(06-28-2021 08:57 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(06-28-2021 08:18 AM)dansplaining Wrote:  

(06-28-2021 07:54 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(06-27-2021 06:54 PM)Jerry Weaver Wrote:  

(06-27-2021 06:05 PM)emu79 Wrote:  Isn't that true of most minor leagues regardless of sports?

Steve, once again, makes a bulletproof point with respect to logic. This is a situation we all wish could be better.

That said, the NFL and NBA minor leagues have nowhere near the network of the MLB with respect to the minor leagues. The Spring Football League, that Matt Sexton played in only provides room and board to it participants. The NBA G League is far more lucrative but provides a microscopic footprint in comparison to to MLB.

Most MLB minor league players are employed as Steve says, to provide game opportunities for true prospects. They make peanuts for a salary and are needlessly postponing their long term career prospects. At first glance they are indeed exploited.

At the end of the day, however, the USA is a free country. A 21 year old is able to pursue his dream of a professional baseball career, no matter how glim those prospects might be. He also enjoys the opportunity to play competitive baseball in the minor leagues while he still is physically capable of doing so. Baseball, after all is not golf. I was not a NCAA star baseball player but if not for the big staple in my shoulder, I would have welcomed the chance to play in the minor leagues.

Steve is an intelligent and compassionate guy like Dan, with a great on its face argument. Unfortunately in their genuine zest to improve athletes situations, by paying NCCA players or improving MLB minor league salaries, the likely result will be the unintended consequences of contracting opportunities for said athletes. Less NCCA scholarships and less MLB minor league teams.

You forgot minor league hockey.

(06-28-2021 08:09 AM)emu79 Wrote:  To put in perspective there are millions of college students who work in retail and service industries to work to help pay college costs and take out debt to get their degrees. Ditto those who support families pay their own room and board and medical care.
Just making sure we talk about exploitation it comes in all forms everyday in millions of American lives.

Look the scope of this thread is the changing / emerging economic shifts in player rights and compensation at the NCAA level - not all economic realities facing new college students.

BUT if you want revisit these points: average college students dont generate income for the university like football players and average college students dont have limits on making money on their Names, Image, and Likeness rights. average college students and barter their value at jobs and join unions.

Actually you've crossed a line I'm not sure you wanted to.

Universities have to balance budgets which means that students (or more likely parents) and the state, etc. put up tons of money to operate.

A non-scholarship student may pay say 25K+ (and much higher for some schools) for tuition and residence hall room and board.

A scholarship athlete pays zero. If a scholarship athlete lives off campus the student-athlete is a cash expense on the school's profit and loss statement. Plus COA, books, etc. etc.

As as '79 has stated many times, a small number of D-I or D-II or NAIA, etc. schools operate at a profit.

There are over 350 D-I schools and less than say 50 operate at a profit.

College athletes are like the federal government, they may take in a helluva lot of moolah but spent a helluva lot more...

As I have posted before, I believe EMU spends about 16 or 17M a year CASH on athletics and their income, all sources, is maybe 1/3 of it. This does not count things like the value of scholarships as it isn't a cash item directly.

I majored in philosophy. If I wrote an awesome paper and a publication wanted to buy it from me and publish it - I would be allowed to. I'm a comedian. If comedy central wanted to book me and make a special and advertise that I'm funny use my name, image, and likeness i would be allowed to cash those checks. If i had a family friend that REALLY wanted me to attend EMU and wanted to help out with expenses - they could do that. If a professor wanted to buy me lunch - they could. Athletes can't do any of that and thats fundamentally wrong.

The economics of the university or how many college lose money on sports is meaningless - restriction of trade is restriction of trade and is DEEPLY un-American.