Student-Athletes: Going to Bed Hungry?

The University of Connecticut recently made the news for winning both the men's and women's national championship in basketball. However, they also made headlines following comments by the men's team star, Shabazz Napier. In an interview, Mr. Napier alleged that he sometimes "goes to bed starving." This allegation adds even more fuel to the unceasing fire that is the debate over the right of college athletes to unionize. Although Mr. Napier may be telling the truth, I find it hard to believe that he would've been unable to gain access to food, especially during basketball season. In addition, Mr. Napier acknowledged that he is a student athlete, rather than an employee of the school. Some people, including Connecticut Rep. Matthew Lesser (D), have attempted to use this statement as an argument for unionization. It seems ridiculous that state politicians are spending their time caring about the unionization of college athletes when our nation has bigger fish to fry. (Food pun!) A followup article found here reacts to the quote and provides valuable information about eating at the University of Connecticut. This makes it even more unlikely that Napier was truly "starving." What do you think? Is this another example of the atrocities of the current NCAA system? Or is it another poor effort to support unionization?

Eternal Hope

Although this is not a required assignment, I just wanted to react to the recent stabbing in a high school just east of Pittsburgh. I also wanted to note the shooting at Fort Hood, the unsuccessful search for Flight-370, and the turmoil in the Ukraine. It seems that right now, more than ever, the news is overwhelmingly negative. Death is an all too-common theme of modern society. Throughout these tragic events, however, it is important that people not get too caught up in the bad. There is so much good in the world, despite what people see on the news.
Life has its ups and downs, but through it all people need to realize that no matter what happens today, the sun will still rise tomorrow. I am sick and tired of negative events and individuals. It may seem hard to find the good in the world sometimes, but it is always there. I want to challenge you to look for good even in life's most trying moments. This will truly change your outlook on life. More importantly, I challenge you to always have a smile on your face. You may not be able to control other people's lives, but you sure can help guide their attitude.

Optimism,

Smiles, and

Happiness

Can and will change the world!

Unionizing Players and Dividing Fans

Should college athletes be given the right to unionize? This is the major question that has been batted around for the last couple of weeks leading up to, and following, the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) decision. After a thorough investigation by the NLRB, it was decided that college football players with full scholarships at Northwestern University do indeed have the right to unionize. As one can image, this verdict has set off waves of debate among politicians, sports writers, and even casual fans. Although this issue is getting large amounts of attention right now, it is unlikely that this issue will be settled for many more years.

Countless articles have been written defending both sides of the issue. This article, "How Would an NCAA Union Actually Work? A Guide for Perplexed Pundits" by Billy Haisley, defends the unionization of college athletes, while also answering some very important questions. The author specifically provides a rebuttal to this anti-unionization article. In his piece, Mr. Haisley notes that the ruling looks to answer whether Northwestern players could unionize, not how this would be put into place. He also points out that this ruling only applies to private schools. If public universities want to follow Northwestern’s lead, they would be required to appeal to their state’s laws. Other critics may wonder how the union would work. Again, this will be left up to its members. Citing another article from the New York Times, the author believes that Title IX will have little effect on the ruling. This article says “The rights of workers in the highly commercialized college sport entertainment industry ought not to be pitted against the civil rights of athletes in an educational sport system.”

In addition, the current rules would apply to an athlete’s ability to switch teams. Simply because they are employees, it does not mean that an Ohio State lineman can choose to play for Michigan at halftime of their game. Just as players can “quit” or leave the team now, they will also be able to if part of a union. While some sources believe that college “employees” would have to pay taxes on their income, others disagree. Citing a past ruling by the NLRB, the author raises the question “If they're employees, why isn't their income taxable?” This will be an interesting topic to follow. Finally, the amount that these athletes would be paid will become a serious problem if, and only if, the decision is not repealed. The author closes by noting that the NCAA’s system is seriously messed up and only catastrophic changes can fix it. People should not worry about the specifics and instead focusing on the positives of this change.

I attempted to read the official ruling in this case, but the complex language of it gave me a severe headache. This is a serious problem, but a completely different topic. I can see both sides to this argument. Part of me sees nothing wrong with the current system. College athletes are students who willingly give their time and effort to a specific sport. Very few of them will go on to play professional sports, so their time in college is often their last taste of competitive athletics. Many of these athletes are given full scholarships that pay for their education, in addition to their housing. Mark Emmert, the President of the NCAA and obvious opponent of unionization, brings up a very important idea when he says that the revenue from sports such as football and basketball is used to support track and field, soccer, and rowing, among other sports. The decision to unionize would be a crippling blow to some of these sports. Finally, unionization would likely be hard to regulate. Not all colleges are able to provide a certain amount of money for their student athletes. The great parity that makes the NCAA tournament thrilling would likely be stripped away.

On the other hand, athletes spend an exorbitant amount of time training and practicing. Despite a limit of 20 hours per week of required practice time, most schools have found ways to bend the rules by making some events “strongly encouraged.” Athletes are spending much more time on the field than in the classroom studying. They have no extra time for a job to support their needs that are not paid for by scholarships (clothes, food, dates, etc.). I could understand the argument that athletes deserve some extra money. However, they do not need large amount of money. College students and large sums of money do not mix well together. This amount would have to be set by the process of collective bargaining. It seems odd that athletes playing basketball and football generate billions of dollars each year, yet they are the only ones to not be paid for their services. Coaches, for instance, are paid millions and bowl organizers reap the benefits of college athletes. It just does not seem fair that these student athletes are not compensated, even a little bit. (Note: this does not apply to the University of Miami and Ohio State University where players are clearly already being paid.)

This whole situation creates a very sticky situation for the NCAA, who has always stressed that fact that these men and women are “student athletes” who will “go pro in something other than sports.” Although I can see both sides of the issue, I ultimately think that players should not be compensated. Allowing compensation would create too many issues that, frankly, the NCAA is not able to handle. These athletes primary goal should be to get an education in college, with sports being something they do for fun and enjoyment. Stricter regulations need to be put in place to limit the number of hours that these students are spending on the field or the court. Unfortunately, this issue is unlikely to be resolved soon. Mark Emmert believes that this case will end up finding its way to the Supreme Court. Whatever the finally ruling is, it will no doubt have serious implications on college athletics forever.

What do you think? Should the NCAA continue not to pay their student athletes? Or should they compensate their athlete employees?

Notorious Nixon

"That's the thing you don't understand. The important thing is to win." Richard Nixon, the thirty-seventh president of the United States, uttered this quote after confessing to spreading slander about an opponent in his first congressional race. He would ultimately end up winning this election as well as many more throughout his political career. This deep desire to win, coupled with his strong ambition, would ultimately help Nixon become President. At the same time, however, it would also end up becoming his undoing. The program "Nixon," produced by PBS, walks through Nixon's life, while highlighting both its highs and its lows. It shows that although some ambition is good, too much is often a bad thing. 

From a young age, Richard Nixon had great political aspirations, dreaming of making it to the "big time." His family did not have very much money, and his two older brothers died early in their lives. This background, though, indirectly caused Nixon to have a burning hunger for success. He quickly rose up the political ladder, moving from state representative to senator to Vice President during the Eisenhower administration. By 1960, he was running for President against John F. Kennedy. Kennedy ended up winning the election, so Nixon waited eight long years before he tried again. This time he succeeded, becoming the most powerful man in the United States in the process. His first years in office were largely successful, and he was reelected by a considerable margin. Richard's ambition, however, tore all that he had built up apart. The Watergate Scandal, as it became known, led to Nixon's resignation in 1974. Throughout the investigation, his pride and unwillingness to lose his power damaged his image in the eyes of the American people. Nixon had ordered the bugging of the Democratic party headquarters and abused his executive power to keep the tapes from being used against him. Nixon had all a man could ask for, but it was never enough for him.

Ambition is truly a double-edged sword in my book. Ultimately, though, the positives outweigh the negatives. Every person needs some ambition or else they will get nowhere in life. For me, my ambition is the driving force that helps me get out of bed in the morning. It pushes me to be the best that I can be. In addition, ambition helps to get things done. Without it, I would have no motivation to write this blog post! I aspire to greater things after high school, so each assignment I complete or each test I study for is simply a step to a higher goal. Even so, I make sure that this ambition does not take over my life. Morals, along with a balance of work and leisure activities, help to keep me on the right track. Nixon is a classic example of how ambition can start off as a phenomenal thing but can quickly turn sour. He will be remembered in history forever, not for the things he accomplished, but rather, for how his presidency ended.

Grendel Blog

After many hours spent trying to get Glogster to cooperate, my Glog is finally complete and can be seen here. My experience with Glogster was similar to that of Grendel and the wall.

Me, Myself, and I

Energetic, optimistic, and opinionated. These are just a few of the many words that can be used to describe me. I have a wide range of interests, from sports to academics to socialization. My favorite professional sports teams include the Chicago Bears, the Kansas City Royals, and the Boston Celtics. I am a very passionate Creighton Bluejays basketball fan who will rip any Nebrasketball fan to shreds.

You will no doubt hear me at any sporting event that I attend, especially at Creighton Prep athletic contests. (Please see the Sophomore team's Skutt smackdown.) I am the oldest of four children, with a Freshman brother, a third grade brother, and a first grade sister.

I enjoy playing basketball with my brothers and tormenting my little sister. I attended the St. Robert Bellarmine, a primary school that is unparalleled in the Omaha area. I am a very conscientious student whose favorite classes include math and social studies. One of my favorite things to do is bake, from lemon coffeecakes to raspberry bars to snickerdoodle cookies (all from scratch). Although I do not have much time to read for fun during the school year, you can often find me with a good mystery during the summer. I don't have a favorite music genre, instead opting to listen to a wide variety. I have visited a number of national monuments on summer car trips including Niagara Falls, the Washington Monument, Pike's Peak, Navy Pier, and Fort Augustine, just to name a few. My two favorite cities in the United States, other than Omaha, are Chicago and Breckenridge. Pizza is by far my favorite food, with Lou Malnati's deep dish in Chicago being the best that I have ever sunk my teeth into.

I am a "social butterfly" who always enjoys spending time with friends. I have a very out-going personality and try my best to bring a positive attitude to every endeavor. As mentioned in the opening, I am always strongly opinionated and rarely like to back down from a debate. At this point, I am not sure what I want to do with my life, as there are a number of open doors. My English class peers are a dynamic group, and they never fail to make life interesting! I look forward to another semester with them all! At the same time, however, I look forward to June when the Greatest Show on Dirt roles into Omaha, the CWS. I live for the College World Series from the beach balls to the waffle cones to the great atmosphere. It is by far the best part of the year!