I know that poor Connecticut basketball player is starving to death so now the colleges are going to pay the players more.......notice I said MORE!!! As far as I know the football and basketball players have been getting meal money for years and years......I presume so if the dining hall is inconvenient(they are away from campus at meal time) or if it's after hours. Several players have mentioned it's more about poor planning(money management) than it is about not getting enough money to eat on......otherwise, spending your meal money on things other than meals. If the players choose to spend their meal money on gold chains or tattoos, I don't really think that is the university's fault.......as a matter of fact if you double their meal money, do you actually think those same people will spend their meal money more wisely.......I think all you have to do is look at the rookie NFL players that are getting a 5 million dollar bonus and a 5 million dollar salary and some businesses are filling charges against them because they can't pay their debts. Instead of paying the players more money, maybe mandatory money management classes should be required. The excuse given most of the time is, the players come from very poor families and tend to go wild when they get a couple of bucks(meal money)!!! Instead of giving them more money to blow......for the players best interest.......for the rest of their life......maybe teaching them what responsibility and finances are all about could be the most important thing they learn in college.......something has to change this idea that, growing up in poverty makes everything they do acceptable and the rest of the world needs to change...not them!!!!

I think this is a reflection of the society we have nowdays. Everyone is so self centerred they think the world revolves around them and that they are owed something that previous generations weren't.

I remember when I played, we all got what was called "laundry money", I think it was a measly $15 every month (all the NCAA allowed). But all us players banned together and were a family within ourselves. I had a car and was always one of the chaffuers. Others sort of adopted younger palyers who were homesick and others helped on the bookwork. Many shared food and expenses.

It seems that these kids have what we used to call "the wants". I want this and I want that and if I don't get it, I'll sue you or I'll trash you behind your back etc. Many of these kids don't know what tough really is. They need to understand that life isn't always easy, fair or pleasant.

IMO