 12 hours after the win, I was back on a plane headed for Syracuse with one thing on my mind: Atlanta.

The band left for the Final Four on Friday morning, which meant I had to go to class for a full week (first time in three weeks!). Professors and friends greeted me with “I saw you on TV!,” “Who are you again?,” and “So when do you leave for Atlanta?” The week flew by, as I was busy meeting with professors, catching up on assignments, and dreaming of the ATL. Friday in Atlanta was an exhausting day filled with performances and obligations, and we had two more pep rallies scheduled before the game on Saturday. Although the game didn’t end up how Syracuse fans would have wanted (thanks to some questionable calls), playing trumpet in the Georgia Dome is something I can safely say I will never do again.

Regardless of the outcome of our last game, I would not trade my past four weeks for anything. I was able to fly on charter planes, stay in four-star hotels, appear on national television, and sit courtside for the incredible Big East and NCAA Tournament runs by the Orange. It was truly a dream month.

Not bad for someone who is (barely) average at trumpet, huh?

AFC South: Watt shines, Luck loses out, Arians prevails

JJ Watt, Andrew Luck, and Bruce Arians were all involved in the NFL awards season, but for different reasons

By Jeremy Philipson

Watt wins DPOY: Many expected the AP Defensive Player of the Year voting to be suspenseful, but not for the reason you may think. Everyone was waiting not to see who won, but how he won.

(Kirby Lee/US Presswire)

JJ Watt took home DPOY honors in his second NFL season almost unanimously, raking in 49 of the 50 votes. Watt recorded one of the most dominant seasons by a defensive end in recent memory, and was rewarded with the highest honor a defensive player can receive.

Other players who had big years, like Bears’ defensive back Charles “Peanut” Tillman and 49ers defensive end Aldon Smith, were shut out of the vote completely, with the other vote going to Von Miller, the second-year defensive end for the Broncos.

Here are some numbers to quantify just how good Watt was this season*:

·      He led NFL with 20.5 sacks (tied for the sixth-most all-time).

·      He became one of nine players to register at least 20 sacks since sacks began to be recorded in 1982.

·      He batted or tipped 16 passes this season, most in the NFL

·      He disrupted 5.7 percent of the drop-backs he faced. In the past three seasons, no other player posted a number higher than 4.3 percent (Jared Allen in 2011).

Watt has said he has even higher goals for next year, and it will be fun to see how defenses adjust to compensate for his talent.

Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who has coached greats like Reggie White and Bruce Smith, recently said that Watt “had the absolute best year any defensive lineman has ever had.”

Pretty high praise for a kid from Wisconsin.

*All stats from ESPN Stats and Information

Luck not so lucky: Most years, breaking the rookie passing record and turning a 2-14 team into an 11-5 wild card team would be enough to win the Rookie of the Year award.

Unlike most years, this year featured three of the best rookie quarterbacks of all time. And unfortunately for Andrew Luck, he was on the wrong side of the vote. Luck tallied just 11 votes, compared to 29 for RGIII, who took the league, and ultimately the trophy, by storm.

Throwing for the seventh most yards in the NFL, more than former Super Bowl and NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning? Not enough. Breaking the rookie records for most yards in a single game, 300-yard passing games, game-winning drives, and fourth quarter comebacks? Maybe next time.

Luck has been bested by Griffin III previously, with the first time coming in 2011, when both players were Heisman finalists. That ended with the Baylor QB hoisting the trophy, and Luck finishing as runner-up for the second year in a row.

NFL fans can only hope these two players continue to battle for NFL awards over the next decade. And next time, maybe RGIII will be the runner-up.

Arians wins as Interim HC: How many times has an interim head coach won the AP Coach of the Year award? Before last week, the answer would be zero. 

After leading an emotional Colts team to a 9-3 record while head coach Chuck Pagano battled leukemia, Bruce Arians became the first interim head coach to win the award, and the first coach from Indianapolis to win since the team moved from Baltimore in 1984.

Arians took over in October and led the team through December, compiling a record of 9-3. Pagano is officially credited with all wins and losses, so Arians wins the award with a record of 0-0. Not only is this an awkward situation, but it is one that is likely to never happen again. When interim coaches take over teams, it usually means the head coach is fired. Head coaches usually get fired on poor teams, and coaches of the year do not come from poor teams.

Arians benefited from a strong organization and one of the best rookie quarterbacks ever. When he takes over as the head man in Arizona next season, his task will be much tougher. With no quarterback of the future in place, Arians will have an opportunity to prove that this year was no fluke.