Professional Amateur Atheletes

I'm really not adding much to the conversation here, so I'll keep it short. But with the NCAA Football National Championship Game tomorrow, at least I'm being topical.

Certain college sports, especially football and men's basketball, are huge businesses. The Universities bring in huge money from them. One of the biggest stars in college football right now is Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Florida Gators. Despite being a dominant college football player, Tebow is generally not considered a top-rate pro prospect. Many people seem to think he needs to switch positions, and most don't see him as a first round pick.

Colt Brennan was a Heisman Trophy contender last year. In three years at Hawaii he threw 1584 passes, completing 70.4% of them for 14,193 yards, and 131 touchdowns. He went undrafted this past year in the NFL.

There are many many more players who are stars in the NCAA, but for whatever reason won't be able to make it in the NFL. The situation is even worse in basketball, given that NFL teams carry 53 men on their active rosters, plus a 8-man practice squad, while NBA rosters consist of only 15.

Tim Tebow 3rd place finisher for the 2008 Heisman Trophy (finishing only 8% behind the winner of the award) made $0 this year for his services as quarterback of the SEC Champion and possible NCAA Champion Florida Gators. Last year, when Tebow won the Heisman, he also made $0.

Without Tebow, a Florida player would not have won the Heisman Trophy last year, the Florida Gators would not have won the SEC this year, and they would not be playing for a national championship tomorrow. Tim Tebow's contributions have netted the University of Florida far far more thsn $0.

The indentured servitude that is NCAA athletics, especially in Football and Basketball, is absolutely immoral. Superstar college atheletes in major sports are worth a great deal of money to their universities. And they deserve to be paid for their contributions to their universities.