Kansas Crimson

Zion Williamson busting through his shoe and twisting his knee in the first minute of a storied rivalry game on national TV made for a neat encapsulation of everything that’s broken with big-time college sports. Here was an unpaid player that everyone with one functioning eye can agree belongs in the NBA right now, playing in a game that had ticket prices on par with the Super Bowl, suffering a scary-looking injury because the apparel company that has a multi-million-dollar deal with the school he plays for put an exploding shoe on his foot.

[...]

So long as the NCAA goes on refusing to pay athletes for their labor and the NBA adheres to its bullshit one-and-done rule, the only sensible argument to be made in favor a player like Williamson participating in college basketball (rather than going to play in Europe or taking a year off) is that it a provides a talent showcase. Everyone knew that Williamson was a spectacular athlete based on his high-school clips, but one could argue that he didn’t become the consensus future No. 1 pick until he showed his dominance in Division I college games.

It’s almost March now, and Williamson is averaging 21 points and eight rebounds per game while routinely producing highlights that appear to be CGI-aided; his undeniable abilities have been fully showcased, and he will absolutely be the No. 1 pick in June even if he never plays another game for Duke.

[...]

The decision of whether or not to play another college basketball game is ultimately Williamson’s to make. By all accounts, he is a great competitor and teammate who loves playing basketball and would surely want to keep doing so as long as he is healthy. In a fair system, his decision would be a simple one, based only on his own desire and physical health. But because college sports are designed to take everything from players like Williamson while offering no safety net in return, his choice becomes complicated. Having to weigh his desire to play against his health and professional prospects is just another cruel aspect of amateur sports that Williamson will now be forced to navigate. That’s how you can tell this whole scam is an effective one: The inequities just keep compounding, and it’s always the players who end up in the most vulnerable and least desirable positions.

Watching Zion fall was a reminder that his presence in this game is built on a foundation of farces. He is playing college basketball because of an NBA rule intended to give pro teams additional time to scout players—as if they need extra time to scout someone whose exceptional gifts are so evident. His presence caused those ticket prices and TV ratings to skyrocket—but he doesn’t receive any money from the box office or media contracts. He was wearing a Nike shoe because Nike pays Duke and head coach Mike Krzyzewski—and not the players who go on the court and serve as walking advertisements for Nike gear. He is compensated with a scholarship—even though Williamson will almost certainly play pro basketball next year instead of working toward completing a degree. The NCAA has successfully argued in court that college athletes aren’t entitled to the money their games generate because fans watch college sports to see teams and not players. That Williamson made Duke–North Carolina more of a draw than Duke–North Carolina already is serves as the ultimate evidence that this argument is a lie.

pdub wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 4:12 pm Common sense is a basic ability to perceive, understand, and judge things, which is shared by ("common to") nearly all people, and can be expected of nearly all people without any need for debate.

There's the rub ( obviously ).

pdub wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:58 pm "He is playing college basketball because of an NBA rule intended to give pro teams additional time to scout players—as if they need extra time to scout someone whose exceptional gifts are so evident."

Yup.
Open the league back up to any and all now please.

jfish26 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:02 pm Yes.

And then, NCAA, take some common-sense steps to ensure college basketball is THE place to be up until you're really ready for the league.

Kumbaya.

pdub wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 4:43 pm We've had this dance.
It's an endless looping dance.
I'm not dancing alone on this particular subject like I am in my tango with Vick.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... edirect=on

twocoach wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 4:59 pm

jfish26 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:02 pm Yes.

And then, NCAA, take some common-sense steps to ensure college basketball is THE place to be up until you're really ready for the league.

Kumbaya.

Uh, again, this amazing talent chose to come to ncaa hoops despite his other options. That seems to prove that it already is THE place to be up until you are ready and eligible for the league.

pdub wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 4:43 pm We've had this dance.
It's an endless looping dance.
I'm not dancing alone on this particular subject like I am in my tango with Vick.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... edirect=on

TraditionKU wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:35 pm

pdub wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 4:43 pm We've had this dance.
It's an endless looping dance.
I'm not dancing alone on this particular subject like I am in my tango with Vick.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... edirect=on

i didn’t know vick could dance

jfish26 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:12 pm

twocoach wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 4:59 pm

jfish26 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:02 pm Yes.

And then, NCAA, take some common-sense steps to ensure college basketball is THE place to be up until you're really ready for the league.

Kumbaya.

Uh, again, this amazing talent chose to come to ncaa hoops despite his other options. That seems to prove that it already is THE place to be up until you are ready and eligible for the league.

For now!

pdub wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:33 pm https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... e-players/

"There has been some discussion of paying money to college football and basketball student-athletes in addition to providing scholarships that cover college expenses. Some people are in favor of paying money to student-athletes who are on college football or men's basketball teams. Some people are opposed to paying these student-athletes. Which of these statements comes closest to your opinion?"

NCAA survey expert John Dennis presented a number of findings from his October 2013 survey:

"38 percent of respondents are less likely to watch or attend games if athletes are paid $20,000; 47 percent if athletes are paid $50,000; and 53 percent if athletes are paid $200,000. The fact that four out of 10 people are less likely to watch or attend college games is potentially "a huge loss of market share," Dennis testified."

"Dennis said he didn't think NIL questions needed to be asked and that respondents could interpret his pay questions however they wanted. Also, Dennis said NIL-related questions could be "very complicated" with legal jargon that would be difficult for survey respondents to understand."