hal's blog

Hal Roberson

ENG 131.01

Professor Lucas

13 April 2016

NCAA Benefit While Student-athletes Struggle

Introduction

Growing up as a child watching college football, I was amazed at the huge impact college sports such as football and basketball had on people’s lives. It created an escape for people, it gave people something to look forward to on their weekends and it gave people a reason to interact with one another. Sports and the athletes that play, seem as if they’re having the time of their lives, and from personal experience, I’ll have to agree that yes, they are having an extreme amount of fun. There’s more than what’s being shown on the television, when we watch analysts on shows such as Sports Center, College Football, First Take, and plenty others, you would think that college sports was professional. The only thing that separates them from the pros according to the NCAA is the fact that college athletes aren’t being paid for their performance. I believe regardless if it would make them professional athletes or not, college athletes should be paid for representing the school.

The NCAA sells merchandise such as jerseys and videogames based on the likeness of a certain player and team that competes in collegiate sports. In USA Today’s Sports, Steve Berkowitz mentions that “The NCAA had total revenue of nearly $1 Billion during its 2014 fiscal year”, this is a result from athletes who only play sports just for the love of it but how long will that love last? Sure, some athletes are on scholarship and most of them don’t have to pay out of pocket for items such as books and a place to live; but for most a paid education isn’t enough. There are athletes whose parents struggle financially and aren’t able to give them money for things such as being able to keep clean clothes or purchase food. In Fortune.com’s article, “The plaintiff’s argued that the NCAA was a cartel whose rules made schools wealthy while athletes received little to none of the profits..” which I something I completely agree with. Athletes sacrifice so much to receive so little.

One might ask if an athlete struggles so much financially, why aren’t they able to get a job. Well first off, not everyone perceives a college athlete the same. On paper they’re a student first but if the coach was to tell everyone else what he tells the athlete, they’ll understand that the term “Student-Athlete” doesn’t exist. For me, personally, I’ll have to admit that I think more about football than my academics because of how time, consuming it is. Between meetings, workouts, practice and for others rehab, the last thing on any athletes mind is the thousand word essay due the next day. Of course we can say the athlete is responsible for their education, but in all honesty we’re talking about young adults who are no longer living under the rules of their parents a type of freedom that most haven’t ever experienced. The NCAA is taking advantage of kids who don’t really understand what they’re worth and the benefits that others are receiving because of their talent.

The NCAA tells the supposed to be student-athlete that they’re receiving a free education, when in reality they’re not able to take of advantage of it. In Sports Illustrated they mentioned that, “ Michigan State players missed six of nine class days, and they would likely have missed four more if they had made it to the title game.” If college athletes are that occupied with sports to where they’re not even able to be given a chance to excel in the classroom, then the student part of student-athlete no longer exists. Within the Sports Illustrated article, the writer states that, “The idea that these guys are primarily students is farcical.” The NCAA is contradicting themselves and selling athletes coming into college lies. The NCAA and even some college coaches are guilty of only caring about the athlete’s performance, not about whether or not they’ve received a quality education. As long as the athlete is eligible to play, the NCAA could care less.

Annotated Bibliography

Kopytoff, Verne. “Judge Deal Major Blow To NCAA By Ruling Athletes Can Be Paid.”Fortune.com (2014):1. Business Source Premier.Web.30 Apr. 2016

The author Verne Kopytoff wrote this article describing what was being discussed in court involving the NCAA views on paying college athletes as well as others views on the subject as well. The judge seems to somewhat lean more toward athletes being paid for their participation in NCAA athletics. Leaving the NCAA worried about the possibility for college athletes being compensated for their participation in college athletics.

This article supports my argument because it shows how the NCAA benefits from the likeness of a student-athlete but the student-athlete isn’t receiving the same benefits as they are. The athlete is in indeed receiving a valuable education but after their bodies have been worn out after all of the things they’ve done physically, they should receive some kind of compensation.

“College Athletes Deserve More Compensation.” USA Today n.d.: Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Apr. 2016

This article is based upon the comments made by people on Facebook used by USA Today, to show others views and beliefs on whether or not NCAA athletes should be paid for playing sports that are highly profitable such as football and basketball. Some actually are against it and feel as if student-athletes are already awarded enough just for being on the team.

The article presents both sides of the pay-for-play argument. Even though the majority of the comments that people posted on Facebook leaned more towards the belief that student-athletes should be compensated, it still shows what others may think when discussing this subject.

Steve, Berkowitz, @By Berkowitz, and Sports USA Today. “NCAA has $80 M Surplus.”USA Today n.d.: Newspaper Source Plus. Web 10 Apr. 2016

Steve Berkowitz wrote an article that was perfect for what I needed to support my thesis. Stating facts about the NCAA and how much they profit from NCAA Basketball alone. The article provides numbers and statistics that help show how much sports contribute to the NCAA. This supports the compensation of student-athletes because it shows that they are able to pay both basketball and football athletes and specifically those two sports since they produce the most money out of the other sports.

The author provides us with the source of income for these sports. The article reveals that the majority of the profits come from agreements with CBS and Turner Broadcasting. These television agreements led to, “$700 million in fiscal 2014 and growing at a rate of about 3% a year” and “The association had particularly good revenue growth in 2014, in part because the Final Four”. Is a perfect example of how the NCAA benefits from athletes you have invested hours of preparation just so that there could be a Final Four.

Rosenberg, Michael. “Workers’ Comp.” Sports Illustrated 120.14 (2014): 64. Academic Search Premier. Web.2 May 2016

This Sports Illustrated article presents the struggle most student-athletes may face when trying to balance both sports and their academics. The writer Michael Rosenberg explains why it’s difficult for college athletes to be present in their classes and how it’s almost impossible for an athlete to be a student. Rosenberg makes statements that questions the NCAA’s views on college athletes and whether or not they actually care for the athlete’s education.

This article supports my argument in various ways such as, the NCAA’s perception of student-athletes and the disadvantages that they face. Of course, college athletes are supposed to have all the advantages due to the time and effort they put into the sport that they play as well as the education that they’re struggling to receive. The disadvantage that college athletes face is the fact that the NCAA fools everyone to believe that athletes are able to take advantage of those advantages.

Paul Muldoon is an author who is one of Lenoir Rhyne’s Visiting Writers, his poem “Hedgehog” shows how observant he is as well as how interesting his analogies are. He mentions the hedgehogs distrust with us and why it tries it’s best to keep to itself. He then refers to the people who wait for its arrival so that they could receive answers for what to expect. He makes a reference to both Jesus and the crown of thorns which seems to be a comparison of some sort between the hedgehog and Jesus.

Paul Muldoon compares the hedgehog to Jesus, which explains how interesting this analogy is. It shows how people wait for answers just as they do now when waiting for Jesus to come back. Jesus’s crown of thorns are the spiny characteristic that the hedgehog possesses, as well as its tendency to keep to itself. The people are impatiently waiting for the hedgehog to show up just as people are when waiting on Jesus, wanting answers that are not yet ready for them to know. This poem makes wonder if Paul Muldoon is Christian? Or religious in any way? I’ll compare his style of writing more to Garrison Keillor due to his sarcastic tone and even though he might not have shown it as much in this poem, Muldoon is indeed a very sarcastic person. Muldoon’s writing has inspired me to implement more analogies within my writing to draw my audience in and to even make them wonder or question why I wrote what I wrote.

http://www.paulmuldoon.net/

 

Anne Lamott, an author who is one of Lenoir Rhyne’s Visiting Writers, explains the importance of having a shitty first draft. She states that, “All good writers write them” meaning that having a bad rough draft opens doors to just being able to give a writer a sense of direction because in all honesty no one enjoys writing. We have to force ourselves to sit down and write, which then leads to a shitty first draft guiding you to where you want to go in your writing. Taking the time to write then edit your writing is what will then lead to a masterpiece but we can’t let ourselves be discouraged because of how shitty our first drafts might be. In all reality everyone has a shitty first draft.

This article helped me understand that when you just sit down and write something the first time it won’t be perfect. With time and attention your shitty first draft can become an A plus paper or a best seller. I just wonder if you can determine how well or bad someone’s writing can be just by looking at their first draft. Anne Lamott’s writing is somewhat similar to Erin Ackerman’s, “Analyze This” due to its similar explanation for writing in a certain way or just writing in general and doing it in affective yet successful way.

http://visitingwriters.lr.edu/the-authors

Lamott, Anne. “Shitty First Drafts.” College of Arts & Sciences Writing, Rhetoric & Digital Studies. U of Kentucky, n.d. PDF. Your date of access (11 April,2016).

Garrison Keillor, an author who is one of Lenoir Rhyne’s Visiting Writers; expresses his thoughts on reasons why Americans won’t move to Canada if Donald Trump becomes president and he does this in sarcastic yet productive way. He refers to Trump as a “Great White Snapping Turtle” and compares Canada to the U.S., simply defending the fact that there’s attributes of the U.S. that won’t be found in Canada or anywhere else. Throughout his article he simply sends the message that no one will leave because if an American we’re to leave the U.S. to go anywhere they’ll be more American than what they were if they stayed.

                Garrison Keillor’s article is something that almost anyone can read and enjoy. Personally for me, the article kept me entertained mostly because of the constant sarcasm but also at the fact that he was able to tell the truth as well. His type of writing makes me curious about what type of person he is and whether or not he’s as sarcastic as his writing. His type of sarcasm actually reminds of the Marvel Comic Book superhero Deadpool, because it’s consistent and it makes you wonder if he’s ever serious. Garrison Keillor’s writing can help a student such as myself to find their own voice and to be comfortable with their own writing, because he seems extremely comfortable with his own. From his diction to his analogies, his writing can benefit anyone who wants to improve their writing. 

http://www.garrisonkeillor.com/

Keillor Garrison. “Think Moving Abroad will Save You from Trump? Think Again.” Washington Post. Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2016. Web. Your date of access (Day+Month+Year).

Hal Roberson

ENG 131.01

Professor Lucas

22 February 2016

Will and Determination: The Trouble with Online College in Review

The New York Time editorial, “The Trouble with Online College” focuses on whether or not online schooling is good for some college students. Obviously it all depends on the person and his or her ability to recognize what their strength and weaknesses are as a student. Just as the editorial states,” Courses delivered solely online may be fine for highly skilled, highly motivated people, but they are inappropriate for struggling students.” Is a statement that I do believe and support because online classes isn’t for everybody and students have to be disciplined enough to complete all of their assignments. The subject could go both ways but the fact of the matter is, that everyone is different and some college students are way more mature than most; therefore, we should seriously consider evaluating or testing students before granting them the right to taking online classes.

Testing students has its pros and cons but for something such as online college I feel like it’s necessary. Most students can’t even handle regular college so what would make them think that online college is even better. It doesn’t have to be a test based on writing, reading and arithmetic, it should simply be something logical, where we can actually determine whether or not students can handle it.

We have to be open minded about something such as this, normal testing can’t be the only way to determine a student’s success when they chose to take online college. If a student wishes to have an online education, we should invest our time in what makes a student successful when taking online college. We need to see where it fits for those with learning disabilities such as ADD and ADHD but still not exclude them either. This a serious subject that shouldn’t be taken lightly, we need to narrow these things down to what really matters and that’s making sure that all students who wish to have a college education both online and on campus become successful.

I can still understand why taking classes online can be a hassle, due to the fact that most of those who take them are in a situation where they don’t have many choices. I’m pretty sure most people who take them either have a fulltime job or children and maybe even both. That’s when I feel like most instructors who have online classes should try just to put a little more effort. Most instructors might not feel the need to do so but I believe those who genuinely care are the best ones.

In addition, those who go to college obviously know the importance of a college education, we shouldn’t punish them for making an honest effort. These people want to better their lives, do great things, and want to have a successful career but what do you expect most people to do when their schedule already conflicts with their personal lives and then aren’t getting any motivation from their instructors.

It all might seem outside of the instructor’s job description but if you don’t want to put the extra effort, then why be a teacher? Why would you waste your time and the people who take the time out of their schedule to try to learn from someone who’s not willing to teach? It just leads to the problem that we are already struggling with, the fact that students are graduating without learning anything.

But something might solve this problem, such as hybrid courses. I think hybrid courses can give both the student and instructor a perfect balance of the two managing their time. Hybrid courses also can be great for rigorous subjects such as mathematics or science, something that requires memory and repetition. It seems as if it’s almost a perfect combination neither the student nor the instructor shouldn’t feel as if they are going out of their way to be where ever they need to be. But then again there still isn’t guarantee for just anyone to receive a college degree, some people never sleep throughout the week because they have to work and it could be something that takes up the majority of their life.

It seems as if it’s a double elimination, those who make it through college can’t get a job because they’re not capable of doing the work that they’re expected to do after they graduate and those who can’t make it through no one will even consider hiring them because they don’t have the education to do so. College in general seems to be whether or not a person knows how to manage they’re way through. Between exams and assignments most people have found a way to either cheat or know enough just to get by. As for the single mom working fulltime with three kids don’t have the time to cheat or learn enough stuff just to get by, people such as this are worried about bills being paid and mouths to feed. The last thing on their mind is sitting down at a computer and taking notes. Majority of the time they won’t even have enough time to do that, going to class was a definite no because they couldn’t be in two places at one time. But since there’s now online college it seemed more likely to get an education without having to go out of your way. But even then they’ll still have to take care of their main priorities and won’t be able to even look at a desktop till late at night. Leaving them exhausted with a possible two to three hours before having to go back to work.

Online college is good for those who truly value a college education. Those that know the importance of a college education have to do more at really trying to stress why just a high school diploma isn’t enough. We all focus on how much fun college can be when having a social life, but we need to understand and make others understand that “fun” is only a small portion of what college really is. Those that are fortunate and unfortunate need to take their college education more seriously. As soon as we do that I feel like we won’t have to worry about the lower-class or the lower-middle class not having a college degree. As long as you have the will, determination and discipline to focus on your college courses, you should be able to accomplish your goal of receiving a college degree.

 

Work Cited

• “The Trouble with Online College” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/opinion/the-trouble-with-online-college.html?_r=0%20

I’m all about the sunshine,

The wind that blows along with it

And the glow that surrounds it.

It’s a glow of excitement, peace and relaxation all in one.

It’s what’s in my heart

And will stay in my heart till the day I die.

I can’t separate, nothing will separate

Not the distance,

Not the change of my surroundings

When I close my eyes, I’m there

When I open them, I’m not

It’s so hard opening them

And so easy to close them

Pain, stains my soul at the thought of leaving

Joy, strengthens me to come back

I’m all about the Bay

How calm it can be

And how angry it can get

How beautiful it may sound

And how it can be both wild and loud

There’s days where it may smell

And as dark as the clouds

But on a clear blue day

There’s nothing bluer, than the Bay

So I ask you today

To you Tampa Bay

Will you be my Valentine, on Valentine’s Day

In the article “Blogs V. Papers”, written by Matt Richtel shows others opinions on if whether or not blogging is a more efficient way of learning how to write compared to term papers. I personal believe that blogging is more efficient, because it grabs the student’s attention and the teacher can still critique on the faults of the students writing. Blogging for an English class can easily be used professionally and not for the students social life. The author makes the statement that “The format – meant to force students to make a point, explain it, defend it, repeat it – feels to many like an exercise in rigidity and boredom…”(P.1) , which comes off as if he knew what most students felt. From personal experience I feel like it is boring and that blogging is a more motivational way for me to write.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/education/edlife/muscling-in-on-the-term-paper-tradition.html?_r=1

 

The poem “Snow Day”, written by Billy Collins depicts what they’ll usually do on a snow day. Billy Collins describes how calm it can be and the unusual things one must do when surrounded by so much snow. Such as, “wearing boots and stepping out as if they we’re walking in water” (lines 11-12) and comparing their dog to a sea animal when walking them through the snow. Billy Collins uses the word “prisoner” and the word “willing” before it, to inform the reader and let the audience know that he doesn’t mind being a prisoner within their own home for this one day. It gives the reader the thought that a snow day is something that he needs to relax and enjoy the simple things such as child’s play and drinking tea.   http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/176051

Stunned, surprised and kind of unprepared when I first saw it. Its simplicity and its gentle touch when falling to the ground, it was like a movie. It was hard to believe that I’m experiencing something that’s never happened to me before. I’ve seen it fall before, but I’ve never seen it laid out. It just sits there shining like a diamond or sterling silver. I felt so many different emotions; happiness, excitement, and worried. But why was I feeling this way? Did I enjoy what I was experiencing or was I afraid of what was to come?

As a child it was something that I’ve always wanted to happen, something that I wanted to see, feel and even smell. The happiness I’ll feel towards the chances of it happening was a feeling I can’t describe. I can never remember not wanting it to happen, it was something I wanted to experience so badly but never did. Having such a vast imagination I couldn’t ever imagine being bored in such an event. The movies make it seem as if it’s the greatest thing to happen to a child and that there’s endless fun. I wanted to experience the same kind of adventure most others have but never did and it’s sad to say, that my desire to enjoy this just isn’t the same as it was a decade ago.

Growing up in the Sunshine State, I thought it would be nice to experience something new. I was excited to experience something many others such as myself haven’t. To come back home and tell my nephews and niece characteristics of what I’ve seen, how it feels and whether or not it’s something they should experience. It would give me a since of pride and proudness, that I’ve been somewhere and done something with my life. Hopefully it will motivate them to want to do great things in their life and be able to step outside of their comfort zone to do things very few people have. I just hope wherever they are when experiencing this that their heart is within that place, because if it isn’t they won’t appreciate it as much.

I was indeed both surprised and stunned when I first saw one of God’s creations. I’m supposed to be overwhelmed with joy but instead I have these mixed emotions. I guess there’s so much more that goes into it and my thoughts about it isn’t as simple as it. I’ve come this far just too now see it and don’t have any appreciation for it. I guess in a way my childhood fantasy is dead, it wasn’t what I thought it would be. Times like this I miss my childhood, to get excited about the little things and forget all about the other stuff that takes me away from my happiness.

Stunned, surprised and kind of unprepared when I first saw it. Its simplicity and its gentle touch when falling to the ground, it was like a movie. It was hard to believe that I’m experiencing something that’s never happened to me before. I’ve seen it fall before, but I’ve never seen it laid out. It just sits there shining like a diamond or sterling silver. I felt so many different emotions; happiness, excitement, and worried. But why was I feeling this way? Did I enjoy what I was experiencing or was I afraid of what was to come?

As a child it was something that I’ve always wanted to happen, something that I wanted to see, feel and even smell. The happiness I’ll feel towards the chances of it happening was a feeling I can’t describe. I can never remember not wanting it to happen, it was something I wanted to experience so badly but never did. Having such a vast imagination I couldn’t ever imagine being bored in such an event. The movies make it seem as if it’s the greatest thing to happen to a child and that there’s endless fun. I wanted to experience the same kind of adventure most others have but never did and it’s sad to say, that my desire to enjoy this just isn’t the same as it was a decade ago.

Growing up in the Sunshine State, I thought it would be nice to experience something new. I was excited to experience something many others such as myself haven’t. To come back home and tell my nephews and niece characteristics of what I’ve seen, how it feels and whether or not it’s something they should experience. It would give me a since of pride and proudness, that I’ve been somewhere and done something with my life. Hopefully it will motivate them to want to do great things in their life and be able to step outside of their comfort zone to do things very few people have. I just hope wherever they are when experiencing this that their heart is within that place, because if it isn’t they won’t appreciate it as much.

I was indeed both surprised and stunned when I first saw one of God’s creations. I’m supposed to be overwhelmed with joy but instead I have these mixed emotions. I guess there’s so much more that goes into it and my thoughts about it isn’t as simple as it. I’ve come this far just too now see it and don’t have any appreciation for it. I guess in a way my childhood fantasy is dead, it wasn’t what I thought it would be. Times like this I miss my childhood, to get excited about the little things and forget all about the other stuff that takes me away from my happiness.