Laura Rutledge, Paul Finebaum and Jalen Rose react to the NCAA’s plans to allow student-athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness.
ESPN College Football YouTube Channel
Rutledge talks about an “overwhelmingly positive” reception to the idea of college football athletes being paid, but spends a lot of time talking of edge case situations which, she thinks, are “complicated,” which could be taken by many as the type of argument those looking to drag their feet will make; for example, she talks of the difficulty of reporting a “free sandwich.”
These arguments aren’t really valid; the people who profit from college football should have some work to report endorsements, like how everyone who earns money reports income for tax records. It’s part of the system. If players are able to earn from football, at college level, then they will more easily be able to refuse a free sandwich… because they’ve already been paid, fairly. “No thank you!” the player could say “I get paid enough already”.
The point is, under-the-table endorsements will have been going on for years, as the only way players could profit from their sport. That situation coming into the light of transparency is a good thing. Nothing worth doing is ever 100% easy. An athlete is probably the best person to tell you about this.
Agree? Leave a comment, below.
