March 31, 2004
Bidding Adu To Amateurism
Noted with some derision by Tom Knott at the Washington Times today:
The professionalism of 14-year-old Freddy Adu has not elicited a flood of tears in the national press, which is in contrast to all the wailing that is done whenever a basketball player elects to go from high school to the NBA.
There is always a long line of overactive tear ducts trailing the next basketball sensation. There is always a heartfelt discussion regarding the player's loss of innocence and failure to expand his mind in college.
There are always so many tears in the months leading up to the NBA Draft, usually enough to replenish the water supply of drought-stricken areas.
But there has been no crying around Adu, just effusive praise wherever he goes, and lately, he has been popping up everywhere, telling his story as the next best hope to save soccer in America.
Knott touches on a point we've made before, though the comparison I've made is usually with teenage female figure skaters, gymnasts and tennis players. The only reason we don't experience any gnashing of teeth over Adu, is that American college Soccer isn't a multi-million dollar business the way football and basketball are. And of course, when you're dealing with economic interests that traffic in figures like those, they tend to have rather large megaphones.
Which brings us to another burning issue, that of the impending court battle between Maurice Clarett and the National Football League. In a perfect world, there wouldn't really be any dispute here at all. If young Mr. Clarett isn't ready for life in the NFL, he would simply not be drafted, or perhaps wash out sometime during training camp. Few tears would be shed, and we would all get on with our lives.
But consider this scenario for just a moment more. Say Clarett wanted to go back to playing college ball? Would it really be that big a deal? And why isn't that option open to all college athletes?
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Expand this line of thinking out a level: If a college student is majoring in accounting, and decides to take a paid internship with Ernst & Young, she isn't banned from retaining her academic scholarship because she's no longer an "amateur" accountant. Amateurism is only applied to athletics, primarily because university leaders have always viewed athletics as a necessary evil--a discipline unworthy of "real" academia.
Similarly, critics say the NFL and NBA should fund their own minor leagues and stop relying on the colleges. But do we say the same thing about accounting firms? Is Ernst & Young wrong for relying on colleges to train entry-level accountants? Of course, it may be in the leagues' self-interest to develop proprietary farm systems, but that's a separate issue.
Posted by:
at March 31, 2004 06:16 PM
Or, take a look at all the kids playing college hockey during this weekend's Frozen Four whose draft rights are being retained by an NHL franchise.
I love college sports, but I'm also cognizant of the fact that these kids have every right to earn a living, and everytime they step on a field or court as a college athlete, they're risking a career ending injury.
For those who go to school, great. Enjoy the college atmosphere and experience. For those who choose to move on, great. Good luck, and if it doesn't work out for you in the pros, c'mon back and get your degree.
Posted by:
at March 31, 2004 11:06 PM
I think that another issue behind all of the relatively strong outcry of football and basketball players playing pro at a young age (compared to soccer, gymnastics, et. al) is also the fact that the large amount of money is so publicized, and that makes people uncomfortable.
Another (more hidden) reason I think that people get uncomfortable is that the prep stars of Basketball and Football are seen as part of the young black urban culture who many percieve as outright thuggish. To some it seems more outrageous to give someone of that background professional money than it does a tennis or gymnastics prodigy.
Posted by:
at April 2, 2004 12:30 PM
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