Pay To Play

Nothing in College Football surprises me. Okay, maybe if it was revealed that Bear Bryant was really a woman. Other than that, College Football follows the same pattern year after year.

A coach cheats. A player cheats. A player is arrested. A player, who was supposed to pass, fails. A booster gives money to a player. The player takes the money and buys a car, if the booster hasn’t already given him one. Coach tells the team that it is THE TEAM that matters. Coach receives offer from a more prestigious and better paying school. Coach leaves team. College hires another coach who tells that team that THE TEAM is all that matters.

However, one story that has surprised me was Steve Spurrier’s idea to pay college football players cold hard cash for playing football. I was surprised because: 1) Spurrier lives on Planet Visor where only offensive pass plays are thought about and 2) The news reports about Spurrier’s plan didn’t include the phrase “so the players can buy a pizza”.

Spurrier is the Head (ball) Coach of the University of South Carolina Fighting Illegal Game Birds and has been a major factor in a majority of the cuss words spoken in the state of Georgia for the past twenty years. He is a big deal in college football and his support of paying players is kind of like Nixon going to China.

Spurrier had several other coaches sign off on his proposal, with Nick Saban being the biggest name. Mark Richt, as usual, decided to ‘punt’ on it. (Ha, Ha, a little summer time football humor for you.)

The proposal comes after Jim Tressel hung up his vest at THE ONLY OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY because some players traded their jerseys for tattoos.

At one time, tattoos were worn by only Sailors and Marines. It was usually an anchor or a heart with the words “Born to Lose” inscribed on it. The story of how the guy got the tattoo started like this: “Well, I was drunk”.

Now day’s kids put entire graphic novels on their bodies. Every significant thing that might have happened to them is in tattoo form. “This is when I won the spelling bee”. Dude, I don’t have time to read your shoulder.

When confronted with evidence that some players, really big name players, had traded memorabilia for tattoos Tressel did what every person that is entrusted with great responsibility does: He lied about it. Mr. Big Ten Football turned into Sgt Schultz: “I know nothing, nothing.”

Spurrier proposes paying players $300.00 a game. For some players, like THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY Buckeye players, this might come as a cut in salary. But for your average college football player, it would be nice to have some pocket change handy, you know, just in case you want a pizza or a new tattoo.

Getting a college education paid for simply isn’t a big deal anymore. You have to have some walking around money so you can buy some bling, if just happens to become available. The kids have a point. They are a running, throwing, blocking, catching, tackling advertisement of the college and the college makes a boat load of money off of them. So why not throw some cash their way?