Debate: Banning College Football

[The NZA]

(controversial sports writer) Jason Whitlock, and college football Hall of Famer Tim Green, in an 80 minute debate with Friday Night Lights writer Buzz Bissinger, and columnist/author Malcolm Gladwell.

 

Click here (80 minutes)

 

I'm gonna check it out later - please do so as well, rather than just commenting on the thread's title, as the summary ive read made some points all around

 

- reworking NFL draft eligibility could conceivably be reworked in such a way that takes responsibility for its future talent & allows other avenues (nevermind opening a viable minor league)

- obviously the point is made that training is pivotal, as the vast majority of high school players are nowhere near ready for that level

- on the upside, the mass corruption (& weird rules about players being able to profit from their name, etc) would be sidestepped; the obvious counterpoint being alumni $ for universities but that's not the responsibility of football either i'd argue

- another downside being the loss of opportunity of football scholarships

 

 

as i understand it, people on both sides of the argument get a voice here so i thought it was worth posting. also,

, especially given the UM fandom out here, haha.

[Panch]

I'm conflicted about this. I agree with some changes, but also think some things should be left alone. I know one thing for sure: Jason Whitlock pisses me off.

[The NZA]

you're apparently not alone - the source i grabbed that from, the unfortunate OP claimed he was one of sports' greatest writers, brought a whole derail on how he's a racist hack & troll, etc. hopefully the debate isn't tainted by that, i think it's an interesting discussion.

 

a lotta people think there's too much money/corruption in college ball to see any major changes, but that was said about Lance & other institutions too...from the outside, i see all the discussions about the worsening state of injuries & the scandals cropping up on different campuses and thinking something has to give. no idea specifically what, but i do favor arguments that the NFL should be doing more & taking responsibility for its talent.

[Panch]

Nah, Whitlock's dead serious about this... and it ain't that bad an idea. Lord knows college football has MAJOR problems and things have already been put in place to take it in the right direction. For example: next year they're going to a playoff system and doing away with (to a certain extent) the already decrepit bowl system.

 

But there's more to be done. Namely, money. These players make MILLIONS for schools and the NCAA off tv deals, endorcements and whatnot and can't even feed themselves on campus. It's bullshit. And a lot of these kids are from inner cities so they have kids of their own and other problems so they take money from boosters and get in trouble. All while everyone else is eating off them. Whitlock's main thing is getting a pay player type system in place. That I agree with. What I DON'T agree with is the NFL getting involved.

[The NZA]

what are the details on the playoff changes?

 

and i guess i like the NFL angle because like you said with the universities, proportionately they make so much off the talent - yeah they got dudes well paid, but i think there's merit to some kinda viable minor league idea, even if i don't know how it'd work. what do you think?

 

totally with you on it being bullshit that the universities/NCAA eating off them though, i used to be one of the ones thinking the amount of money/resources put to athletic programs from higher institutions was kinda bullshit, but looking at alumni donors, its obvious the returns they stand to get strike them as an investment...which only adds to how distasteful it is that these kids dont see that pay. one side of the argument says that's why we should do away with the whole thing, because the notion of paying college athletes could potentially only make it more corrupt, but again given the opportunities and what it can do for even smaller universities like mine, i think that's a short-sighted view.

[Panch]

Obviously, this issue is complicated. So many moving parts. Still, it can't get any more currupt than what it already is. Boosters take advantage of kids knowing where they come from and their financial situations at the schools. The schools and NCAA are making millions off stuff I've mentioned becore. Shit, even parents! Everyone is exploiting these kids.

 

When it comes to the NFL, I guess it could be cool for them to have a sort of minor league system in place while the kids are in college. And if they got paid it would entice them to stay in school longer. College football is ahead in this, though. Implimenting a minimum time requirement. Basically, these kids aren't eligible to leave to the NFL until minimum two years are completed. The NBA has no such rule so you see guys like Kobe and LeBron skipping college entirely and going straight to the pros. But anyways, the NFL has issues of their own. Safety issues, mostly. Commissioner Goodell is highly unliked by the players.

 

Lastly, the playoff system in college football is being implemented because of complaints for years about the current bowl system. Going to a tournament style system where a REAL champion will be crowned. Obviously, the schools and NCAA are against it because it will mean less games and most importantly, less money.

 

 

[The NZA]

ohhhh....yeah that's gotta be a huge plus for ya'll fans, for years ive heard about how random some bowl games were, even after PC's were deciding them, yeah?

 

i was tempted to make another thread sometime about potential future measures for NFL safety, cause i hear/read its another hot topic...you think it should be its own thing? i'm interested in it, as well as what this Goodell dude has on that end

[Panch]

Yeah, the bowl game system is a joke. Ok, get this: there were 34 bowl games last year. Meaning 68 teams played in a bowl. There are 119 teams in Division-1. That's more than half the teams participating in a bowl. Some teams didn't even have a winning record. I mean, that's cool if your team is Bethune-Cookman University, but basically everyone hates it because they see how cheap it is and a money grab by the NCAA.

 

Also, here are some names of REAL bowl games: Capital One Bowl, Beef O Brady Bowl, Chick-fil-A Bowl, Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, Little Ceaser's Pizza Bowl (yes, the word "pizza" is in the bowl name). The list goes on-and-on. It's a joke.

 

There will still be bowls, but there will also be a tournament for the highest ranked teams. Obviously, all fighting to get to the final bowl for a TRUE national championship. The idea is to start off slow and get to the point where college basketball's March Madness tournament is at. People are very excited.

 

As far as the NFL saftey thread... I say make it, but just know that the NFL has just settled out-of-court with tons of former players suing the league for medical problems after retirement so the topic has died down a bit.