College Athletes Are Being Paid, Surely Not.....

Recently a former agent for pro football players has told his story to Sports Illustrated about how he used to pay college football players, which is against college rules and would make the players ineligible if the NCAA knew at the time. This gentleman claims to have a need to clear his conscience of his actions. Let's be honest, most of the time when someone is clearing their conscience they are filling their bank account at the same time. Regardless, I am STUNNED (dripping with sarcasm) to learn that college athletes have been and are being paid.

It is almost laughable to think how often this probably happens and yet the NCAA hardly catches and punishes anyone. Recently, they HAD NO CHOICE BUT to catch and punish USC over Reggie Bush taking money but only because of a high profile lawsuit that the former agent filed against Bush to get his money back. OF COURSE THEY ARE GETTING PAID - A LOT OF THEM ARE GETTING PAID! 18 and 19 year old kids who come from poor, below average, or average income families. They don't have time to get jobs because of the time they are supposed to spend in class and on the ball field. Then some slick, smooth talking, cash waving leech walks up and offers to pay them. YOU BETTER BELIEVE A LOT OF THEM TAKE THE MONEY - WHO WOULDN'T? SERIOUSLY, WHO WOULDN'T?

The main point I would like to make is what can be done to stop it. Honestly, I don't know and I don't believe anyone else knows either. However, let's try to fix something that is currently wrong while trying to help this problem also.

Currently, players cannot turn pro in football until 3 years after their graduating high school class has been out of high school. Can I please ask WHY? This is a ridiculous, un-American, and un-constitutional rule. Athletes should be able to turn pro when other people turn pro at whatever they do, which is usually 16 or 18 and in some specific jobs 21. It makes my blood boil that the "powers that be" are going to prevent an 18 year old kid from cashing in on a multi million dollar athletic career but that same 18 year old kid is allowed to do so many other jobs, including serving in our military.

Again, I ask the simple question of WHY? As far as football goes, I believe this rule is only in place to help protect college football. College football would never see the very best players if they could turn pro out of high school. If NFL owners really believe that an 18 year old out of high school can't play in the NFL, why do they have a specific rule about age? If all owners believe that 18 is too young for the NFL then surely an 18 year old wouldn't get drafted if they were allowed to enter the NFL. WRONG. That is exactly why they have an age specific rule because they know that some owners would be willing to draft an 18 year old.

Pro sports leagues, allow athletes to go pro when they are of age to accept other jobs. The Constitution grants them the right in my opinion. Of course, I am not a scholar of the Constitution but I do have common sense of the meaning of that document. Athletes like everyone else should have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If these athletes can go pro and get paid above the table for their services then it would curtail some of the getting paid under the table while playing for college teams. Would it eliminate the cheating? NO - not even close, but it would help. More importantly these athletes would be allowed the liberty to seek a profession like millions others do at the age of 18.

Pro sports leagues and the NCAA - SHAME ON YOU, until you fix this. Allow 18 year olds to seek professional athletic careers in any league and help lessen the cheating in college athletics by doing it. Will 18 year olds fail in professional sports leagues? YES - no questions asked. Will it be sad? YES. Will there be regrets? ABSOLUTELY. But the decision should be that of the 18 year old, his family, and advisers. Just like it is the decision of that 18 year old who decides to go to work, or go to college, or go in the military.

Of course in the end, money has to be the reason for this ridiculous rule. Some where in the picture some one would lose a lot of money if 18 year olds were allowed to turn pro in sports. Sorry, but that is usually my view point when things don't make sense - MONEY is the reason. Well, what about that 18 year old's right to make money? The Constitution gives us the right to vote WHEN WE ARE 18. The Constitution also grants us the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - except when you are an 18 year old athlete who wants to become a professional.