Northwestern Players File With NLRB
Source: ESPN
By Tom Farrey
For the first time in the history of college sports, athletes are asking to be represented by a labor union, taking formal steps on Tuesday to begin the process of being recognized as employees, ESPN's "Outside The Lines" has learned.
Ramogi Huma, president of the National College Players Association, filed a petition in Chicago on behalf of football players at Northwestern University, submitting the form at the regional office of the National Labor Relations Board.
Backed by the United Steelworkers union, Huma also filed union cards signed by an undisclosed number of Northwestern players with the NLRB -- the federal statutory body that recognizes groups that seek collective bargaining rights.
"This is about finally giving college athletes a seat at the table," said Huma, a former UCLA linebacker who created the NCPA as an advocacy group in 2001. "Athletes deserve an equal voice when it comes to their physical, academic and financial protections."
FULL story at link.
Read more: http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/10363430/outside-lines-northwestern-wildcats-football-players-trying-join-labor-union?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Video: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:10307548
It's become clear that relying on NCAA policymakers won't work, that they are never going to protect college athletes, and you can see that with their actions over the past decade. Look at their position on concussions.
-- Ramogi Huma, NCPA president
ForgoTheConsequence
(4,868 posts)A shitload of money is made off college football and it's not going to the people putting in the work (the players).
VWolf
(3,944 posts)the average NFL career lasts 3 years.
So, if you make it, you've played 4/7 of your revenue-generating football unpaid.
If you don't make it, you've played all of it unpaid.
1000words
(7,051 posts)They get scholarships so that they can get degrees.
Omaha Steve
(99,658 posts)And look at the number that don't finish and get a degree.
http://sports.espn.go.com/page2/tvlistings/show103transcript.html
LEY - Kevin Ross made national headlines when he completed four years of college and was found to be illiterate.
LISA SALTERS - Did they know you couldn't read?
ROSS - They had to. They had to know. I fulfilled my contract by playing for them so they should have fulfilled their contract by educating me.
LEY - Twenty years later, his son is a college player and the larger issue remains. Today on "Outside The Lines" - how possible is it to be playing in college and still unable to read?
OR CNN analysis: Some college athletes play like adults, read like 5th-graders: http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/07/us/ncaa-athletes-reading-scores/
By Sara Ganim, CNN updated 1:05 PM EST, Wed January 8, 2014
Former basketball star Isiah Thomas responds to the investigation and discusses the state of black male college athletes on The Lead with Jake Tapper, today at 4 ET.
(CNN) -- Early in her career as a learning specialist, Mary Willingham was in her office when a basketball player at the University of North Carolina walked in looking for help with his classwork.
He couldn't read or write.
"And I kind of panicked. What do you do with that?" she said, recalling the meeting.
Willingham's job was to help athletes who weren't quite ready academically for the work required at UNC at Chapel Hill, one of the country's top public universities.
FULL story at link.
1000words
(7,051 posts)Kevin Ross had no business on a college campus. Surely everyone involved with recruiting him knew of his deficiencies. Collective bargaining will only make it easier for folks like him to use universities as everything but an institution of higher learning.
Omaha Steve
(99,658 posts)Pay them to play AND learn at the same time. Bad grades get lower pay too.
1000words
(7,051 posts)Cheating, grade changing and various other chicanery, (often by the school, mind you) is already so rife, I don't see how it would be an improvement.
ForgoTheConsequence
(4,868 posts)Especially when you consider that some players can generate upwards of 600k in revenue.
The whole system needs to be reorganized, but until then it's not fair that some organizations and people are allowed to make millions of dollars off of the work of college athletes.
1000words
(7,051 posts)Maedhros
(10,007 posts)who make and sell college-sports-oriented video games. Royalties are paid to the schools, but the players get no revenue from the use of their names, images and performance on the field, all of which sells the video game.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)If second- and third-party contractors receive money for this work, I see no reason why the worker should not also. Which would not deny the premise you've put forth, merely enhance it much more equitably...
1000words
(7,051 posts)It becomes "work," when you turn professional.
The Olympics is a huge money maker. According to your premise we should pay athletes to participate.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)If the players unionize and that is part and parcel of the negotiation, I see no absolute wrong in it. But, as stated in the story, this is less about money for the players, and more about simply protecting them.
Yavin4
(35,441 posts)College football is a multi-billion dollar business, and free tuition does not even come close to the revenue that the players generate.
Also, did you know that those scholarships are not guaranteed? If the players don't perform on the field, they can lose their scholarships even if they're doing well in the classroom.
1000words
(7,051 posts)They know they're likely going pro, barring injury of course. In the meantime, they use a big name program and all the vehicles of exposure that program provides to increase their draft lot. These athletes are getting far more than free tuition.
Also, I'm well aware of the usual terms of athletic scholarships. I received one to play baseball.
Yavin4
(35,441 posts)Former UCLA great Ed O'Bannon is suing the NCAA over this:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/obannon-case-against-ncaa-sheds-145020531.html
1000words
(7,051 posts)Alas, we are straying from the issue.
Yavin4
(35,441 posts)that it's a business which is why the Northwestern players are doing the right thing to unionize.
These schools exploit these kids while they're in school and long after they've left. The scholarships are not guaranteed, and the time away from school to practice and/or play is detrimental to their academic achievement.
Exultant Democracy
(6,594 posts)theHandpuppet
(19,964 posts)Bout damn time. I wish them luck.
cstanleytech
(26,293 posts)AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)If boosters want to pay, fine, let the fools do it. Otherwise it is a gigantic grift.
Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)The players are taking all the risks while others profit handsomely.
1000words
(7,051 posts)There are developmental leagues and semi-pro organizations. If you are good enough, you'll get drafted out of high school. I won't deny there is big money in college sports, but if a player is simply using a scholarship as a stepping stone to "get paid," they are undeserving of the opportunity to receive a quality education.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)However, this is not merely about money. It's also about their own voice being considered and represented in in regards to their own physical protections (better concussion and other medical protections, etc), and scholarship protection (e.g., loss of scholarship due to game-caused injury). Additionally, as of the here and now, there is no demand or request for payment to players-- merely protection.
"they are undeserving of the opportunity to receive a quality education..."
I imagine may people pretend to have knowledge of what others may or may not deserve.
1000words
(7,051 posts)Regardless of initial intent, this is will be the toehold.
Also, a prediction: Incident of injury will not be significantly decreased with union representation. If anything, it might increase with the increased pressure to "earn their keep."
Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)And as far as students using a scholarship in order to "get paid", you had better include all other scholarships that lead to a high-paying career, not just athletic scholarships.
1000words
(7,051 posts)As for the rest of your post, you are comparing apples and oranges.
Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)Most athletes that get a scholarship for football, and by 'most' I mean the vast majority never play one day as a pro.
1000words
(7,051 posts)That's why they're called "Student athletes."
Most professionals outside of sports, don't get high paying jobs after putting in one or two years of school. It's done all the time in college sports.
Yavin4
(35,441 posts)A student attending college on a violin scholarship can earn money on the side playing at weddings, and no one says a word.
Yet, a college athlete cannot even accept a free dinner.
1000words
(7,051 posts)Recruiting college athletes is a fierce competition
AngryOldDem
(14,061 posts)Other students can have jobs and other sources of income to help get them through school. Student-athletes cannot -- not even in the summer -- unless they want to have the NCAA breathing down their necks and assuming all sorts of underhandedness. They can't hold part-time jobs, can't accept any kind of financial assistance, and yet the NCAA makes billions off their backs every damn season. (And beyond, what with video games and the like.) The NCAA-player relationship is true master and slave. Everything these athletes do is put under intense scrutiny because the almighty NCAA is afraid it might miss out on yet another chance to make a buck.
Unionizing has been tried before, and this time I hope it succeeds. At the end of the day, the NCAA could give a rat's ass about these kids -- it's all about the money they bring in to the organization every weekend. Time these kids started playing some hardball of their own.
Omaha Steve
(99,658 posts)NU (Nebraska) doesn't allow some agents that break rules on campus.
cpwm17
(3,829 posts)He'll probably not succeed in the NFL because of his size and stile of play. Johnny Manziel didn't get squat for all of his talents. That is a pretty good scam and Johnny Manziel is the victim.
1000words
(7,051 posts)A&M is on your TV every week because they are an SEC team, who happen to have the most lucrative television deals. One of which is ESPN, who hyped the shit out a guy who will be an NFL washout. Tebow all over again ...
cpwm17
(3,829 posts)but they were still on every week that I paid attention. Johnny Manziel was the big draw, and he won't make it in the NFL were the big money is.