Are college athletes treated fairly?

Move over Kathie Lee Gifford, the NCAA is stealing some of your steam.

The NCAA is an organization that brings in billions of dollars annually.

Just take a look at the College Bowl Championship series. You've got the Tostitos Bowl, The Nokia Sugar Bowl, the Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic Bowl... oh wait, they don't have that one yet. Pretty soon though!

As with anything in life, money talks, and common sense walks. The common sense in the NCAA walked out, and in the door came about half a million crisp, clean hundred dollar bills. The man with the briefcase in the Armani suit is what makes the difference. The NCAA likes to take care of their constituents, those with the dollar bills, but does not seem to care as much for their athletes.

Their policies concerning college athletes need major revisions.

First, there's the money factor. Should collegiate athletes get paid? A goal, a three-pointer or a touchdown could be considered as services rendered, right?

Most college athletes live below the poverty level. This rings especially true for Division I athletes. Most players on a team are there on scholarship, and frankly, their parents cannot afford to provide them with money for other things. Scholarships do not pay for food, clothing, or having a social life. Without the right to accept any gifts, such as clothing or cash from people who could be considered "boosters," there isn't much left for them. If they chose to accept these "illegal" gifts, they could land themselves a suspension, and their school could get a hefty fine.

"Hey, I don't have any cash. Got twenty bucks so I can take this girl out on a date?"

"Well, this year I gave $20 so I could be a contributor to your team. I can't. You better tell your girlfriend to get used to Mickey D's until you sign that big Nike contract."

With a schedule flooded with practices, meeting with "people" (Hi! We're alumni and give a lot of money to your school."), and, oh yeah, maybe a couple of classes here and there, just how is a college athlete supposed to make any money?

They can't, really.

I knew a prominent Division I women's basketball player, and she served up pizzas in-between basketball clinics over the summer. She did this so that she could have a social life, and not have to bum money from her friends.

Should collegiate athletes get paid? No. Some NCAA officials believe that they should look at the college degree they are getting as payment.

Maybe they should look at the statistics. Only half of all Division I football and basketball players graduate from college.

Best thing the NCAA could do?

Give a stipend. The organization certainly has the money to spare. By doing so, the athletes have enough money so that they can have a life outside of their sport. They can go out and be like a regular college kid; broke, but able to dig up enough change from the couch to get a pizza with their roomies that night.

Perhaps the most absurd policy in the NCAA is this:

The NCAA: prohibits insurance coverage for athletes at "voluntary practices."

That's nice, considering no one really knows what "voluntary practices" really means. Anyone knows that if you don't practice, you don't play. Look at the stellar career of Dennis Rodman. He wasn't a big fan of practices. It cost him a career. (Thank goodness he found that other job in modeling wedding gowns.)

Is anything really voluntary then?

An FSU football player collapsed at one of these "voluntary" practices and died. According to NCAA rules, the college could not pay the young man's hospital bills. Even worse, the family could not collect a death benefit.

So, hey! I guess you had better just sit there on the bench and drink water at practices. It seems to me that all of them are voluntary.

Each organization has complete control over "their" athletes. The revenue from the Final Four, the BCS, and the college World Series goes partially to the school, but the vast majority (millions in advertising) goes to the NCAA. They ought to at least develop an insurance plan that covers athletes at ALL practices. They are, after all, playing in their championships.

The NCAA likes to protect and take care of the big guys in suits who pay them big bucks. It's about time they protect and take care of "their" athletes.

Strike Three... I'm out.