Valenti's Blog: Getting To Business
The Miami (FL) scandal has a lot of people doing a lot of hand wringing, myself included. I figured it might be a decent idea to put a few of my thoughts down in more detail since this issue can't be fully discussed or solved in a sound bite.
First things first, the NCAA is the single most corrupt, disingenuous and hypocritical organization I've ever seen. They sell you, the fans, an ideal, a picture, simply a fantasy. That's fantasy is amateurism. College sports are the furthest thing from some amateur after school hobby. In fact, the only difference between college football and its big brother that plays on Sunday is a few minor rules. The NCAA sells you on virtue, honesty, on simply put, not being a professional league. Why? Simple. No taxes and they make millions.
That's right. I said no taxes.
The little rule book that we all rail on and in most cases mock, is the shield the NCAA uses to run a multi-billion dollar…tax free business. Learn that. Stop calling me with your arguments of virtue. Stop wasting all our time babbling about "student athletes" and how we are producing young scholars. This is business. This is exploitation at the highest level. For every Kirk Cousins there are 1,000 kids who barely attend class.
Second big thing, you must understand the hypocrisy of the NCAA rules themselves. Why is it a normal student can go on a booster's yacht, drink, party, and pretty much go crazy…but an athlete cannot? Why can a normal student buy said athlete a drink and dinner on the town but a booster cannot?
Here's why? The NCAA needs to make you think that athlete is an amateur so they can avoid all taxes and keep raking in millions. Has nothing to do with what is "right" as so many of you scream about. You think they preach equality as some kind of moral stand or competitive balance? Hell no. They use things like the old title 9 as a shield.
NCAA "We cannot pay Tim Tebow, what about the women's swim team at Valdosta St.?"
My response? Who cares about them? Unlike the swimmers, Tim Tebow brings in millions. And unlike the fantasy the NCAA has created, reality doesn't treat all people the same. Ask yourselves why a brain surgeon gets paid more than a construction worker? Simple. One has a higher skill set and brings in more money for his employer than the other.
Only in the NCAA fantasyland of lies would a kid who plays table tennis be treated the same as a Heisman trophy winner.
The NCAA stands to lose millions in taxes by simply allowing what already goes on to happen above board. No corrupt organization ever changes from within. Why would they bother changes rules or policy when it is they themselves who stand to lose the most?
So the next time you're watching one of their wonderful commercials about all they do, remember who is really winning. Athletic directors, conference admins, BCS admins, the money train pulls up to their very desk.
So what can be done? I mean I just told you the NCAA has ZERO interest in altering rules. They won't rid themselves of the biggest lie on earth…amateurism. They won't pay kids because it would cost too much and cheating would still happen. So what is real? What is realistic?
Nothing.
Business is good. In fact it's great. Every few months guys like me explode at how awful this system is. How corrupt it is. How ridiculous the hypocrisy is. But nothing changes. It never has.
Last thing as I've rambled enough and these blogs are meant to be short form here on the website. Indulge me a few lines more for my own fantasy.
You want a real answer where things could actually be "opened up" and the institutions could somehow cope with the loss of tax free amateur status?
A playoff. 16-teams. Multi-billion dollar TV deal.
Allow boosters to do whatever the hell they want. Schools with money will rise to the top. Half the country will be made irrelevant and subsequently form a secondary level of play.
The 60-70 teams left standing form four 16-team mega conferences. New more lucrative TV deals are formed on top of the new playoff deal which would rivals March Madness.
The result becomes real matchups replaces ridiculous non-conference money grabs versus inferior teams.
A professional style league of sorts where each school involved has resources to compete unlike today.
And for once, a true settle it on the field national champion.
There, I warned you I was dreaming. Would it work? Yes. But it's just too easy as is right now for these hypocritical, lazy, and disingenuous "leaders" to change.
