I doubt you’ll be very shocked to learn that players from other colleges have begun contacting the National College Players Association with unionization questions of their own. Here’s the quote that should wake up schools:
Bohannon, who is in his final year of eligibility, said he wasn’t necessarily advocating for a union but wanted athletes to have more rights.
“Being a Republican, I don’t like the whole unionization thing, I don’t think that’s probably the best option,” he said. “But right now it’s really, there’s not many other options for our student-athletes, so I think it got the necessary publicity that we need, and hopefully the NCAA listens to some of our voices.”
A lot of these kids are begging for meaningful dialogue on serious issues that are important to them. Ignore them at your own peril.
Get The Picture 
I can understand his view. “They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us 29:1. They can’t get away from us now!” – Chesty Puller.
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Puller was a cousin of Patton.
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Patton was a cousin of Hershel…
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😉 Hershel’s dog while at home was named “Bullet”. White with ticking. Pit Bull. Think Little Rasals. Yep. Before they were a monetized breed. Think Vick. Today 34 has a Golden Retriever named Cheerio. Think smart dog. Patton had a similar dog as young Hershel, a Bull Terrier named Willie. They probably shared the same gene pool as the UGA line. Back in the day.
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Hey young man, look at your grass then look over there. We promise we can make that grass GREEEN. In fact, we can make it whatever color you want. All you have to do is sign this little card. No, there is no negatives about signing this card, we promise. All we need is signatures. Green I tell ya, green.
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They are given an education that many others have no chance of getting. Perhaps if they took advantage of the education they are being given they would know what a “right” is.
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You mean like the right to form a union?
What’s with the scare quotes, anyway?
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Random “nerd”.
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Agreed, but, they also put their health and well being on the line every day at practice and on game day so we as fans will have something to cheer for on Saturdays. Ellis, I ask you, what would you say to Eric Lagrand from Rutgers about this.
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+1
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Yes, life involves risk. The fact that Eric was injured playing a game he knew carried the risk of being injured has not stopped him from continuing with his studies and pursuing a life after football. So what is your point, I don’t understand what Lagrand’s injury has to do with the subject.
And yes, they have a right to form a union, just as their now employers have a right not to accept said union, but it just looks tacky and greedy when viewed against all they are already given in return for them playing a game.
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Well, it’s right nice of you to concede that. Without scare quotes, even…
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I can’t imagine anyone would argue that line, that actually went to school with these kids and saw first hand that “education” they are given.
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I see both sides of this. But in the end I fear that this will be bad for college football. It doesn’t have to be. But does anybody believe this is gonna end well? Put aside political ideology for a second. Unthinkable as that might be. I just see this getting utterly screwed up. I agree that tons of money is being made off of these athletes so it seems only right that they should see some of it. I agree that they are getting some fantastic benefits that very few enjoy. But I stop short of joining the, “they are getting a free education, meals etc.” crowd because the fact remains that lots of money is being made because of them so it doesn’t seem right that they don’t get a cent of it. On the other hand, just as the “they are already getting an education etc.” crowd is missing a bit of the point, so are the people whose hearts bleed because these guys are being so badly mistreated. Should they see so e of this money? I think so. Is anybody being abused here? No. Used? Sure. But on the continuum of what is bad and unjust in this world this is pretty flimsy. One of my wet noodle liberal friends told me this is just like slave labor. Lol. I guess aside from the fact that they get to live the dream of millions of people, attend a major university with an opportunity for an education that will set them up to succeed in life and they are doing this of their own free will, other than that I guess it’s exactly like slave labor. I’m a welder/iron worker by trade. So I have a pretty good understanding of unions. And there is some real good that is overlooked by those who blindly condemn them but their bad reputation is also largely justified. I hope this works out well. I just have a feeling it won’t. I’m rooting for things to work out in such a way that these young folks will truly wind up with what is best for them. And for the sport we love to still be something that we love when all the smoke clears.
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Unionization can still be avoided if both sides come to the negotiating table. The NCAA hasn’t shown any willingness to do that however. Personally, I would prefer to see the millions from college sports going back into the universities themselves, but if that’s not going to happen then I’d rather see it go to athletes – all athletes, all sports – including their healthcare costs after playing, continuing education, and some cash.
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“The NCAA hasn’t shown any willingness to do that however. ”
And here is the crux of the problem. The NCAA refuses to come to this in good faith and be willing to work something out.
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(With fingers poked in both ears) NA NA NA NA NA…I can’t hear you!…NA NA NA NA NA..I can’t hear you!…NA NA NA NA NA…I can’t hear you!…NA NA NA NA NA NA…
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“A lot of these kids are begging for meaningful dialogue on serious issues that are important to them. Ignore them at your own peril.”
The above was below a headline with NCAA in it. The NCAA, which has been ignoring them for years.
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