College players would make a big mistake by walking out

My favorite sport to watch by far is college football.

Nothing pleases me more than SEC home games on Saturday, when Fayetteville comes alive and tailgaters set up camp while awaiting the arrival of big-time opponents like Alabama, Auburn, and Georgia. Before I got married and did as I pleased, I wore the remote out on Saturdays by watching games that started at 11 a.m. and ended near midnight at places like Washington State.

But I can absolutely do without college football if the players ever decide to refuse to play. That was the suggestion by Jay Bilas in reaction to players from Northwestern being rejected to unionize by the National Labor Relations Board. Bilas, a former Duke basketball player and current ESPN analyst, said a nationwide walkout by college players would send the best message and could eventually lead to college players being paid.

Normally, I would dismiss even the suggestion players would consider such a thing. But when a noted commentator who works for the dominant sports venue in America says it, we should at least take notice.

"Players are not mistreated, but they are exploited," Bilas told the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer last year before Monday's ruling. "Anytime you make money off another, while at the same time restricting that person from making money in that same enterprise, you are by definition exploiting them. Now, it's not a sinister thing. Everybody's intentions are good. But it's exploitation, pure and simple."

I say go ahead and walk out. I'll drop college football like I did major league baseball after the last players' strike in 1994-1995. I haven't been to a game since, and I haven't watched a big league game on TV from start to finish in more than 20 years.

Yep. I hold a grudge.

So, go ahead, college players with your protest and refuse to play. The NFL would fill those vacancies with Saturday games so quickly you wouldn't even be missed. What's more, I could certainly get used to some high school action on Saturdays like Bentonville vs. Fayetteville at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

I agree that college sports has become a big business and that most everyone is making money except the players paying customers flock to see. But there's got to be a simpler way with stipends rather than full-blown pay-for-play for college athletes.

College players put in long hours and make money for the university, but they also have some advantages regular students don't have. I don't remember my brother, a college baseball player, working in the basement of the school cafeteria or standing in long lines to register for classes like I did. I don't remember him having to pay for a tutor like I did when I struggled in a science class. I do remember his meals were paid for and that he wore jerseys, hats, and shorts with his team's name on it that would cost the average person at least $40 apiece.

Sorry, Jay, but I don't feel sorry for Kentucky basketball players who are asked to go to class for a couple of semesters before turning pro and cashing in. Don't forget, if you start paying college football and basketball players, the women's teams will be on their heels asking for their share of the payout.

Equal treatment, you know. It's called Title IX, and it's the law.

I've also heard it suggested that top shoe companies such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour could finance a pay-for-play plan for college athletes. Do we really want to open up that can of worms where rich and powerful corporations become even more involved in amateur athletics?

I don't think so.

I've said before and I'll say it again. If an athlete comes to a school such as Arkansas, stays out of trouble and is a productive player, his name recognition alone gives him an advantage over other graduates entering the job market.

There's nothing wrong with that. Just don't whine or complain about how badly you're being exploited.

So, go ahead, college players, walk away and quit the job that provides you with a scholarship to pay for your education. I'll be back the next Saturday with remote in hand while watching NFL games on TV.

Sports on 08/23/2015

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