Published: March 29, 2014
Athlete unions spell disaster
Unionizing college athletics is one of the worst ideas in
the history of bad ideas. It’s simply hard to have pity for someone who, in
most cases, is getting a free education because he is a good football player.
This week, the National Labor Relations Board ruled in favor
of a proposal from a group of Northwestern football players that athletes at a
college or university should be allowed to unionize, with the argument they are
employees because of the money they bring into the school.
As you would expect, Northwestern is appealing the ruling.
This has been burning me up all week. I just can’t see a logical reason for
this to be a good idea.
You’ve got a football student- athlete essentially demanding
to be paid for his services to the team, the program and the school. Correct me
if I’m wrong, in most cases, that student-athlete is on a scholarship being
paid for by the school.
To me, that sounds like he’s getting paid. Another argument
is they believe the players don’t get proper medical benefits. I attended
Valparaiso University for two years and was a member of the school’s football
team. When I got a mild concussion, all of my testing and medical expenses was
paid for by the school. My parents didn’t get a hospital bill. So where’s the
lack of medical coverage?
There are so many other problems I have with this idea.
Where do you draw the line? What’s going to stop a
basketball player, a gymnast, a swimmer or even a rower to step up and say
“What about us?” That’s giving preferential treatment to a select group of
student-athletes. And that’s another thing. They’re student-athletes, with an
emphasis on the student part. You can’t go to a school unless you are accepted
there as a student. You’re supposed to be at the school for first and foremost
to be a student, get an education. Football and men’s basketball are the
biggest revenue- generating sports. There is no doubt about that. However,
paying the students because they play sports is unfair to the student who is at
the school to get an education.
One comment I heard in the response to the NLRB’s ruling is
what happens if a football team decides it doesn’t like its practice schedule
and decides to go on strike before a big game?
Think about the players who may decide to not take part in
the union for whatever reason. That’s going to create animosity between
teammates. I just can’t see this ending in any other way, if this is approved
and implemented, than with complete destruction of college athletics as we know
it.
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