College Football Players---Students or Employees?

[dxmnkd316]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

No, this is a PR move to clear up this blatant lie that athletes are going hungry.

Which was complete and utter bulls***t. That UConn basketball player was absolutely lying.

[Priceless]

No, this is a PR move to clear up this blatant lie that athletes are going hungry.

Which was complete and utter bulls***t. That UConn basketball player was absolutely lying.

You don't know that. Did you know it was an NCAA violation to put too much cream cheese on your bagel if you're a scholarship athlete? I mean, OTHER students aren't allowed such a generous schmear.

Meanwhile, the NCAA continues to play "Open Mouth, Insert Foot."

"If I can hire someone to play football for me why would I hire an 18 year old? Why not someone who plays in the CFL?" -- Mark Emmert

For more amusing tidbits check the #AskEmmert tag on twitter, or visit Deadspin.
http://deadspin.com/the-askemmert-q-a-is-going-poorly-1564610605

Here's a question: how can the NCAA "be there" for those who want to/can go pro without allowing them to seek contract help?

Why are coaches allowed to leave whenever they want, but athletes are held back by transfer rules?

Can you explain amateurism and not paying players without using circular logic?

How benevolent did you feel when you allowed some of the best athletes on earth to have seconds at dinner. Do you expect a Nobel?

do you not want kids to unionize because that might mean you actually have to give kids money for using their likeness?

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

No, this is a PR move to clear up this blatant lie that athletes are going hungry.

Which was complete and utter bulls***t. That UConn basketball player was absolutely lying.

I don't quite understand your animosity towards these players. The same things are always said about underprivileged groups in this country because people don't understand what it is like to walk in their shoes.

[SJHovey]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

I don't quite understand your animosity towards these players. The same things are always said about underprivileged groups in this country because people don't understand what it is like to walk in their shoes.

The beauty of walking a mile in the shoes of someone with whom you have nothing in common? When you're finished, you're a mile away from them. And you have their shoes.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

I don't quite understand your animosity towards these players. The same things are always said about underprivileged groups in this country because people don't understand what it is like to walk in their shoes.

Because they act like they are the most underprivileged on campus and act like complete martyrs when they get benefits that none of us could. How are they starving when the vast majority have tattoos covering their body (those aren't cheap), or when I was in school I'd see them all the time at the dining halls, or that they all get mopeds to drive around campus, or dedicated tutors provided at no cost, no tuition, no room and board, no books, nothing.

I don't have any sympathy when they flat out lie about these things. There's no way in hell that a star player on one of the nation's most prestigious basketball schools is going hungry. No way. No how.

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

I don't quite understand your animosity towards these players. The same things are always said about underprivileged groups in this country because people don't understand what it is like to walk in their shoes.

That's just it. They are the most privileged group at the school, and it's not even close.

[CLS]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

That statement definitely caught my eye. I’m not saying the young man is lying, but I know:

- The “Freshman 15” caused by overeating is a common problem among kids who go to college.

- Both of my kids went to college and both had dining plans available to them that were essentially unlimited, or at least very generous. My daughter didn’t go to UConn, but she went to a school that was very much like it with regard to athletics. Since this essentially unlimited dining is a benefit available to all students, I don’t understand why it can’t be extended to the basketball team. This board is populated by lots of college students, so maybe you can help me – did any of you have a meal plan that would have permitted you to go to bed chronically (see next point) hungry?

- No, I didn’t research what he actually meant. However, I do know the impact of the statement, and I do know that these kids are carefully coached on how to handle the media. “Going to bed hungry” conjures up images of chronically going to bed hungry, as in a child living in poverty. I think we all go to bed hungry occasionally.

- If his family really does live in poverty, then I have no problem with a full “cost of attendance” scholarship (schools have been known to do this for reasons other than athletics).

[St. Clown]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

That statement definitely caught my eye. I’m not saying the young man is lying, but I know:

- The “Freshman 15” caused by overeating is a common problem among kids who go to college.

- Both of my kids went to college and both had dining plans available to them that were essentially unlimited, or at least very generous. My daughter didn’t go to UConn, but she went to a school that was very much like it with regard to athletics. Since this essentially unlimited dining is a benefit available to all students, I don’t understand why it can’t be extended to the basketball team. This board is populated by lots of college students, so maybe you can help me – did any of you have a meal plan that would have permitted you to go to bed chronically (see next point) hungry?

- No, I didn’t research what he actually meant. However, I do know the impact of the statement, and I do know that these kids are carefully coached on how to handle the media. “Going to bed hungry” conjures up images of chronically going to bed hungry, as in a child living in poverty. I think we all go to bed hungry occasionally.

- If his family really does live in poverty, then I have no problem with a full “cost of attendance” scholarship (schools have been known to do this for reasons other than athletics).

First, the Freshman 15 is caused by two things A) "unlimited" food available to these kids when they're in the cafeteria and B) for many, our metabolisms start to slow down at this time so we need less food than prior yet we still eat like we did prior to getting to college.

Second, we had the unlimited cafeteria thing at SCSU. As soon as you were scanned in to the cafeteria you could eat as much as you wanted. The cafeteria was not open 24/7, though. So if you got hungry after 7:00PM, you needed to have your own stash of food in your dorm or buy some food elsewhere.

Third, when was this guy going to bed? If he's talking about laying down to sleep at 2:30AM, then yeah, he's probably hungry by then.

Lastly, athletes tend to burn a lot of calories - many more so than the average student - and that's going to lead to them being hungry more often than the average student. This can't be news to anyone.

[Critical Thinker]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

I don't quite understand your animosity towards these players. The same things are always said about underprivileged groups in this country because people don't understand what it is like to walk in their shoes.

As a D1 student-athlete myself (I don't play hockey), I'll back up dxmnkd316 on this. The only reason I'm ever hungry at night is because I don't keep snacks in my room, I only eat in the buffet-style dining halls. So unless this UCONN guy is doing the same thing as me, he's lying and he knows it. Any "malnourishment" or "ensuring proper nutrition" talk is a load of crap. Even as a walk-on, I still got a week of free meals from my athletics department over the summer while I was on campus training and the dining halls were closed. Plus, since he goes to one of the top basketball schools in the country, I'd be surprised if this kid wasn't taking cash from boosters. The NCAA needs to start focusing on real issues.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

As a D1 student-athlete myself (I don't play hockey), I'll back up dxmnkd316 on this. The only reason I'm ever hungry at night is because I don't keep snacks in my room, I only eat in the buffet-style dining halls. So unless this UCONN guy is doing the same thing as me, he's lying and he knows it. Any "malnourishment" or "ensuring proper nutrition" talk is a load of crap. Even as a walk-on, I still got a week of free meals from my athletics department over the summer while I was on campus training and the dining halls were closed. Plus, since he goes to one of the top basketball schools in the country, I'd be surprised if this kid wasn't taking cash from boosters. The NCAA needs to start focusing on real issues.

My guess is that you are not playing a revenue sport (football or basketball)?

My point was more about the instant negative reactions by some of the posters on here against this kid for saying what he said. Fact is, nobody on here knows that kid. Instead, they assume that the player is lying. This is the same thing that people say about Kain Colter. I've met Kain Colter. I've discussed the issues with him. He has NOTHING to gain, and essentially everything to lose by trying to unionize college sports. He knew going into this thing that the battle was significantly uphill, that it probably won't be resolved anytime in the next 5+ years, and that there would be people (like some of the posters on here) that will turn a blind eye to his (and other athletes in a similar position) plight.

I just don't understand why people are so hostile to what these kids are trying to do, while the rich get richer in their ivory towers. I don't know the people on here or their motivations behind why they think how they think, but at least in regards to the general public, a lot of it has to do with jealousy and racism. I also think a lot of it is that people fail to grasp the idea that their experience just may have been different than what these kids are experiencing. To flat out call this kid a liar for saying what he said without any sort of evidence to the contrary is, at best, having a myopic view of the situation.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

Lulz all around. I'm sorry, you can call me myopic and ignore everything else I've posted on the topic, but at least in not completely blind to the fact that these kids are absolutely not struggling to find food at all. They are living a life that couldn't be considered anything but a life of luxury.

This isn't about the rich getting richer, because as students go, these kids have more riches than virtually everyone else on campus with all that is available to them.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

Oh Jesus ****ing Christ, he throws in the race card as well.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

Lulz all around. I'm sorry, you can call me myopic and ignore everything else I've posted on the topic, but at least in not completely blind to the fact that these kids are absolutely not struggling to find food at all. Not are they living a life that could be considered anything but a life of luxury.

This isn't about the rich getting richer, because as students go, these kids have more riches than virtually everyone else on campus with all that is available to them.

How do you know this? I'd love to see your evidence.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

Because even back in 2007 I'd see the revenue sports players stuffing face at taco Tuesday in centennial hall every time I was there. And the fact that these kids have nutritionists on the staff making sure they're getting the necessary foods to keep them in shape. They have food provided during all their road trips as was mentioned by the NLRA report. And I'm guessing these weren't bologna sandwiches and a glass of water.

Hell, I served a number of athletes, a few even from the golf team and the swim team among a number of other non-revenue sports when I worked at the dining services. Easily recognizable by their unique jackets only the athletes were given.

I've seen it with my own eyes.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: College Football Players---Students or Employees?

Because even back in 2007 I'd see the revenue sports players stuffing face at taco Tuesday in centennial hall every time I was there. And the fact that these kids have nutritionists on the staff making sure they're getting the necessary foods to keep them in shape. They have food provided during all their road trips as was mentioned by the NLRA report. And I'm guessing these weren't bologna sandwiches and a glass of water.

Hell, I served a number of athletes, a few even from the golf team and the swim team among a number of other non-revenue sports when I worked at the dining services. Easily recognizable by their unique jackets only the athletes were given.

I've seen it with my own eyes.

In your one specific situation, at your one specific school.

Let me try this...

I used to work for a pretty big tech company. In our office, everything functioned relatively normal, and there were no accusations of discrimination on the basis of sex. Does that mean that there is no discrimination on the basis of sex anywhere else? Of course not. Just because your specific situation was different doesn't mean that the kid is lying.