http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/1...abor-union


Ramogi Huma, president of the National College Players Association, filed a petition in Chicago on behalf of football players at Northwestern University, submitting the form at the regional office of the National Labor Relations Board.

Backed by the United Steelworkers union, Huma also filed union cards signed by an undisclosed number of Northwestern players with the NLRB -- the federal statutory body that recognizes groups that seek collective bargaining rights.

"This is about finally giving college athletes a seat at the table," said Huma, a former UCLA linebacker, who created the NCPA as an advocacy group in 2001. "Athletes deserve an equal voice when it comes to their physical, academic and financial protections."

They are going to have a tough go of it. Tuition runs in the neighborhood of $170,000 for 4 years.

LOL, good luck.

The "System", as is, has worked for years. Leave it to Northwestern and some union to make a move; especially, when unionism is dying everywhere. Perhaps the NCAA should go away into oblivion and stop crushing collegiate sports of all kinds. Title IV is one of the worst things they have perpetrated on the collegiate sports scene. To mitigate the loss of funds to support some sports, some schools have removed the sport instead. CU removed men's baseball, so there is no complaint and expense to support women's "baseball". There is a difference in gender sports. Viva la difference ! !

As so many on the comment section of the article, have said... "good luck with that". The athletes should be glad that they have an opportunity to go to school and get an education. After they get that, THEN they can make a unionization choice.

This will get a broad airing and it will probably be more of a tempest in a teapot than something game changing.

Unions are certainly having problems but that's probably more a function of cheap imports than anything (nothing endemic to the Union concept)--- and it's this, that they're having membership problems in their traditional areas, that probably fuels the need to expand out into new, unchartered, territory ---

"The "System", as is, has worked for years"

Yep, its worked damn well for the media, sports writers, colleges with budgets in the tens of millions and coaches with million dollar contracts. Not so well for the vast majority who play the sports for tuition.

(01-28-2014 01:06 PM)Pressed Rat Wrote:  "The "System", as is, has worked for years"

Yep, its worked damn well for the media, sports writers, colleges with budgets in the tens of millions and coaches with million dollar contracts. Not so well for the vast majority who play the sports for tuition.

$150,000 + of education free of charge.

The problem with paying players is two fold. First, only the elite players get paid and only the elite schools can afford this. This creates an even bigger separation of power. Secondly, the NCAA will lose its non profit status thus increasing the tax burden which will also be shifted to the schools in some fashion. This will cause even further separation and force a lot of athletic programs to close or drop sports.

I feel like the best deserve to get paid and I don't think the "$150,000 of free education" is a valid argument when several of these elite players couldn't give two shtts about a college degree.

Everything about high-level college athletics has been driven by money for years now--TV, realignment, salaries, etc.

Is anyone really surprised that the players are affected by that? Or can blame them?

I think much of the fan opposition to players receiving money is that fans invest so much in the idea of the student-athlete as somehow above the fray of an increasingly money-grubbing business, i.e., a nice p.r. front that fans can believe in. And they don't want that final illusion smashed.

Having said that, I'm not particularly a supporter of paying players.

(01-28-2014 01:07 PM)Stammers Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:06 PM)Pressed Rat Wrote:  "The "System", as is, has worked for years"

Yep, its worked damn well for the media, sports writers, colleges with budgets in the tens of millions and coaches with million dollar contracts. Not so well for the vast majority who play the sports for tuition.

$150,000 + of education free of charge.

Say I'm on an academic scholarship AND I have a University job working in the book store --- that makes me both an employee of the University, covered by employment laws, and a student receiving scholarship money. I'm both --- and I'm not sure why I have to give up one or the other.

(01-28-2014 01:07 PM)Stammers Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:06 PM)Pressed Rat Wrote:  "The "System", as is, has worked for years"

Yep, its worked damn well for the media, sports writers, colleges with budgets in the tens of millions and coaches with million dollar contracts. Not so well for the vast majority who play the sports for tuition.

$150,000 + of education free of charge.

what if I think I'm worth more than that?

(01-28-2014 01:24 PM)homefry20 Wrote:  The problem with paying players is two fold. First, only the elite players get paid and only the elite schools can afford this. This creates an even bigger separation of power. Secondly, the NCAA will lose its non profit status thus increasing the tax burden which will also be shifted to the schools in some fashion. This will cause even further separation and force a lot of athletic programs to close or drop sports.

I feel like the best deserve to get paid and I don't think the "$150,000 of free education" is a valid argument when several of these elite players couldn't give two shtts about a college degree.

It is only 20 out of 4,100 players that get drafted in the 1st round every year, so there is no justification to disband the NCAA and lose tax exempt status for them.

Quote:the NCAA will lose its non profit status thus increasing the tax burden which will also be shifted to the schools in some fashion. This will cause even further separation and force a lot of athletic programs to close or drop sports.

Most programs operate in the red as it is. If they have to pay players and pay taxes, they will be out of business. It won't cause separation; it isn't doable.

(01-28-2014 01:30 PM)fsquid Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:07 PM)Stammers Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:06 PM)Pressed Rat Wrote:  "The "System", as is, has worked for years"

Yep, its worked damn well for the media, sports writers, colleges with budgets in the tens of millions and coaches with million dollar contracts. Not so well for the vast majority who play the sports for tuition.

$150,000 + of education free of charge.

what if I think I'm worth more than that?

If you think you're worth more than that and you can win that argument in a court of law; you put an end to the NCAA.

(01-28-2014 01:27 PM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:07 PM)Stammers Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:06 PM)Pressed Rat Wrote:  "The "System", as is, has worked for years"

Yep, its worked damn well for the media, sports writers, colleges with budgets in the tens of millions and coaches with million dollar contracts. Not so well for the vast majority who play the sports for tuition.

$150,000 + of education free of charge.

Say I'm on an academic scholarship AND I have a University job working in the book store --- that makes me both an employee of the University, covered by employment laws, and a student receiving scholarship money. I'm both --- and I'm not sure why I have to give up one or the other.

Also note --- the players have said this has nothing to do w/ 'play for pay' --- although my gut tells me the Union here probably sees the future otherwise ---

I think it's great. The greedy Big 5 schools who have locked out the others from bcs money and have since coerced those schools to create a second tier so they could operate independently of them now have Labour unions to contend. Karma.

(01-28-2014 01:30 PM)fsquid Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:07 PM)Stammers Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:06 PM)Pressed Rat Wrote:  "The "System", as is, has worked for years"

Yep, its worked damn well for the media, sports writers, colleges with budgets in the tens of millions and coaches with million dollar contracts. Not so well for the vast majority who play the sports for tuition.

$150,000 + of education free of charge.

what if I think I'm worth more than that?

If the market thinks you're worth more than that, them you're already getting it, under the table and untaxed

(01-28-2014 01:39 PM)lenetzach Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:30 PM)fsquid Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:07 PM)Stammers Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:06 PM)Pressed Rat Wrote:  "The "System", as is, has worked for years"

Yep, its worked damn well for the media, sports writers, colleges with budgets in the tens of millions and coaches with million dollar contracts. Not so well for the vast majority who play the sports for tuition.

$150,000 + of education free of charge.

what if I think I'm worth more than that?

If the market thinks you're worth more than that, them you're already getting it, under the table and untaxed

Its laughable when some (if not many) think kids are FORCED to go to college...when its the complete opposite that's true.

Kids can go play minor league baseball...even without a HS diploma.

Kids can go play hoops overseas for good pay...

Kids can decide to go work at a local grocery store and not play college football.

Bottom line, NO ONE is forcing any of these kids to play college FOOTBALL, college BASKETBALL or any college sport.

Don't like the rules...go play somewhere else or choose to do something different.

(01-28-2014 01:39 PM)lenetzach Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:30 PM)fsquid Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:07 PM)Stammers Wrote:  

(01-28-2014 01:06 PM)Pressed Rat Wrote:  "The "System", as is, has worked for years"

Yep, its worked damn well for the media, sports writers, colleges with budgets in the tens of millions and coaches with million dollar contracts. Not so well for the vast majority who play the sports for tuition.

$150,000 + of education free of charge.

what if I think I'm worth more than that?

If the market thinks you're worth more than that, them you're already getting it, under the table and untaxed

Only if you are willing to game the system ...

Part of the problem is that many of these "student athletes" aren't getting the education they are promised.

"Oh no, don't be an engineering major, you'll be way too busy with football for that, be an "independent studies" major, or "speech communications".

And then, of course, there are the kids who, if truth be told, have no business being on a college campus with their 3rd grade reading levels ... but man, if you can run a 4.4 40, come on in, we'll make it work somehow ... have we told you about our world-famous "independent studies" program?

It's all complete bull$hit. I doubt if this goes anywhere, but the more light that gets shone on it, the better.

The whole problem with paying athletes will be whatever you pay them to begin with will just be the start of one huge problem. Next they will be getting attorneys or as stated unions pushing for more and more money. And do you pay football players the same as women's soccer players. Just where does the line get drawn???

(01-28-2014 02:46 PM)AtlantaTonyTiger Wrote:  The whole problem with paying athletes will be whatever you pay them to begin with will just be the start of one huge problem. Next they will be getting attorneys or as stated unions pushing for more and more money. And do you pay football players the same as women's soccer players. Just where does the line get drawn???

There is a group of people who are just saying let them make money ... make it legal to do a commercial for a car dealer and get paid, make it okay for Johnny Football to sign autographs for cash, etc.

The problem with that is that there is going to be a bidding war for top recruits. I can get $100K for commercials at School A, and 200K at School B ...

There is no good solution. The problem is that big time athletics somehow have been tied in with academics, when there is no real correlation. It's not like that anywhere else in the world.