Doctor AbrACEive Show 31: #TeamStacieLane

The new year is here with Doc A, Libra Leigh, and 4Eva. What's the worst that could happen?

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#TeamStacieLane
Kim K
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Gun control
US Education
Mississippi and conservatives
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Worst piece of ass
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For the Love of What? Part 2

Another Saturday has passed, and college football fans are sad or disappointed depending on the outcome of the their favorite team's game. Some teams had capacity crowds flooding into town sometimes backing up traffic while others may only have a modest amount in attendance. All of this to watch young athletic men compete in a physical game for potato chips simply because they love playing football.

I contend that this is not only utter bullshit but a cop out to allow the viewers to feel better about following the money hungry college version of the sport. Many that have similar views to mine would liken the system to slavery. While I can see their motivation in that reasoning, I say that it's more along the lines of the sharecropper systems that were prevalent in post-slavery times. The student-athlete are granted a certain level of financial support but not enough to sustain compared to other college students. In comparison to those that are capitalizing off these events, the amount of support given to the players is very minuscule and insulting.

It is amazing the profits that can be generated from one season of football at a big time program; it was estimated that Penn State racks in $60M a year. I'm not sure what all is included in that number, but I'll discuss a few areas where money plays a big part. The institution, private groups, businesses, and others all can have their palms greased through many means. A few of those means are parking, pre-game festivities, and television.

Parking

Space being a premium, schools may have to limit the amount of access to the campus in the event they have an on-campus stadium. Land grant institutions and such may have more space to offer where in-city schools may have less to offer without flooding into the surrounding city or town. Anyone that has attended a game can confess that free parking versus paid parking is given choice. Free parking may be easy on the pockets but not so easy on the legs as it usually requires plenty of walking.

Paid parking almost always exists in ideal locations. Be it the church located only a few yards from the tailgate spot or the student dorm lot right next to the stadium, you can bet that the closer you park, the more greenbacks you will be giving up. Your money can contribute a number of causes depending on the lot's owner, but you can bet your shiny BMW that very little, if any, will go to the players on the field. Compare that to the NFL where all revenue generated is used to pay expenses which include player contracts.

The need for parking bleeds over into the on-campus life in the case of stadium located on the grounds of the school. Some institutions of higher learning require students to park their personal cars in distant lots in order to allow the incoming crowds room to get near the action. Others may block off student parking lots and post guards to only allow residents to enter; this option can be so corrupt though because guards can be bribed to allow big money fans into the lot.  Driving across campus is out of the question.

Now that you've paid $10 to the restaurant owner that opposes universal health care because he doesn't see the need to provide his employees with coverage unless he can raise his menu prices to cover that expense, you can make your way to the campus to fellowship with your friends, family, and fake-ass buddies.

Pre-Game Festivities

The favorite pastime before the game is tailgating. It has become tradition in many sports realms. There are a few ways to do it depending on your interest. The traditional tailgate consists of a grill and an assortment of foods that make the stomach jump for joy. Others may skip the grilling step and have food catered. Along with the food is usually some sort of entertainment; music, games, or even television keep the crowd engaged when conversation is not enough.

Retailers and grocers scramble to make food and merchandise available during game weekends. Some restaurants have adapted to the lull in sales and ventured into catering services. Staffing is increased to meet the expected demand. Employees are encouraged, if not forced, to wear school colors to show "spirit". In some cases, prices are inflated but the profits are very seldom passed on to workers. As a matter of fact, business owners and managers may make game weekends a mandatory work weekend but never overtime.

Even though you may not be present to see the game, your game party can offer the finest of tailgate or catered foods your pocket can afford. The pre-game shows are ending; kickoff is near; and you flip your 72" HDTV to ESPN92 and put on your lucky beer hat.

Television

The belief is that big name conferences and school are the main offenders in the shuck and jive known as collegiate sports; although they are the main benefactors, nearly all of these schools and conferences have their hands in money pie. For example, I was surfing for something to watch this weekend and noticed the Yale/Cornell game on some channel and Furman/Presbyterian match up on another.

While it is true that the top programs and leagues do get the majority of the television time, a fan can easily purchase a pass that allows access nearly every televised game each week. Top match ups, regional teams, and star players can determine what is aired. Add in the fact that game times are dictated by television and eyes available, not many games go untelevised throughout a season. 

These televised games always feature recruiting ads for both teams and the conferences involved as well. Other commercials bring in revenue to fund the cost of airing the games and line the pockets of the programs. Once again, players receive no bonus for the money the generated. Each year television companies seek to sign long term deals with conferences, and don't think for one second that this is because they love the game of college football. 



The game is over; your team has won another game. The player of the game decides that he's going out to celebrate at the sports bar. He is showered free food and even given some cash from a random alum. The news of this goes global. You lose your shit because his pending suspension will probably cost the team the shot at a bowl game. You log in to message boards and facebook to trash this young man because he "lacks morals". Look at you and your hypocritical ass.

You and people like you want to make it seem that these players are playing because they love the game; one day, they will have the opportunity to earn "millions" in the NFL. Making decisions such as the above hypothetical example may cost them that opportunity. 

Here are facts: 

• There are a less than 2000 total active positions in the NFL AND CFL. All of them are taken as of now.
• Not counting kickers and punters, there are over 2500 starters in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.
• Injury will cost a player his career long before a personal decision that you tend to demonize.
• The average salary of an NFL player is less than $2M with an average career length of 3 - 6 years (depending on who you ask).

If that star player won the lottery to make it to the NFL, he may only get to earn about $6M for a lifetime of throwing his body around with little regard. That compares very well with $60M a year in football revenue right?

For The Love of What: Part One

I have been trying to get myself in the college football mood these last few months. After this weekend, I think it's best that I sit this season out and re-evaluate next year to see if this is just a phase. The year round fascination with football has tainted the enjoyment of the competition on the field in both the college and professional game. I accept the blame for watching the saturated coverage on the sports networks; beyond that, off the field topics have leaked into national and local news as well as podcast and other media. It's hard for me to drop my interest in the sport since it was once a dream of mine to play the game.

The NFL for all the criticism it receives does function as an entity allows players to be compensated and earn a living off their images as does other professional leagues. The college level, mostly the NCAA, harps so much on the amateur status of the participating athletes all while allowing the member institutions to market their brand in a means to sell an education or so they say. Once the media and fanatics are added to the mix, the world of sports becomes a vast world of overly judgmental people making the athlete into the villains while we all become the victims. All the faith and trust is placed in the machine at the end of the day; a machine that obviously cannot be flawed.

I'll save my disdain for institutions of higher learning and other hypocritical beings for another day. The likes of the NCAA and its governing keeps me from enjoying the game that I once played; couple in the media coverage craze and super fans, it's enough to drive a sane person mad. I have developed several random opinions on this subject. An expert on the subject I am not; an observer of rubbish would be more fitting.

Playing for the title

The mainstream of thought would have us to believe that the ultimate goal of the college athlete is to play for the title. It seems that it should be the motivation that explains the amateur participants desire to stick with collegiate sports in contrast with seeking a professional career. College football argues that its bowl system is a bonus that the players love in addition to its long tradition. Instead of winning championships, being a bowl winner is just as delightful for teams, schools, and fans. These accolades bring bragging rights that last for ages.

I agree that competitive people do seek the top prize in their relative field, but how many people are competitive in a given environment. Think of your job; how many people are hungry for advancement and will do anything to achieve that dream? Compare that with the people that are content with doing their jobs with no ambition for glory and the others that are skating along on the labors of others. This general principle alone disproves the fact that college football players are these title hungry individuals, some may be but not the majority. Many factors lead to a guy wanting to play football.

There are approximately 300 programs in Division I college football; a small percentage of them post winning records each year with even fewer winning a conference, bowl, playoff, or division championship.  Yet and still all of these schools continue to sign new players to take the field in the fall. But why are these young men going to schools that provide little to no chance of ever winning a meaningful game if they are so title driven?

The Miami Hurricanes before the '87 Fiesta Bowl in which they lost to Penn State

Free Education

Scholarship athletes are perceived to be given a free education. I have mentioned this same point once, but I shall clarify. I point to the fact that a good bit of the scholarship athletes leave school with little or no education debt. This is the least that a program can provide since they do not stress the importance of education as strongly as the athlete side. There's nothing wrong with being a mediocre student and a exceptional player; the reverse would instantly create a problem in the eyes of the school, coaches, and fans because no one really cares if the 6th string quarterback is a 4.0 student as long as he's not taking up one of the scholarships.

This stance is not the same as those that contend that athletes should be fortunate to have a chance for a "free" education. Never mind the fact that so much more is required of a player. These viewers will argue that it is easy for a young adult to balance a life that consists of high demands from one angle and very low expectations from the other. Many of the individuals that criticize the student-athletes of their actions have not had the luxury of being a high profile athlete. Some have never played on an organized team although the speak as experts.

The movie The Program portrays the system that some athletic programs use to make sure their students are making the grade.

Play for Love Not Money

The professional leagues would seem to be the goal of the collegiate athlete, but it is no secret that there are only a small number of players able to make the jump. Even after becoming a paid professional, football is not a sport that comes with a long career tag. What the average career is less than 10 years? What does a player do after his career has long dimmed? Matter of fact, in this whole world of amateur sports, the only amateurs are the participants. Everyone else involved seemed to receive some sort of financial benefit.

The universities have transformed themselves into a brand. Licensed merchandise distinguishes one university from another regardless of colors, mascots, and abbreviations. These identifiers provide revenue to these universities and have been used to promote school pride. Not many people are going out and purchasing items that identify with the college of liberal arts at their favorite school, and there's no huge market for schools that lack athletic programs or prolific, well known sports teams.

Athletes can never be view upon as a brand. The star running back can be anyone's favorite player of all time. This same star, though, cannot use his status to be granted favors. All the while he is expected to be this model student. Around him, the world will scream signs of misconduct, greed, and "business" practices. Coaches jump from school to school for both personal and professional reasons. Universities sever league ties to generate more attention on all fronts. Even small institutions seek and accept games against big budget schools in exchange for money. An athlete that feels the need to capitalize on his image is instantly demonized especially if this capitalization leads to millions of dollars and/or fame.

Willis McGahee was carried off the during his last collegiate game supposedly to never to play football again.

He worked for months to rehabilitate himself and has been in the NFL for 9 years where the average at his position is around 3.

I could go on and on, but my attention to this topic is doing the same disservice that the slanted media coverage has. I know that nothing is perfect, never will be. I just cannot stand on the side of the masses that blur the lines of sensible regulation and reasonable understanding of the motivations of a young man's actions.