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Old 09-21-2011, 08:21 AM
gg
 
Location: Pittsburgh
26,137 posts, read 25,777,749 times
Reputation: 17378

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Quote:
Originally Posted by kjtocool View Post
You guys should read a few of the introspective articles on how the 'free' education that universities offer many of these kids result in them becoming impoverished during their time there. The majority of kids actually live below the poverty line while attending because their families can't afford to cover the costs of living the school doesn't. The average amount of uncovered via scholarship expenses incurred due to attending school is over $3200 a year, which to me is very little, but to an 18 year old kid so wrapped up in trying to earn a spot on the team with little to no time to study, let alone work .... it's a mountain.

That doesn't even get into plane flights home should a family member become ill, etc. Everyone thinks these kids have it made, they really don't. I have two siblings who compete D1 athletics ... let's just say they're lucky my parents have the money to support them.
Compare them to the kids that have nothing, take loans out and work two jobs while trying to get through school. These kids have an opportunity because they play a sport. Many of them wouldn't get accepted because of very poor grades as it is. I consider them lucky to have the chance to sidestep a real admission process and regardless of how tough it is they are indeed lucky. Wait until they don't make the NBA and have to deal with the "real world". Now that will be tough. Many no doubt don't cut it.

 
Old 09-21-2011, 08:33 AM
 
Location: Wilkinsburg
1,657 posts, read 2,677,858 times
Reputation: 994
Quote:
Originally Posted by kjtocool View Post
You guys should read a few of the introspective articles on how the 'free' education that universities offer many of these kids result in them becoming impoverished during their time there. The majority of kids actually live below the poverty line while attending because their families can't afford to cover the costs of living the school doesn't. The average amount of uncovered via scholarship expenses incurred due to attending school is over $3200 a year, which to me is very little, but to an 18 year old kid so wrapped up in trying to earn a spot on the team with little to no time to study, let alone work .... it's a mountain.

That doesn't even get into plane flights home should a family member become ill, etc. Everyone thinks these kids have it made, they really don't. I have two siblings who compete D1 athletics ... let's just say they're lucky my parents have the money to support them.
$3200/year is a gap that can easily be filled with student loans, and a student leaving school after 4 years with only around $13k in debt is far ahead of the average student. Additionally, for a person with a college degree, a monthly student loan payment of about $95 should be quite affordable.

There are a lot people to feel bad for. I wouldn't count those who are given world class educations at a fraction of the cost among them.
 
Old 09-21-2011, 08:33 AM
 
1,714 posts, read 2,345,951 times
Reputation: 1261
Quote:
Originally Posted by h_curtis View Post
Compare them to the kids that have nothing, take loans out and work two jobs while trying to get through school. These kids have an opportunity because they play a sport. Many of them wouldn't get accepted because of very poor grades as it is. I consider them lucky to have the chance to sidestep a real admission process and regardless of how tough it is they are indeed lucky. Wait until they don't make the NBA and have to deal with the "real world". Now that will be tough. Many no doubt don't cut it.

Agree. College sports is pretty messed up, but everyone please cry me a river for the poor impoverished athletes.

I lived pretty damn below the poverty line during MY time in school too. And I'll be paying for it until I'm about 50 or so. Funny, being in the Marching Band took just much time as being on the football team, but people didn't buy me things to play (unofficially of course) or cover my college expenses. And we were way better on the field--and a better recruiting tool for the school--than our terrible football team.
 
Old 09-21-2011, 08:46 AM
 
5,894 posts, read 6,840,242 times
Reputation: 4107
The saddest are the athletes that are blessed with admission & a scholarship that gets them out of the ghetto who p*ss away the opportunity to better their lives because 'they're gonna to get drafted'.

I tutored student athletes at Pitt (apparently they were required to have so many hrs of private tutoring as part of their scholarship - another nice perk - & I got paid $10/hr to do it a couple of days a week which was decent) but so many of them, and sadly stereotypically often the football players, took all completely worthless classes & didn't care 1 iota about how they're academics were so long as they met the minimim gpa (which wasn't too hard given the softball classes scheduled), because every single one of them was convinced it didnt matter because they were going to be drafted....im like, you dont even start for Pitt & you think a scout is even looking at you?
So a chance to turn their lives around becomes nothing more then a wasted 4 yrs with a debt accumulation sadly for many of them while taking away an admission spot from someone more deserving.

I did always wonder if the University fed them the fantasy that they all had a good chance of being drafted.
 
Old 09-21-2011, 09:05 AM
 
173 posts, read 308,536 times
Reputation: 81
UKyank is right in that the vast majority of D1 basketball and football athletes don't give a flying ... about school. They're babied along by the universities, given just what they need to skate by with a garbage degree so long as they perform on the field.

This is what upsets me about it, the kids don't care because they're young and dumb, and the universities only care about the $$ the kids bring in. A recent report said that if schools did pay players, the fair market value would be six figures. They are using these kids in such a hypocritical manner, and they throw the 'education' they provide as validity to not paying them. It's a joke. Billion dollar sports with free labor, it's a joke.

There are exceptions. There are kids who use their skill to get an education for free, but most simply don't care, give four years of their blood and sweat to these schools and are then discarded in no better position than they were before, many don't even end up with a degree.
 
Old 09-21-2011, 06:22 PM
 
Location: Mid-Atlantic
12,528 posts, read 17,443,200 times
Reputation: 10629
They agree to the terms, if they don't get a degree, it's their problem. I would love to get a free education.
 
Old 09-21-2011, 07:41 PM
 
7,112 posts, read 10,085,837 times
Reputation: 1781
Quote:
Originally Posted by Copanut View Post
They agree to the terms, if they don't get a degree, it's their problem. I would love to get a free education.
One could easily argue that the athletes are in fact working for their education.

I would offer a radical idea of allowing the athletes room and board and to focus solely on their sport. Afterward the school would owe them in perpetuity a full scholarship for as many years as they played, up to 4.
 
Old 09-22-2011, 06:32 AM
gg
 
Location: Pittsburgh
26,137 posts, read 25,777,749 times
Reputation: 17378
Quote:
Originally Posted by UKyank View Post

I tutored student athletes at Pitt (apparently they were required to have so many hrs of private tutoring as part of their scholarship - another nice perk - & I got paid $10/hr to do it a couple of days a week which was decent) but so many of them, and sadly stereotypically often the football players, took all completely worthless classes & didn't care 1 iota about how they're academics were so long as they met the minimim gpa (which wasn't too hard given the softball classes scheduled), because every single one of them was convinced it didnt matter because they were going to be drafted....im like, you dont even start for Pitt & you think a scout is even looking at you?
So a chance to turn their lives around becomes nothing more then a wasted 4 yrs with a debt accumulation sadly for many of them while taking away an admission spot from someone more deserving.

I did always wonder if the University fed them the fantasy that they all had a good chance of being drafted.
Nice to get some first hand information. Hard to argue with someone that tutored some of these kids that are just playing a sport, living and eating for free and just wasting 4 years in hopes of getting drafted. Some do get drafted and make millions though. DeJuan Blair comes to mind. $850K a year isn't bad.
 
Old 09-22-2011, 07:50 AM
 
5,894 posts, read 6,840,242 times
Reputation: 4107
Quote:
Originally Posted by h_curtis View Post
Nice to get some first hand information. Hard to argue with someone that tutored some of these kids that are just playing a sport, living and eating for free and just wasting 4 years in hopes of getting drafted. Some do get drafted and make millions though. DeJuan Blair comes to mind. $850K a year isn't bad.
The female athletes for the most part always showed up & were prepared & seemed to care, the guys showed up a quarter of the time - which was fine as you got paid just for being there & if your tutoree failed to show you could just leave, not like I really cared if they failed out of school.

I highly recommend the job for any student, you get paid to hang out with female athletes for a couple hrs (and yes cheerleaders are considered athletes for scholarship purposes) & likewise get paid for the male ones not to show up. Inquire at the 2nd floor of the Pete.
 
Old 09-22-2011, 11:02 AM
 
Location: Pixburgh
1,214 posts, read 1,448,128 times
Reputation: 1380
Quote:
Originally Posted by h_curtis View Post
I just don't see Pitt's street ball inner city style fitting in with the ACC conference. I mean the Big East just seem like a bunch of ball players that just rolled out of jail and then you have the ACC where the kids seem so much more professional. I hope they get into the ACC and they start recruiting more like Duke. That would be so much better.
pitt is as far from streetball as you can get. streetball is more about 1 on 1 matchups, quick shots, no defense.

pitt is half court, grind you down offense with deadly defense.

they are physical in the big east, and will have to adapt a little.


as far as recruiting, pitt has been built the right way. earlier, they couldn't get the stars. they had to get hard working, 4 year kids who were typically ranked out of the top 100.
year by year as they kept winning and winning, they climbed up the recruiting rankings as their reputattion increased. right now, to the point that most of their recruits are not only top 100, but have top 5 nationally ranked kids coming in.

the talent they are bringing in has never been better, to compete with duke and unc..recruiting its rough for anyone but on the court we are close enough to compete and ahead of the other 10 acc teams, so its a fine place to start.
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