NCAA faces labor struggle from student athletes

While it has been a busy week for the NCAA, who will be going to the Final Four is certainly a second-place finisher when it comes to the real news. When the National Labor Relation Board in Chicago came down with a ruling that stated the Northwestern University football team does have the right to become a labor union, it was more seismic than any earthquake of recent memory.

This ruling means that the football team and athletes alike can be viewed as employees for the university. That means they are entitled to enter into a collective bargaining situation that would address the likes of compensation, health care and other benefits afforded to union members. Universities around the country now have to scramble to see if there are laws in place to protect them should there be future actions by their student athletes.

If you say athletes should not be paid, shame on you. The NCAA, universities and coaches rake in hundreds of millions annually, and the students are supposed to be happy because they are getting a “free” education? Consider the time a student athlete puts in for practice, training, travel and physical therapy. Where is the “free” part? 

Parents who brag about little Johnny or Jamie getting a “full” ride four-year scholarship, you might want to read the fine print. The university often has the right to terminate that scholarship at their pleasure anytime they want to. They tend to renew scholarships yearly. Yet the clueless defend this institution as if it were the Vatican.

For years we have been led to believe that players not getting paid was good for the spirit of college sports. If it’s all about spirit, why do coaches get fired when they do not win enough games to suit the university and its alums? If it’s just spirit, why do schools move from conference to conference and make it a priority to get to bowl games and the tournament where millions of dollars are waiting?

Spirit left the field a long time ago. It’s about making money, and that is ok as long as there is a better equity plan in place for the athletes. But the NCAA has people who programmed to spread the word about how having players unionize is bad for college sports. They have enjoyed the free labor for so long they think this is how it has to be.

 As for  the college experience, it is a priceless one, as most athletes will never go on to the pros. All they will have are the great memories. Having the education should help pay the bills, as the memories do not. That is what college should be about.  Once it was determined that a small fraction of the student body was exceptionally better at athletics and people would pay to watch them play, all bets were off.

The face of this new labor movement for student athletes is Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter. The question was posed: Why did he wait until his senior year to mount such a movement?  A simple answer: He wanted to continue to play football. He did not want to run the risk of the ensuing politics ending his career. It is nice to see him put his college education to good use – education the NCAA must wish he had used for another cause.

It’s not just the money. Other issues at stake, like life after football and the proper health care that should be made available. Football players have not proven to be the smartest group when it comes to business and how life works after they are finished playing. Just look at their salaries and what they give up compared to the other team sports on the pro level. Pro football players on average are the lowest-paid players among the four major team sports in America, and yet they have the shortest shelf life and suffer the most debilitating injuries. 

This story will not go away. Other lawsuits will follow. The final stop could be the U.S. Supreme Court.  That is if the NCAA and its member institutions do not see the light, strike a deal and rewrite some of its antiquated bylaws. The word “partnership” comes to mind. 

I look at the leagues on the pro side, and I see baseball with labor harmony where everyone is getting paid. I look at the NBA and how it has grown its relationship with its players to a multi-billion-dollar level. Hockey and football have had a harder struggle, as there are underlying issues with their leadership, hence the multiple lockouts and hard salary caps and other terms lead to confrontation and loss of revenue. 

The NCAA has a chance to fix it. It would start by eliminating those who are currently at the controls who have become delusional with respect to their role and the future. 

New blacklist

When Philadelphia Eagle wide receiver De Sean Jackson was released, much to the dismay of many, it was not because of a lack of skill. It was circulated that Jackson was allegedly involved in gang activity in California. It shows that the NFL and its member teams mean business when it comes to making sure players are not engaged in illegal activities on or off the field. 

That is what they want you to believe. Actually, a new way to blacklist a guy is now in play. The team never said it officially, but if anyone wanted to know off the record, that is what the deal was. If you knew the guy had issues and you can prove it, then just cut him, say why and move on. Commissioner Pete Rozelle dealt with players who had gambling and organized crime ties in the ‘60s. 

Perhaps fear of a lawsuit comes into play?  Maybe the issue was really about money, and the Eagles did not want to look like they were cheap in cutting one of their best players. 

Obviously the allegations about Jackson did not reach everyone, as other teams are already talking to him about a new deal.