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College sports is by far the biggest meaningless entertainment "distraction." I can't think of anything that comes close. I'd put frats at a distant second. Enormously distant.

You aren't looking very close then. It's funny that college athletics (and college football in particular) have become such a boogie man all of a sudden. I'd say the reality TV media culture is a bigger and far more distructive distraction than college athletics. I'd also throw in video game, internet, etc technology in general as bigger a bigger distraction that sports. Sports, at the very least, fosters a healthy competitive lifestyle that encourages physical activity in many people who badly need it.

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Entertainers make what they make because there is high demand for it. I don't care whether followers of sports have messed up priorities. That's their choice to make. But it shouldn't be up to colleges and universities to produce sports entertainers. They should be producing scientists and accountants and businessmen and teachers and economists and doctors and lawyers, etc. I don't have a problem with people wanting to become pro athletes, but it bothers me that institutions of "higher learning" have become their training grounds.

Why can't colleges do both? Why does a university with big time athletics have to choose one or the other? I'd agree with the argument in cases where school's that have no business trying to have big time college athletics are bleeding the school dry. However, the author thinks that any and all sports is just an unnecessary distraction when he and others who agree with him haven't shown any evidence that a school can't have both a successful athletic program AND be able to produce scientists, engineers, doctors, lawyers, economists, etc as well. The either/or finality of the author's argument is ridiculous.

P.S. I find it a little convenient too that you are apparently a Georgetown supporter and see college football as a waste of time and resources.

This post was edited on 5/7/12 at 10:42 am

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Posted by gizmoflak

Member since May 2007

11673 posts

Posted on 5/7/12 at 11:47 am to Govt Tide

quote:
You aren't looking very close then. It's funny that college athletics (and college football in particular) have become such a boogie man all of a sudden. I'd say the reality TV media culture is a bigger and far more distructive distraction than college athletics. I'd also throw in video game, internet, etc technology in general as bigger a bigger distraction that sports. Sports, at the very least, fosters a healthy competitive lifestyle that encourages physical activity in many people who badly need it.

I was talking about school-sponsored distractions, but I agree that the internet/reality TV-age encourages lots of degenerative behavior

quote:
Why can't colleges do both? Why does a university with big time athletics have to choose one or the other? I'd agree with the argument in cases where school's that have no business trying to have big time college athletics are bleeding the school dry. However, the author thinks that any and all sports is just an unnecessary distraction when he and others who agree with him haven't shown any evidence that a school can't have both a successful athletic program AND be able to produce scientists, engineers, doctors, lawyers, economists, etc as well. The either/or finality of the author's argument is ridiculous.

Well then, let's allow straight-up "Sports Entertainment" majors. Teach kids wanting to be pro athletes the business side of sports as well as train them physically to become a pro athlete. Make it a bona fide course of study instead of engaging in the current charade. But that might only further encourage massive athletic departments and higher emphasis on sports than other fields of study. Not sure that would be a good thing.

FWIW, I don't think ALL college sports should be gutted. I just think the Big Business of college sports, notably football, has gotten out of hand. Too much television and money involved.

quote:
P.S. I find it a little convenient too that you are apparently a Georgetown supporter and see college football as a waste of time and resources.

LSU undergrad, Georgetown Law ... I've experienced both extremes in terms of "football culture."

This post was edited on 5/7/12 at 11:52 am

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