NCAA Shamateurism Rears Its Ugly Head Again

[Atticus]

Good article linked on home-page. Best lines:

NCAA rules that turn college athletes into second-class economic citizens forbidden from earning whatever somebody wants to pay them do not, in fact, make a whit of sense. There is no morally justifiable reason to prevent Zion Williamson from signing a shoe deal while playing basketball at Duke University, prohibit University of Minnesota wrestler Joel Bauman from selling his rap songs on iTunes, sanction University of Central Florida kicker Donald De La Haye for making money from his YouTube channel, or crack down on California Polytechnic State University because some of its athletes received too much textbook funding. Particularly not when the NCAA purportedly exists to support the “well-being and lifelong success of college athletes,” and cash in one’s pocket continues to be (surprise!) a key variable in furthering both.

[18.99s]

I can see the reasoning with restricting shoe deals, as such deals can be used as an easy conduit for booster money and the like. If you want shoe deal money, sign the deal and go pro to the G-League or Europe.

But banning non-negotiable algorithmic income like YouTube revenue and iTunes is stupid.

Where the textbook funding was concerned, the problem is the athletes involved were given $800 to do whatever they like, instead of provided with actual textbooks or the actual cost of textbooks.

[lonewolf]

As I recall, in olden days you went to the bookstore and were issued books for current semester classes, with no money involved.

[18.99s]

As I recall, in olden days you went to the bookstore and were issued books for current semester classes, with no money involved.

That's probably how most schools still do it, unless they don't have an on-campus bookstore.

[NotDutra5]

Books are rented or purchased and/or sometimes included in the cost of attendance. None of my kids were provided books/materials required for a course at no cost.

[Atticus]

My daughter got free books at the FSU campus bookstore by charging them to the Athletic Dept.

[bambam1729]

Are kids actually still getting books or do they get online PDFs for their tablets or laptops?

[donley2]

Are kids actually still getting books or do they get online PDFs for their tablets or laptops?

Some of both.

[Atticus]

Ha! Printed books are still very much in practice in schools at all levels. You can ask for e-books, but, as it turns out, highlighting and annotating real books is easier and a more effective way to learn than to e-highlight/annotate. Our brains are wired to interact with print (tangible) things more effectively than electrons on screens (which some people DO prefer and have trained themselves to learn from - my Chinese students all wanted e-books, but it had more to do with electronic translators).

[bad hammy]

eBooks keep you on the world's best distraction devices. Easier to focus on old-school books.

[Conor Dary]

I find ebooks on a tablet much easier and more pleasant these days.... even books I have I get the ebook version...

[bad hammy]

I said that for students studying. My hands are going south so 98% of my book reading is on the Kindle .

[bambam1729]

Ha! Printed books are still very much in practice in schools at all levels. You can ask for e-books, but, as it turns out, highlighting and annotating real books is easier and a more effective way to learn than to e-highlight/annotate. Our brains are wired to interact with print (tangible) things more effectively than electrons on screens (which some people DO prefer and have trained themselves to learn from - my Chinese students all wanted e-books, but it had more to do with electronic translators).

I used to feel that print books were easier to read and learn from but I've been editor of J Shoulder Elbow Surgery now for 12 years and its all electronic - all the articles are submitted as PDFs, and the editing is all done online. By now, I think I've made the transition to it being easier electronically.

[NotDutra5]

Electronic for me and I'd think kids going forward who've grown up in that environment unlike the old goat crowd we all form, would also find it easier.