The sports world has been plagued by many issues, not least the question of how college athletes are paid. Some argue that athletics have become so important that colleges are required to invest millions in student fees each year. Huffington post’s article on the subject said that college athletes are like lighting a match in an open fire. There are many things that make the haystack different from paying athletes. Throwing a needle through a haystack would be a completely negative thing. Everything will go to pieces. Some college athletes are willing to accept a salary. Some think that athletes who are paid will create more competition for colleges and make them more skilled or gifted. Others argue that it will increase revenue and make the school more profitable.
Another important difference is when the situation ends. The smoke from the fire will eventually go out. This issue is not a simple one to put out. Whatever the outcome, this is a matter that will not be resolved by itself. The “fire” will never stop burning regardless of what. There are many similarities, despite the differences. The first is the haystack being set on fire and the entire educational system following it. Paying college athletes will make the money more important than the learning. College is meant to prepare students for their future work, and not life’s work. College sports will become more professional-like, and less about the sport. Scholarships are another example. Are scholarships insufficient to motivate? How is that determined? The amount each player receives will determine the monetary equivalent of their athletic abilities. If you throw one match into this haystack, it all goes up. Many other problems arise when college athletes are paid. While it may be more lucrative to pay athletes, how much will that revenue actually return to the college or institution they are playing for? The fairness of other students is another issue. Many benefits are available to young athletes, which is something that many non-athletes don’t get. They get to travel, stay at the top hotels and receive special treatment besides the sport. Special attention may be offered to certain athletes by professors or other people from the local area.
The rate atwhich things “burn” is another commonality between the burning haystacks and paying athletes. The haystack will quickly burn, leaving no trace and becoming larger and bigger each day. This is the same for this issue. Everybody wants to express their opinion on it. This can lead to a larger and more complex issue. People will quickly get angry and defend their side. Paying college students is like throwing matches in a haystack. Education and other issues are engulfed and will explode very quickly. This idea has many more flaws than benefits. It is not worth paying millions to students to play a video game. They should be more concerned about their education. This is a serious issue that will not go away for long.
