"We've out-gentrified ourselves" (Houston, Austin: real estate, leases, condos)

[Trainwreck20]

UT no longer guarantees NMSs a scholarship.

Still, NMS finalist number about 15,000 per year and almost all will receive some sort of significant scholarship offer somewhere; 8,000 of those or so receive money directly from the NMS organization instead of through (or in addition to) a university. As per the article, that money that UT was giving to the NMS program will now be directed to financial need, not based on academic achievement. You could be the most brilliant person in the world, and that money will not be available to offset your school costs if your parents can afford to pay.

And then there is non-university based scholarships - how many athletes will have access to any merit based scholarships (as opposed to financial hardship scholarships)? There are a ton of local scholarships (albeit, generally far from full ride) that are available to local academic achievers.

Anyway, at UT in particular (which does not drain money from the system), I see no reason why an athlete cannot be treated as any other career path. I have never really understood a lot of the antipathy toward student athletes. A volleyball player is given a scholarship to play, they must work toward a degree offered by the university, and when they graduate (or leave) they will likely not have a career in volleyball. Compare to my musician friends who got music degrees at UT. They also got a scholarship to go to UT and further their music talents, worked toward a degree in music, and then graduated (or left) and work at a variety of not music-related jobs. Some play in part time bands that may pay a little, but not a career by any stretch. I also have volleyball friends that play volleyball after college for enjoyment, as well.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by mayfair44

OMG, where in the hell are you pregame????? Obviously not across MLK before kickoff. With the blue hairs? There is a STRONG correlation between tailgating and drinking, and no, it's not just people with a current student id, lol....

I'm talking about inside the stadium. Sure - there are people who tailgate that never step foot inside the stadium. They almost certainly don't have tickets, nor make LHF contributions - both of which provide the very revenues that were the original subject.

And no, I never cross 19th St. I park closer than that.

[hillcountryheart]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

I have never really understood a lot of the antipathy toward student athletes. A volleyball player is given a scholarship to play, they must work toward a degree offered by the university, and when they graduate (or leave) they will likely not have a career in volleyball.

I have zero antipathy towards student athletes. I have serious questions about the rituals of high school and college football games. Perhaps this is my lack of the "Y" chromosome. I enjoy a thrilling game, but I am amazed at how far beyond the game THE GAME goes. Similarly, I don't do soap operas or celebrity gossip. That is, I don't lead my life through other people.

Because of the inordinate passion with sports, student athletes are much more likely to get scholarships, regardless of need or merit. At UT they get a whole lot more, too. And it is a hyperfocus on football, not so much on the other sports.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by hillcountryheart

I have zero antipathy towards student athletes. I have serious questions about the rituals of high school and college football games. Perhaps this is my lack of the "Y" chromosome. I enjoy a thrilling game, but I am amazed at how far beyond the game THE GAME goes. Similarly, I don't do soap operas or celebrity gossip. That is, I don't lead my life through other people.

Because of the inordinate passion with sports, student athletes are much more likely to get scholarships, regardless of need or merit. At UT they get a whole lot more, too. And it is a hyperfocus on football, not so much on the other sports.

Take a deep breath. Football is as much a part of living in Texas as good BBQ is.
Get your UT shirt and proudly wear it on Saturdays.
I did and I'm not even that much into football.

Now I'm closer to A&M so I have my Aggie shirts for Saturday although I get a good rib every now and then when I go to College Station with my Longhorn shirt on

You adjust and adapt to the area you are in. It's called assimilation.

[hillcountryheart]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

You adjust and adapt to the area you are in. It's called assimilation.

At my age, as a native Texan? I doubt I will assimilate. I've been around game after game of televised football with my grandfather, father, and numerous other friends and relatives. I performed in marching band in high school. I went to UT.

At this point? I think I was born this way. It's not a choice.

[mayfair44]

Originally Posted by scm53

Deal in stereotypes much?

I make a healthy donation to the LHF every year. We have great parking because I'm too lazy to walk far. We have nice comfortable seats because my butt is too big for a bleacher. My wife likes the nice clean restrooms we have access to. But I've NEVER been drunk at a game, nor have any of the folks that sit around me. Or the kids that come, or the pregnant moms.

If I see anyone drunk at games, it is usually students. But even that is few and far between. Besides - by your own admission, you don't go to games. How do you know what goes on?

Originally Posted by mayfair44

OMG, where in the hell are you pregame????? Obviously not across MLK before kickoff. With the blue hairs? There is a STRONG correlation between tailgating and drinking, and no, it's not just people with a current student id, lol....

Originally Posted by hillcountryheart

Yes, what I said was *tailgate*. Many of my friends have tailgate parties, and believe me, they would not be legal to drive afterward. You may criticize my choice of friends, perhaps, but not the fact that this goes on. I've been invited to do the tailgating part, but have always refused (hey, I'm not going to the game, and don't want to drive home in that mess of traffic).

I've never done a count of who's partying vs who's stone sober straight and just there to see the game.
What I *am* saying is that it is quite an expensive circus.

Assuming I wasn't the intended recipient....

Originally Posted by scm53

I'm talking about inside the stadium. So was I. Fans start loading up hours before the game. Flasks snuck in. You've never caught a whiff of bourbon in the stands?? Where'd you go to school? Halftime binges in the endzone clubs. Up in the 200, where the real donors are, sipping Crown and looking down on the field live. You think people just sober up by kickoff??

Sure - there are people who tailgate that never step foot inside the stadium. They almost certainly don't have tickets, nor make LHF contributions Wow, deal in stereotypes much? You're implying several things about the crowd vs yourself. Is it not possible to be an avid tailgater/founder/ticket holder? You have no idea.

- both of which provide the very revenues that were the original subject.

A lot more than donations go into the puzzle. You act like as if you're an angel to the program lol.

And no, I never cross 19th St. I park closer than that.

If you didn't try to come off as some elitist fan, I'd cut you some slack, however....

[scm53]

Originally Posted by mayfair44

[color=Red]Assuming I wasn't the intended recipient...


Sure - there are people who tailgate that never step foot inside the stadium. They almost certainly don't have tickets, nor make LHF contributions

Wow, deal in stereotypes much? You're implying several things about the crowd vs yourself. Is it not possible to be an avid tailgater/founder/ticket holder? You have no idea.

You are in such a rush to argue, you didn't take a second to read, did you? The point I made, and I stand by, is that in the stadium, even in the NEZ clubs, even in the Champions Club before the games, I've never seen anyone drunk - except students. You can choose to believe that or not. You are so wedded to your position, that I doubt you can even conceive that is true. There may be people that get loaded at tailgates and never make it in the stadium. You see people that tailgate, and never go to the game under the trees in the Pink lots all the time. Does it make sense to you that someone would be a donor to get good tickets, pay for those tickets, then not go in the stadium? Doesn't to me. All I was saying is that I have no idea what those folks do. I do know what people I see in the stadium do - folks that sit around me and have access to bars during the game. NEVER seen one of them drunk.

As far as your faux outrage over where I park, you were in such a rush to be incensed that you didn't engage your brain to consider that it really doesn't make sense to park close, then walk away from the stadium. Does it? What happens on Bevo Blvd or at Scholz's isn't interesting enough to get me to walk there, then walk back. Sorry that enrages you.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by hillcountryheart

I have zero antipathy towards student athletes. I have serious questions about the rituals of high school and college football games. Perhaps this is my lack of the "Y" chromosome. I enjoy a thrilling game, but I am amazed at how far beyond the game THE GAME goes. Similarly, I don't do soap operas or celebrity gossip. That is, I don't lead my life through other people.

Because of the inordinate passion with sports, student athletes are much more likely to get scholarships, regardless of need or merit. At UT they get a whole lot more, too. And it is a hyperfocus on football, not so much on the other sports.

for many of them this is the peak of their life. why begrudge them that?

who determines merit?

[winkosmosis]

Originally Posted by Austin97

I dont have any sympathy here. If your taxes went up 400-600% then your value went up 400-600%. This simply is not a bad thing.

Amazing how this seems to be a common sentiment in Texas. What a culture shock moving back from Hawaii-- over there the property taxes are very low because a house is viewed as a home. It's common to pass on a house for several generations. In Texas the property tax cheerleaders seem to view a house as an investment. Your value and taxes doubled? No problem, just sell and move to a droll suburb like the rest of us schmucks!! Who cares about quality of life? This is Texas and you shouldn't value frivolous things like neighborhoods and walkability and trees. All you need is skwuare feetz!! I thought that type of thinking was mostly confined to Houston...

[orngkat]

house as an investment

I am glad to hear there is somplace that doesn't just equate house with investment. The concept of home as a place to spend one's life or greater parts of it seems to be vanishing. And that is one of several reasons our culture here is becoming so vapid. It wasn't always so...