Starving student athletes

Congratulations to the UCONN Huskies

Shabazz Napier said he's gone to bed hungry while playing ball in Connecticut...his team the UConn Huskies just won the NCAA B-ball championship.

I'm blogging this because I happened to have graduated from a D1 school...and two of my best guy friends played D1 sports. One played at UNC where I was and the other played at one of our rival schools.

Now the UNC friend and I always argued about athletes getting paid. He called me a hater...because I said NOooooooooooo way! I went to college on academic scholarships and qualified for a Pell Grant, but because my scholarship covered well over my tuition and everything else, I think I only got to use the Pell Grant one semester.

Let me get to this hungry athletes thing. Are there really starving student athletes?

I don't recall any of the dudes I knew on athletic scholarships scrounging around for food. They had meal plans, stipends, and training table. And to be honest...I got quite a few meals from some of them...I'm just being honest. I think I had a meal plan one year...but spent a lot of my refund being super stupid buying clothes... I remember my female best friend and I living off of Top Ramen on a number of occasions my sophomore year..she will attest to that. Shoot...I remember many nights where my homie was grilling a steak and baking a potato when my home-girl and I were sharing hamburger helper! LOL

I don't really buy Napier's claim that he didn't have available food so as not to go to bed hungry. UConn does something that UNC didn't do back when I was in school...they have unlimited meal plans as a requirement for all of their students living on campus and athletes get the max plan...That means unlimited meal swipes at all of their dining facilities. The unlimited plan is the baseline...the plans change based on the flex accounts and Husky Bucks... But baseline is unlimited. They also have OneCards, like we had at UNC, that allow you to swipe at other places like a debit card.

The mere thought of starving student athletes is laughable to me...but I could be wrong. The thing I don't buy is him using this "starving" claim as a way to get sympathy and support for athletes getting paid. I don't doubt that back in the day athletes did in fact go hungry. But I seriously question a star athlete claiming he goes to bed starving because he doesn't have food resources in this day and time...Nah buddy!

Do I believe he doesn't have cash? Absolutely...that is very believable...because a lot of the guys come from situations where there was no money to send from home and then not being able to work makes it worse. But not having food? Nope.

I would wager that if an athlete lost one pound there would be a steak and potatoes IV stuck to him until he gained it back at a D1 school. I cannot speak for other divisions because I have no point of reference...

One place where I stand up for student-athletes is in their plight to have access to other resources like traveling stipends so that they can go home...or bigger stipends for other necessities that may be something regular for non-student athletes. I think they should be as comfortable at school as the student who has no financial worries. They should have money to be able to go buy a suit and other clothing for example, and to get haircuts and other maintenance needs. Clothes are costly...and not everyone has access to resources to buy non-work out clothing. But getting paid like a job? Give me a break.

As I debated with a fellow UNC alum over this topic, my point to her was...these kids are not working jobs. And yes the school does own some of their productivity. I don't think the schools should be able to make money off of using their images and not have them get a cut, but some things come with taking the scholarship. You don't have to accept it...but if you do, at least read the requirements. What people don't realize is there are other students who lose their intellectual property rights to the schools as well. It's part of using the school's resources. You pretty much sign up to give them your otherwise protected rights. Scientific discoveries you make as a student using the school's resources belong to the school. And they can make mad money off your work.

If you want to get paid like you're actually working a job...don't go to school and go get a job...then you'll really be in a dire situation. Athletes are paid through their academic scholarships, access to the best food, doctors, tutors and PR campaigns known to anyone trying to gain employment at the next level. Try to join the NFL or NBA by yourself... Or try to gain access to top physical therapists and have to pay for it yourself. Try to gain access to businesses and other networking avenues by yourself.

You have to acknowledge the resources you actually have and make the most out of them. So while I agree that some of the NCAA restrictions are absolutely ludicrous and unnecessarily confining, many of the benefits athletes receive by virtue of utilizing their athletic abilities, people would pay millions to have access to.



There are struggles that come with going to college that you just have period...especially when you don't have a family who can afford to supplement your education. In many ways my family did find a way to make a way out of no way to take care of some of my needs. Scholarships definitely cover the bills and many necessities but not all of your necessities.

Imagine having struggles and NO scholarship. Imagine having to work three jobs just to be able to make it through school or getting your tuition bill and having no way whatsoever to pay for it. Then on top of that being an out of state student who cannot go home because you have no money for a flight...

Let's be realistic... and grow up. While many athletes do struggle...so does every other student. And trust and believe your revenue raising sport is not the school's only source of income. Believe that...if it was...I would really want UNC and NCCU to stop calling me asking me for money/donations :) LOL

Do you think starving student athletes exist? How does this happen if they do exist? Comment below...

Follow @YBBG_Blog on Twitter and use hashtag #YBBGTopic for more interesting discussions. 
Check out YBBG on Facebook.