The Name of the Game

Only one more game and we can all forget about college basketball for awhile. Personally, I'm ready for the break. The face of college basketball has changed dramatically and I don't see it as a change for the better.

Most starting players are receiving a free education (free yes, education maybe) in exchange for their athletic ability. Since many of the players come from economically disadvantaged areas, this seems like a win-win situation. Take someone who can not afford college, provide them with the means and they benefit your athletic program. The problem with this setup is that education becomes secondary to basketball. Barring any serious felonies, the best players will remain eligible to play and will retain their scholarship and if they play out their four years, they will receive a degree. Failure is not an option provided they play well.

I would like to see some changes to the entire athletic scholarship program, changes that I believe will help the schools, the players and the fans (especially young fans). The first change regards pro sports draft eligibility. If a person enters college on an athletic scholarship they should become ineligible to play pro sports until one of the following requirements is met: 1. They receive their degree, 2. Four years have passed from the beginning of their scholarship, or 3. They pay restitution to the school for the full four year cost of the scholarship. No more of the "We'll pay you to audition for the NBA and get you a multi-million dollar contract". Players benefit from the education, maturity and decision making skills they will obtain. The school will gain continuity in their program and the fans don't have to learn the names and numbers of the whole team every year.

The second change involves appearance. Everyone can argue that their culture, at some point in the distant past, used tattooing and/or body modification for religious or social purposes. They also used human sacrifice and many other things which are generally frowned upon. I'm not opposed to tattoos, many of my friends have them and I have seen some truly incredible artwork. What I'm opposed to is an 18 year old athlete with $2000 dollars worth of visible tattoos. Children watch and imitate. I started chewing tobacco at the age of 14 from watching baseball. I stopped chewing when I made the mistake of swallowing. Elapsed time, 3 minutes. A tattoo isn't a decision that can be changed quickly and easily. Should we really be imprinting children with the belief that they need to drastically alter their appearance in order to be someone worthy of respect?

My suggestion is that athletic scholarships are only available to athletes without visible tattoos or body modifications. You can still play, but if you can afford to spend that kind of money on tattoos, you can afford to pay your own way through school. On the plus side, if you don't get that scholarship, you're immediately eligible for the NBA draft.

Last change and I'll end this mess. Education is the purpose of all these colleges and universities, yet many (I want to say most) scholarship athletes do not obtain an education. They obtain a degree, with a very liberal, liberal arts curriculum. This isn't fair to the athletes or the other students who have to both work and pay for their degree. It also degrades the school. No longer is their purpose to educate and prepare young adults for the benefit of all society. Now they only exist to entertain. A $50,000 research grant is nice, but can't compete with millions in TV revenue. All I'm trying to say is the athletes should actually attend classes, maintain a reasonable GPA and earn their degree.

If that means the NBA will end up with more Larry Bird's then Dennis Rodman's, more Michael Jordan's than Ron (Metta World Peace) Artest's, I say it's an improvement.