The better athletes in professional sports are paid as professionals even at a young age in those countries. It's NIL without calling it so.
I'd argue its even worse over there. A team can easily be bought and controlled by stupidly rich donors. There have been various issues in the premier league relating to oil barons coming in and destroying the culture of a team by throwing money at the system.
@jd24 @rezynezy You are both correct, and I agree with you. But you missed my point. Over there (and almost everywhere else) educational institutions have not succumbed to the US Model — and I tried to cite that as a good thing. You aren’t attracted to Oxford because they have a good rowing team that for one race a year people even hear about. But you follow Aston Villa in football from the time you could walk. And if you are good enough, you rise through that organization — not through your school team (which there really isn’t any). This model puts both education and sport in respective perspective — something that I believe we have lost here in the US.
And @usc4valpo, the cluster we have now in intercollegiate sports could be seen coming a long, long while ago. When FBS schools pay their BB and FB coaches $5 million+ while distinguished professors might make low six figures at best, you know there’s an imbalance. The NCAA didn’t create this mess. The NCAA was originally created to try to control what everyone knew would certainly happen sooner or later. In my opinion, it was in a no-win situation from day one. No one person or organization could stem that tide. And so, it is what it is 😰
All we're really talking about is the source of the payments and does it really matter the source?
Would there be any rooting interest for the Ann Arbor Wolverines, Columbus Buckeyes, Valparaiso Beacons?
Not to any great degree. The entire point of the rooting interest is one of "they're ours"
One of last week's booms has been confirmed.
Brody Whitaker from u Indy (G)
Team needed a veteran guard. I think this guy checks those boxes.
One of last week's booms has been confirmed.
Brody Whitaker from u Indy
Gaurd
33 minutes a game, 14 points, 4.5 rebounds last season at U Indy. Pretty solid, nice pick-up (in my opinion)
