@anotherparent posted:I think it's great when athletes get to make money from signing jerseys or having their pictures in video games or getting a cut of jerseys with their numbers. I think it's great if they can use their status to have a podcast or social media presence and earn money from it. I think it's great if they can advertise products, earning what the company making the products thinks they are worth. I'm all for capitalism and athletes monetizing their fame at market value.
But as long as the football teams are part of universities, I think the universities (i.e. coaches) should control any payments to players. They already give scholarships. If universities want to pay their players, either from donations or from media revenue, then do it. But donors with funds outside of any oversight, giving money in return for one appearance at a charity, just allows way too many different types of corruption, and basically makes the players the employees of someone other than the team.
I would be all for that. That’s not what’s happening. A lot of it is paying players to show up. The coaches shouldn’t be involved at all in my opinion.