You mean like soccer in Europe, where most of the talent gets hoovered into team-run academies by around age 12, and the best players are making their way to the top-level club team around age 18-22?

Born and raised in central Florida, and yes indeed, easily 90% of my friends growing up were originally from New England/New York/Jersey.

But that our heritage, and we need to commemorate it and never forget. Unlike the long and recent history of institutionalized discrimination, which we all just need to get past.

Instead of all this bullshit, pretending we actually care if these athletes get an education, just create minor leagues like baseball or soccer in Europe to develop athletes, as athletes, where they will get paid for it. Nobody involved in the system actually cares if these students graduate, save perhaps the coaches…

Everybody in Tampa is, at best, a functional alcoholic. I visited family and on the first night, bought 3 rounds for 3 people and gave a generous tip: $12. They actually charged me $8 for 9 beers. I had to pump the breaks so I suggested going to a movie, and they sell beer there as well, which is admittedly pretty…

On the pro-payment side, can we all agree that when a significant number of student-athletes fail to capitalize on the educational benefits already extended to them, that they're ultimately at fault for not making the most of what they're being given? And that the $5K a year for five years won't pay the bills for the…

Eat a dick Drew, this article reeks of someone who could never live up to the standards of a Schiano man! It's a good thing Schiano men are like cats and always land on their feet. Also like cats they shit and piss all over some stank box of sand in a weird remote corner (Tampa bay metro area).

A Schiano Man thinks the OSHA Office is just another way for Obama to interfere with private business.

"can we all agree that when a significant number of student-athletes fail to capitalize on the educational benefits already extended to them, that they're ultimately at fault for not making the most of what they're being given?"

Is this supposed to be...an argument against payment? A "valid point" that…

So athletes aren't special and shouldn't be paid. What makes athletic directors and coaches so special that they get paid millions off the hard and unpaid labor of college athletes? No one pays $100 to go see an athletic director do their job, they pay to watch the athletes. Sounds like a lot of people think they are…

Hey, remember when you said that D-3 schools give out scholarships?

1. You didn't help your school generate millions of dollars

I know, right? The only reason Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins, and Jameis Winston weren't playing pro ball last year is because they LOVE college. They all bleed their schools' colors. The amateurism, the school spirit, the frat parties. THAT is why they played college ball. Never mind the collusion between the NFL,…

Slaves in pre-civil war America got free room and board! Wasn't that payment enough?

The sad part to all of this is there was and is such a simple solution that would cost colleges (including other students or those buying tickets to games) no extra money: Allow the athletes to be able to make money off their own name in the marketplace.

Pussy don't pay the bills and love won't take care of you after your knee explodes from getting torpedoed during practice.

Do any flabby and sanctimonious office drones have an opinion on how much compensation collegiate athletes don't deserve? I'll stand by for your comments with a gun in my mouth & thanks in advance for leaving the Caps Lock key engaged.

But but. nothing can replace the thrill of getting that degree. Nothing can replace the glory of cutting down the nets and Coach K hugging you and then locking you out of his finger print ID protected office after you decide to go pro. Nothing can replace the thrill of a coach sitting in your living room telling you…

You know what else we should do? Invent an economic system where labour, particularly highly specialized labour, has value and is entitled to negotiate for themselves a percentage of the revenues that their labour generates regardless of whether their employer calls themselves a school or church or whatever.

When are we going to start talking about a real solution, such as separating academics and athletics at every level?