College Football

College Football

It annoys me that America is so intrigued by college football while ignoring the fact that football players are worked past extremes for only the glory of the coach and the team ranking. It is a modern form of slavery, yet most people ignore that. But if you were to see primarily strong African-Americans working hard, especially in the South, to the demands of the rich Southern white guys who control them, you might think otherwise. College football commands staggering viewing audiences each year. The BCS national championship alone attracts 35-45 million viewers each year. Tailgating parties are formed around the sport. College campuses become cities when the game starts. Win or lose, watching the wonderful athletes play is an enjoyable social event. Why the comparison to slavery? Providing scholarships to students that are secretly unqualified takes advantage of athletes who could “pass balls but not classes.” The athletes are given all the equipment they need and are usually required to stay on the field or the athletic dormitory, analogous to the plantation. They often are urged to take a less than optimal course load to leave time for practice. There are multiple cases of being overworked in practice past normal limits. Tragic news of death from exhaustion in practice is not uncommon. Yes, the athletes want to play and put up with the torment because they desire success. Yetthese young athletes might not know when they are being pushed too much. It could hurt them physically and mentally in the future. Regardless, everyone will keep watching these athletes lay everything on the line for the strict demands of their coaches.

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