OK, I am back on my soapbox. I do this every year or two or three. The Ray Rice situation stimulated me to think about it, again.
For far too many athletes, there is very little 'student' requirements. They are given a pass, because they excel on the playing field. They are enabled in so many ways. They come to understand that they are special, and the standard rules don't apply to them. They become used to being heroes in their fans' own echo chambers. It goes through high school, college...then the pros. O.J. Simpson (The Juice!) was slobbered over by so many people (including me, sorry to say)...but could he pass a simple algebra test or write a serious essay at USC? Then he gets away with beating his wife on a regular basis, before killing her.
It is very clear to me that these protected athletes are protected by their coaches and alumni...winning games is the ultimate goal.
If we, somehow, get back to insisting that athletes also be serious students
we can avoid a lot of this stuff.
We can also bring back some integrity to our educational institutions.
Thoughts?
