jphelmet
Refugee
Headache in a Suitcase said:
not that you're making a big issue out of it, but a lot of people have lately, so i'm just gonna take a stab at the whole "student/athlete" thing...
why did you go to college? i'll answer for you... so that you can get a better job. very few go to actually educate themselves. they go because they're more likely to get a better, higher paying job with a degree or two than they are without.
so i really have no issue with greg oden taking history of rock and roll, as is the big cry from the moral police these days. he's preparing himself for his future employment by being on the basketball court. he's going to be an instant millionaire. the old "he needs something to fall back on" argument doesn't fly in his case. even if he blows out his knee in his first season and can never play again... that money is gauranteed. 3 million per for 4 years. something tells me he could always go back and get his degree with that 12 million dollars, if he so chooses.
no one gives pianists and other classicly trained musicians a hard time for concentrating on their craft rather than taking sociology, but world class athletes get a raw deal.
just my .02
I agree with all you said, the only sad part is there are so many players that are not the caliber player of Greg Oden or Durant and still think this way. There are lots of players that are drafted, play 2-3 years blow everything they make and then have nothing. Worse yet there are lots of players who think they will be drafted, are not, bounce around in european leagues (or never play past college) , never make anything and have no education or skill because they blew the chance at an education. I agree with your assessment on why to go to college- unfortunately many squander the opportunity, and make things a lot harder than they had to be.