NCAA - pay to play?

So I have yet to talk football on here, and with the lockout firmly in place (let's not go there for the moment) most attention has turned to the violations and turmoil in the NCAA.

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio... I love all things southern Ohio football. I root for the Bearcats and Buckeyes equally... though until recent years, the Buckeyes have dominated and been easy to cheer for. This past year they made it to the Sugar Bowl defeating a team from the big bad SEC - Arkansas... but of course not without drama.

If you've been watching any form of sports news, or even news in general, then I don't need to rehash what happened... but for those of you that haven't: here's a quick overview. At least 5 players on this years team got tattoos for free by signing and trading memorabilia, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Many say players have gotten free cars, breaks on apartments, rent, all sorts of things. What's the problem?... some may ask. Well according to the NCAA in lam ens terms, players can't get any sort of benefit a regular citizen or college student wouldn't get. I wouldn't get a free car, for just being me.

No many people (myself included) don't see why these benefits would be an issue. Especially with the violation in question is $1,000 of tattoos, tops. In Ohio, we all knew that this was going on, but no one really thought anything of it. Athletes, no matter at what level, are always treated differently... especially football players. I even saw it in high school.(I won't go into details for the sake of embarrassing myself and the players I knew... because it this point it's irrelevant.)

I also do in fact know one of those 5 Ohio State players that were suspended for the first 5 games of next season. (I also won't go into the details... but I will say I went to Lakota West High School... and if you google and look at the roster and names of those suspended you can find out pretty easily.)

Now my thought process comes from this point of view. I was a lacrosse player for my college Savannah College of Art and Design. We weren't D1 NCAA - but sometimes it felt like we were the way my coach treated us. Practices at 7am on Fridays and Saturdays, so you can't go out the night before, dedicating a lot of time and effort to a team in which I didn't even get a scholarship for. Now yes, a lot of these football players are getting a full ride, but they're dedicating the same time, if not more than what I was.

I had a taste of what life was like trying to be an athlete and balance homework... which was hard enough, let alone trying to pick up a job was damn near impossible to supplement spending money. So when you're dedicating all this time and effort into something, and you want to go blow off some steam like, I dunno... getting a tattoo, if that's your thing... and you don't have any money, what do you do? Take hand outs. Now I, playing SCAD lacrosse never really got those hand outs, but who's to say I wouldn't take it? You never know until you're put in that position, you can't judge.

What bothers me about this whole situation is the NCAA and BCS are making MILLIONS of dollars off these players... who play for maybe... $150,000 if it's an extremely expensive out of state school for them. $150,000 in the scheme of the millions they're making at the NCAA is chump change. Then on top of it, add $1,000 in tattoos, it's really nothing.

My solution would be to give the players some sort of stipend to play... mainly dependant on grades. The better you do in school, the more money you get, and it can't go to drugs or alcohol... you have to procure receipts for your purchases, which teaches them how to spend and manage their money (which I believe is one of the biggest issues of guys coming from nothing and going into the NFL making millions.)

I know this all sounds great on paper... and it would be extremely hard to implement... if anyone has a better suggestion, or a way to do things, let me know. Because obviously SOMETHING has to change, because the direction the NCAA is going in with USC, Ohio State, Cam Newton's father, etc. something has GOT to change.

Early bird gets the worm...

Let's just start with the fact that I am NEVER up this early. I have no idea why my body woke me up 2 hours early... but it is what it is. I am also craving grape soda, weird. I could've gone to kickboxing this morning, but after last night's workout.... I'm more than a little sore.

Since I'm up I thought I'd write a little something for you all.

I realized my previous posts were pretty much all The Bachelor related. Well, this season I wasn't into their choice of a bachelorette (Ashley) and so I'm not watching. Nor do I have time to watch that show.

Since I'm now graduated from college and a mature young adult I'm going to be posting on some more technical, serious, commentary on media than just reality shows (though I do know a lot about reality TV.)

Guess who's back... back again... guess who's back... tell a a friend...

So, yet again. I keep forgetting about my blog! I hear that's the hardest thing to do, is constantly update this thing.

I have officially graduated from SCAD (yay!) with my Bachelor's of Arts in Television Producing. Whoopi Goldberg was the commencement speaker, and she was really cool. She even spoke about us on the view the next day: