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Posted this on another board, but thought it worth adding here too.
I’m sorry to see him go.
I’m disappointed that college sports have turned into mercenaries for hire, because as a fan of the sport I’ve enjoyed watching young guys turn into “that dude”. I am a student of the game and get a true sense of enjoyment and pride watching the school I chose, attended and love develop kids into men. That’s always been the allure for me of college athletics over the pros. Sure, the pros are better (they dang well should be, they’re the top of their craft and it’s more about coaching and roster management than development of potential).
I’m also impossibly conflicted in that the system that we now have forces kids to choose against their long-term interests (school, development and lifelong networks) or their short-term earning potential. I get the point that if my company’s competitor offered me significantly more money, I’d leave. Of course, I would. The agreement between my employer and me is I create value for them and they pay me at a level commensurate with how they calculate it. They’ll develop me - in so far as I can increase said value - but they’re not altruistic. College sports (used to be and) should still be. It’s about offering paths of learning, development and improvement as a part of a kid’s education.
I also understand that sports, entertainment, and free market economics don’t exist to appease my interests. So I can’t really get justifiably upset about any of those beasts chasing down and consuming what I held dear about college athletics. When NIL was first being discussed, I talked at length with friends about how it was a continuation of the under-the-table money thing. Many of my friends and people I respect thought it would be a good “reset point” to allow programs who refused to cheat to go and compete. The [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅100)̲̅$̲̅] piece of this is one thing, but this free-wheeling transfer period is a whole other thing.
The kids are hosed either way: move now to get time with the team in the spring or wait and miss the academic calendar year and be behind in class - which by the way is supposed to still matter.
All this to say, I just don’t like this system and hope someone finds a fix.
I’m sorry to see him go.
I’m disappointed that college sports have turned into mercenaries for hire, because as a fan of the sport I’ve enjoyed watching young guys turn into “that dude”. I am a student of the game and get a true sense of enjoyment and pride watching the school I chose, attended and love develop kids into men. That’s always been the allure for me of college athletics over the pros. Sure, the pros are better (they dang well should be, they’re the top of their craft and it’s more about coaching and roster management than development of potential).
I’m also impossibly conflicted in that the system that we now have forces kids to choose against their long-term interests (school, development and lifelong networks) or their short-term earning potential. I get the point that if my company’s competitor offered me significantly more money, I’d leave. Of course, I would. The agreement between my employer and me is I create value for them and they pay me at a level commensurate with how they calculate it. They’ll develop me - in so far as I can increase said value - but they’re not altruistic. College sports (used to be and) should still be. It’s about offering paths of learning, development and improvement as a part of a kid’s education.
I also understand that sports, entertainment, and free market economics don’t exist to appease my interests. So I can’t really get justifiably upset about any of those beasts chasing down and consuming what I held dear about college athletics. When NIL was first being discussed, I talked at length with friends about how it was a continuation of the under-the-table money thing. Many of my friends and people I respect thought it would be a good “reset point” to allow programs who refused to cheat to go and compete. The [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅100)̲̅$̲̅] piece of this is one thing, but this free-wheeling transfer period is a whole other thing.
The kids are hosed either way: move now to get time with the team in the spring or wait and miss the academic calendar year and be behind in class - which by the way is supposed to still matter.
All this to say, I just don’t like this system and hope someone finds a fix.
