Group Members: Jenny, Jenn, Jackie
Every one seems to have differing opinions on athletes going pro without finishing college. My group all had the same view. Today's society is all about being ht best. Whether it means playing in the best leagues or making the most money. If an athlete is good enough to be able to go pro, I see no problem with them doing so. They are making the best decision for themselves.
These huge pro contracts are one of the reasons players will go to the NFL or NBA without graduating. Instead of paying for college and getting a degree that you probably won't use, go pro and have someone pay you for your skills.
There is always the chance of injury, that is a risk those athletes have to take. On injury could be the difference between huge first round contracts and second round rookie minimums. For example, Eric Page from University of Toledo. He felt pressure to leave as a junior to avoid injury in his senior season. Ironically once he was in the NFL he got injured and was cut. For him, that route backfired. Personally, I think he should have stayed and after not being drafted and going free-agent proved my thinking.
By Wes Gates:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your last comment about Eric Page from Toledo. That is a very tough decision, especially for a 22 or 23 year old man. A lot of athletes are from backgrounds where they have not had much money. When presented with an opportunity to make a large amount of money, I'm sure it is hard to pass up. The whole injury tossup happens quite frequently also. It happened a few years ago with Washington quarterback Jake Locker and this year with USC quarterback Matt Barkley. At the end of the day, it is a decision we will never understand unless placed in it.
By Jeff Hardin:
ReplyDeleteI think that there is nothing wrong with athletes going pro as well, the only issue with them going pro is whether or not they will have a long lengthy career in their sport or will it be cut short by injury or other circumstances. There has been plenty of athletes who have gone pro and have had short careers look at Greg Oden his career isn't technically cut short but I doubt that he will ever play another game in the NBA. Greg Oden played for Ohio State's basketball team 06-07 and took them all the way to the national championship where they lost to Florida. After that he decided to go pro and was drafted in the first round to the Portland Trailblazers and was injured in his very first game playing and was out for the entire season and ever since then his career has been a downfall. Another example is Charles Rodgers formerly of the Detroit Lions he was a first round draft pick and played a couple games for the lions but broke his collarbone and was out for the rest of the season then he came back the following season and reinjured himself in the first preseason game by breaking his collarbone again and then was cut from the Detroit Lions he now owes them $11,000,000. Its pros and cons to an athlete choosing to go pro early on one hand they will have a huge contract playing professionally and will get a chance to be able to make a great deal of money, but on the other hand its like if you choose to leave early and go pro you may not have developed all the way enough to be able to have a successful career and could end up like Greg Oden or Charles Rodgers. Its all in the athlete's hands whether or not they will make that decision.
I have to disagree with the statement that they are making the best decision for themselves when it comes to athletes leaving college early to go pro. For some individuals this is true, but for many it is not. Even with these multi-million dollar contracts, we are seeing athletes like Jamal Lewis, Warren Sapp, and Latrell Sprewell still go bankrupt. To say this is because they didn't receive a full education is a little outrageous, but I'm sure it has an effect. On the other hand, I do understand why some athletes skip the last few years of college because they are afraid of injury. There would be nothing worse than knowing you can make it in the pros, but stay back to get an education and then ruin that dream by getting injured. Ultimately it is a tough decision, and I just hope, for those that do choose the pros over an education, that they can manage they're money well.
ReplyDelete-Michael Discipio
By Kody Burlingame:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that everyone does have their own opinions on athletes going pro without finishing college. However, I do think that college players should finish school and get their degree. And if they do not finish school right away, they should down the road. Yah they might get a nice contract, but if injuries do happen or if the player ends up being a bust (there are always busts) then having a degree is very beneficial for getting a job with a nice salary. For example, Chad Johnson was a really talented wide receiver, but he is still looking for an NFL contract after being cut and he pays somewhere between $45,000 a month in child support. Without an income that money is going to add up and he will find himself in financial trouble. It is always nice to have a backup plan, and I think athletes should get some type of degree just in case something goes wrong in their athletic career. Do not get me wrong, an athlete can get their degree whenever they want, but I also think that if they stay for their whole four year career in college, then it will help them become even better for the pros.
By Kody Burlingame:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that everyone does have their own opinions on athletes going pro without finishing college. However, I do think that college players should finish school and get their degree. And if they do not finish school right away, they should down the road. Yah they might get a nice contract, but if injuries do happen or if the player ends up being a bust (there are always busts) then having a degree is very beneficial for getting a job with a nice salary. For example, Chad Johnson was a really talented wide receiver, but he is still looking for an NFL contract after being cut and he pays somewhere between $45,000 a month in child support. Without an income that money is going to add up and he will find himself in financial trouble. It is always nice to have a backup plan, and I think athletes should get some type of degree just in case something goes wrong in their athletic career. Do not get me wrong, an athlete can get their degree whenever they want, but I also think that if they stay for their whole four year career in college, then it will help them become even better for the pros.
I don't think that there is anything wrong with college athletes wanting to go pro at all. I do think that they should be required to go to school for two years before entering into the NBA or NFL Draft though. I say this because it is a scary thought putting a 18 or 19 year old out in the real world with a whole bunch of money, but they do not have the proper education on what to do with it. On top of being able to be smart with your money, I strongly believe that everybody should have backup plans in case Plan A fails. For example, in this situation Plan A would be leaving college early and entering the Draft, but lets say you didn't make it past training camp, if you would have stayed in school (which is Plan B), then at least he would have some knowledge and experience under his belt, rather than I would.
ReplyDelete-Turea Moore
Going pro is almost always the easy decision however there are a few factors that the student athlete needs to think about before making the “easy” decision. How long do they plan on staying in the league, realistically and what do they plan to do after they leave the league. There are so many cases that once a player is unable to play in the professional league they are unable to find a good job and become broke in a hurry. This is why I believe that all athletes should get a degree before entering any pro league. I think it should be mandatory because it is good for them as well as it is for fans that have to listen to them talk in interviews before and after games. An education give you a great experience as well and allows you to be more open minded and fair about things that may happen to them later in life. Plus it will help them learn how to budget what little money they have in college so when they get a lot when they enter the pro team they will have a better understanding of how to save it.
ReplyDeleteBY: RJ Hefflinger
I agree with your thoughts on athletes just being able to go pro without attending college. If that is the career path the athlete wants to choose I think they should be able to do so. My back-up for this is that everyone has the decision to go to college whether they play a sport or not, if someone doesn't play a sport they can either decide to go to college or try to get a job right out of high school. I think this is the same thing, there are no debates on whether someone is allowed to get a job out of high school and not go to college. Also, many of these athletes just try and pass one semester and there last semester before going pro get a 0.0 GPA, I know this from what I heave heard from friends who go to Big Ten schools and know these athletes who do so. In the end its their decision and I don't think anyone should effect it(besides there parents!)
ReplyDeleteJoey D'Agostino