I played football from 4th grade through 12th grade, and I'm now on my 10th year as a coach (9 for pay+my first year as a volunteer). I have two fantasy football teams, and every Sunday (all day) and Monday (night) I am either glued to the television or at least close enough that I can hear what's going on in the NFL.
For this reason, many people are surprised to hear that I hate college football.
However, if you consider the fact that most of the people playing football on the top college teams probably don't even qualify for college, then you might understand why.
I don't care that college football brings a lot of money into the system. College is about higher learning.
Were it the case that colleges could only play students who actually qualified for their schools according to academic standards, then I would acquiesce on this point. However, listen to any post-game interview for the major universities, and you'll get my point.
The same is true for basketball, though I don't really follow the NBA.
Colleges that wish to excel in sports should have players equal to the colleges' reputations. That's why I don't follow the University of Michigan's sports teams. The UM passes itself off as a great learning institution, but its athletes do not usually reflect that.
Very true, Aristos. Even though it would probably result in more seasons like the current one, a part of me wishes the athletes at U-M had to pick real majors and do their own studying. It annoys me to see obsessed Wolverine fans decked out in maize and blue, despite the fact that they never attended a single class at the university. I hate even more that students and alumni are called snobs for feeling this way. How do you feel about the non-athletes who cheat their way through school? I think they're sometimes called fraternities.
ReplyDeleteHey do you have any anecdotes about guys from the Hillsdale football team?!
ReplyDeleteThey have a football team? Do they play high schools or community colleges?
ReplyDelete