#mcassano6696

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This is a very interesting debate on the show crossfire. You will see the different sides of the argument on whether college athletes should be paid. Kareem states that college athletes should be paid and says that they are being exploited for their talents. On the other side of things you see the point that it is not as simple as just paying college athletes. You have to figure out which athletes in what sports make more money and there are a lot of complexities to it. To get a specific breakdown on whether college athletes should be paid, this video is MUST WATCH.

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For The Good Of The Game

Very popular ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, believes that all division I athletes should be paid. He is very outspoken on his show ESPN First Take and gives his case in favor of the athletes. Stephen A. Smith takes good actions in my opinion, as he speaks up for the athletes that are maybe too shy or don't have the platform to do so. Stephen A. brings up how the NCAA is a billion dollar industry and the athletes are being exploited so the people above them can make money. As a popular analyst, his opinions are seen by millions of people across the country

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One of my close friends that I graduated High School with is currently playing Division I baseball at St.Johns University. As a division I athlete, in my opinion he should be paid and rewarded for his commitment to the sport. My friend who is one of the athletes took a different angle that completely shocked me. He said in a text to me "No they shouldn't get paid, compensation of scholarship for education and exposure to play professionally are enough and plus competition would decrease because they are getting paid." This is a viewpoint that not many athletes have, but it shows how my friend believes paying athletes will compromise the tradition and integrity of the sport. Although I don't agree with his opinion, it is interesting to see an athlete who would be paid say that he should not be paid. His points are valid and our differing opinions bring up the ongoing debate that is happening on whether the college athletes should be paid.

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GW31 Remix

On the drive up to Umass, I had a lot of different expectations for my first year of college. Having an older brother who went through college already, I was able to ask him what it was about. An important piece of advice he told me was to stay ahead with my work, because if I don't it could pile up and thus create a lot more stress. I expected a lot of work in my classes and not too much free time. I was a little worried because I didn’t have great work habits in high school and often waited until the last minute on everything. Since coming to college I have corrected these bad habits. I spread out my work throughout the week so I don’t have too much on any given day. Also in some of my harder classes, I have formed study groups to help learn the material better. This semester, my improved work habits have helped to deal with the more work I have to get done. I also expected humongous classes for almost all of my subjects. Besides from Computer Science 121, the classes that I am in aren’t that big. College Writing is very small, my math class is smaller than I thought and my history class is around 60 kids. Prior to coming to Umass, naturally I had thoughts on how college would play out. I’m happy to say I have adjusted to the challenges of college and put myself in a position to succeed in my first semester.

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This cartoon shows how these athletes are being used for their talents and not receiving any benefits in return. Yes they get an education, but they are being used by their superiors so the NCAA and Pro Sports can benefit off them.

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Interview

Me: Do you consider yourself a sports fan, and in particular a fan of college sports? Brian: I am actually a big sports fan, although I know most about the NBA, I do also follow college sports like basketball and football. Me: Do you believe in general, college athletes should be paid? Why? Brian: I don't really have a definite stance, but if I had to pick yes or no, I would pick yes. This is because of just the overall amount of money in college sports. They should spread the wealth to the athletes. Me: How would divide the money up amongst athletes on different sports? Brian: I would probably pay each sport evenly just because that is what is fair. They are still college athletes and should be treated fairly no matter what sport they play. Me: Coaches in college football make well into the millions of dollars, do you think they should? Brian: if College coaches make that much money, then the athletes should be paid. As of now since the athletes don't get paid, I would say coaches should not make that much money.

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My context and connection

My context and previous essays have had a large influence on the topic of college athletes being paid. Personally I am a huge sports fan and always have been. This combined with me being an 18 year old college student led me to write this particular blog. I meshed together the environment around me and my love of sports and this is what I came up with. I see the amount of hype and attention all athletes get on tv and throughout the media. Umass has signs all over campus urging students to attend different games and using national televised games as a platform to get us more interested. Also in my unit 2 essay, I saw how media plays such a giant role in society for better or for worse. The media is what generates all the attention for college athletes and is a big reason why I believe they should be paid.

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Class Ask

lucasframos:

Q:What do you think would be the most effective payment plan for college athletes to ensure that they are financially secure as others are profiting on them, and should this payment plan vary from sport to sport?

A: Although i am not sure of exactly how much I would pay the athletes, I think a per hour basis would be the best way. A salary seems like it would cause even more controversy and you don't want athletes making too much money. Depending on the revenue the sport you are in, should dictate how much the athletes make. So obviously this would result in football players and basketball players making the most. You may see this as unfair but that is the culture we live in. Not everyone will be making the same amount of money, different fields make different amounts of money. Naturally not as many people will be going to see a swim meet as will be in attendance at a football game. Life isn't always fair but if a particular sport is generating most of the money for the school, then those athletes should be making the most money.