... but I have a quershun regarding the flap these days about college ball players being paid to play. I'll admit, I haven't followed the arguments and like most any ball sports, frankly don't give a flip, but I do hear about it while watching the news and I'm curious as to what youse dufes think about it.

Here's my take FWIW:

1) Many students graduate with massive student loan debt, but the supposed pay-off is that they'll be able to draw higher salaries with that degree, so it's a trade-off.

2) I'm assuming these ball players are attending college on a full scholarship, so in effect, they're ALREADY getting PAID to play, not to mention receiving "free" training from a big-time coach who probably draws a million dollar salary.

3) Some (not all), but "some" of these players are dumb as a box of rocks, but still manage to come out with a college degree (although it may be a degree in underwater basket-weaving for all I know).

4) IF they're GOOD at what they do, they'll go on to the pro's and become mega-bazillionaires. If not, join the rest of us losers and get a "real" job. Afterall, you do have that "free" degree you can fall back on.

5) Without the school you play for, chances are, nobody would ever know who you are in the first place. Should the players pay the school for the millions of dollars of free advertising they receive that will catch the eyes of the pro scouts?

I'm sure I could come up with more questions, but again, I really have no understanding about how most sports programs work, so many of my questions can probably be shot down due to my own ignorance of the machinery involved. IF they get paid actual cash IN ADDITION TO millions of dollars of schooling, coaching/training, world-wide exposure, future endorsements, etc, where does it end? Should our Olympic contenders go onto the payroll also?

I would think the big "point" here is the money the school receives when they have a successful sports program. So what? They're offering a TON of $$$ in return (as noted above) and will receive zilch (other than notoriety) from the future earnings of the athletes they essentially took a gamble on and groomed for their future careers. Am I full of hot air? Or do I have some valid points? Just askin'.