How much does it cost for Kentucky Mens Bball team

to go to the Bahama's for spring practice?

About $800k

Why doesn't UK just join the NBA?

It is so great to see college sports returning to college first, sports second.

I have a contrarian view, I applaud Kentucky for this type of stuff.

The NCAA tournament netted a billion dollars in advertising revenue last year. I'm happy to see the athletes get better compensation.

steveschneider wrote:I have a contrarian view, I applaud Kentucky for this type of stuff.

The NCAA tournament netted a billion dollars in advertising revenue last year. I'm happy to see the athletes get better compensation.

I know. Four years on a college campus and a free college degree is BS compensation. If the average cost of a college scholarship, including room and board, is $30,000 (just ball parking), and then you add value for expected future earnings based on some college (even if the degree is not finished), it's not such a bad deal. Besides, does your point even apply to UK? They do not even want their basketball players to enroll for a second year.

To be honest, If I were to argue that Wal-Mart employees should make considerably more because the revenues of the company show the value of their labor is considerably higher, you would call me a crazy liberal and laugh me off the board. Yet in college sports that is a perfectly fine argument and not made subject to ideological analysis. It's ok to say college athletes need a bigger piece of the pie because they're current compensation does match revenue, but it's unholy to suggest that millions of American help contribute to to their employer's revenues but only see a fraction returned to their paychecks.

Can't blame the team or coach, blame the system that allows it.

The NBA really needs its own minor league.

Turtleneck wrote:

I know. Four years on a college campus and a free college degree is BS compensation. If the average cost of a college scholarship, including room and board, is $30,000 (just ball parking), and then you add value for expected future earnings based on some college (even if the degree is not finished), it's not such a bad deal. Besides, does your point even apply to UK? They do not even want their basketball players to enroll for a second year.

To be honest, If I were to argue that Wal-Mart employees should make considerably more because the revenues of the company show the value of their labor is considerably higher, you would call me a crazy liberal and laugh me off the board. Yet in college sports that is a perfectly fine argument and not made subject to ideological analysis. It's ok to say college athletes need a bigger piece of the pie because they're current compensation does match revenue, but it's unholy to suggest that millions of American help contribute to to their employer's revenues but only see a fraction returned to their paychecks.

Everyone does it, we should applaud Kentucky for being transparent about it.

A program like Duke tries to act like they do it the right way, and Coach K's nose has grown out further than Pinnochio's. I have no problem with Calipari.

Herbie Green wrote:The NBA really needs its own minor league.

Somehow the NFL and NBA have put pro sports teams onto college campuses and slapped the names of the university onto those teams.

Bullshit attitude steve. Are you a Michigan State fan? Cuz Izzo doesn't do it. It is well documented that he won't deal with middlemen and street agents. And yes, it's why we lose out on top level recruits to Kentucky, Duke, etc.

I would rather be at or near the top of the "doesn't cheat" programs than I would be doing what Kentucky does. Not just saying that either. I see things clearly. I don't care what the rules allow. As long as we're playing by one set of rules and other schools are playing by another, fuck cheaters. And if Izzo decides to play by that set of rules, fuck him too. I have too much respect for him to ever stoop there, and he won't.

steveschneider wrote:

Everyone does it,

Usually not a good justification. Need I remind you...

Without even getting into whether they go to class or get extra $ on the side these players get to live pretty large. Private dorms, chefs, charter planes, top of the line workout facilities, work trips to the Bahamas, etc. You would have to be making at least 200k/year to live like that.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:Bullshit attitude steve. Are you a Michigan State fan? Cuz Izzo doesn't do it. It is well documented that he won't deal with middlemen and street agents. And yes, it's why we lose out on top level recruits to Kentucky, Duke, etc.

I would rather be at or near the top of the "doesn't cheat" programs than I would be doing what Kentucky does. Not just saying that either. I see things clearly. I don't care what the rules allow. As long as we're playing by one set of rules and other schools are playing by another, fuck cheaters. And if Izzo decides to play by that set of rules, fuck him too. I have too much respect for him to ever stoop there, and he won't.

Huge MSU fan, and a huge fan of reforming the rules. I just think the current system is unfair and lends itself to a ton of corruption. When you have a multi billion dollar industry, and the high salaries that these coaches pull in it creates an unbelievable tension.

"The situation reminds me a little of the Soviet Union in its last years. It was still powerful. It could still hurt you. But you could see it crumbling, and it was just a matter of time before it either changed or ceased to exist." - Calipari

At the end of the day, I'm all for a system where the players get paid, are able to do commercials, earn royalties and a program can take their players on an expensive trip like what Kentucky did. If that's what a program chooses to do so be it. When I was at MSU I had a friend get a huge grant from the Air Force while he was a student. Kid was a frigging genius, and he was able to pull in money while being a student. I had no problem with that, and if one is fair then I think the same should apply to the athletes.

Paying players will not end corruption. I have no idea how people reach that conclusion. If the NCAA says this is the allowable limit, UK will just pay more. The answer is not more money in college sports. The answer is less money, but that is the hard truth that nobody wants to address.

Turtleneck wrote:Paying players will not end corruption. I have no idea how people reach that conclusion. If the NCAA says this is the allowable limit, UK will just pay more. The answer is not more money in college sports. The answer is less money, but that is the hard truth that nobody wants to address.

Allowed limit? I'm for paying what the market value allows.

steveschneider wrote:

Allowed limit? I'm for paying what the market value allows.

At that point, they become employees rather than student-athletes and you effectively destroy college sports. Again, the solution is not more money and more commercialization. The solution is to de-commercialize college sports.

I think all you have to do is let players legitimately have agents. It would take the seedyness out of it and properly place the amount of investment/risk.

BUT then what do you do for the other 95% in just revenue sports. I think most of the money is being made off the names on the fronts of the jerseys not the backs.

steveschneider wrote:

Allowed limit? I'm for paying what the market value allows.

Free agency, endorsements - sounds like you should watch more NBA basketball.

Herbie Green wrote:I think most of the money is being made off the names on the fronts of the jerseys not the backs.

This is my response to people like Steve who think players somehow deserve more. And 'more' is the correct term since they are already compensated an amount that many Americans cannot afford to pay without going into tremendous debt. Who says they deserve 'more' than a full ride scholarship to a place like MSU or for God's sake Duke?!

This notion that these kids - most of whom wouldn't be able to set foot on these campuses for financial or academic reasons - somehow aren't being compensated enough is ridiculous.

Never mind that they are temporary 'employees' that come and go in the blink of an eye in the big picture. The reason coaches are paid so well is because they are the constant.

The problem in the equation is the NBA, not the college rules. If the NBA would allow anyone to enter the draft at any age most of this would go away.

Turtleneck wrote:

At that point, they become employees rather than student-athletes and you effectively destroy college sports. Again, the solution is not more money and more commercialization. The solution is to de-commercialize college sports.

Yep, employees would be the correct term. Not sure I buy into the dooms day scenario that it would destroy college sports. It would continue to thrive imo.

If a dancer gets a full ride scholarship to NYU's Tisch School of Arts there's nothing limiting that student from dancing in films/broadway theater etc. Why limit athletes?

Bizarro Fletch wrote:
This is my response to people like Steve who think players somehow deserve more. And 'more' is the correct term since they are already compensated an amount that many Americans cannot afford to pay without going into tremendous debt. Who says they deserve 'more' than a full ride scholarship to a place like MSU or for God's sake Duke?!

This notion that these kids - most of whom wouldn't be able to set foot on these campuses for financial or academic reasons - somehow aren't being compensated enough is ridiculous.

Never mind that they are temporary 'employees' that come and go in the blink of an eye in the big picture. The reason coaches are paid so well is because they are the constant.

The problem in the equation is the NBA, not the college rules. If the NBA would allow anyone to enter the draft at any age most of this would go away.

I don't think all players deserve more, but clearly some do. Any student on campus is free to make money, why limit athletes?

Bizarro Fletch wrote:
This is my response to people like Steve who think players somehow deserve more. And 'more' is the correct term since they are already compensated an amount that many Americans cannot afford to pay without going into tremendous debt. Who says they deserve 'more' than a full ride scholarship to a place like MSU or for God's sake Duke?!

This notion that these kids - most of whom wouldn't be able to set foot on these campuses for financial or academic reasons - somehow aren't being compensated enough is ridiculous.

Never mind that they are temporary 'employees' that come and go in the blink of an eye in the big picture. The reason coaches are paid so well is because they are the constant.

The problem in the equation is the NBA, not the college rules. If the NBA would allow anyone to enter the draft at any age most of this would go away.

Also, if you think some of these athletes are compensated enough that's obviously not what the free market thinks.

steveschneider wrote:

Also, if you think some of these athletes are compensated enough that's obviously not what the free market thinks.

What free market? They know the rules going in and they understand what their compensation is going to be. Everyone in the real world makes career decisions just like this all of the time.

The NBA isn't a free market either. Why can't teams there pay as many players as much as they want?

What is annoying is you have these Kentucky basketball players masquerading as college athletes. Stick them in the D-Leauge and we can see how much market value they really have. They couldn't sell out a high school gym to watch them play minor league basketball.

Bizarro Fletch wrote:

What free market? They know the rules going in and they understand what their compensation is going to be. Everyone in the real world makes career decisions just like this all of the time.

The NBA isn't a free market either. Why can't teams there pay as many players as much as they want?

Well everyone knows the rules, but that's pretty laughable because everyone is breaking them. I wonder why?

Herbie Green wrote:What is annoying is you have these Kentucky basketball players masquerading as college athletes.  Stick them in the D-Leauge and we can see how much market value they really have.  They couldn't sell out a high school gym to watch them play minor league basketball.

The fans want top talent playing college ball, the NCAA doesn't want these athletes in the d-league and neither does the NBA. It's not going to change. To suggest these players shouldn't play college basketball is just flat out ridiculous. College hoops is the d league and we all have to come to grips with it.

Steve, do you also think the cure for lung cancer is smoking more cigarettes?

Turtleneck wrote:Steve, do you also think the cure for lung cancer is smoking more cigarettes?

Well, the cancer'll die eventually...

whatever they are paying, it is worth it.

steveschneider wrote:

The fans want top talent playing college ball, the NCAA doesn't want these athletes in the d-league and neither does the NBA. It's not going to change. To suggest these players shouldn't play college basketball is just flat out ridiculous. College hoops is the d league and we all have to come to grips with it.

They shouldn't play college basketball if they want a salary.

Herbie Green wrote:

They shouldn't play college basketball if they want a salary.  

There already have been pro athletes playing the college game. Russel Wilson had a baseball contract with the Rockies while playing at Wisconsin.  Oh my god he got paid!!!