I don't have to tell any of you how effed up college athletics are. I'm not talking about cross country, swimming, softball, tennis or gymnastics. Nor am I talking about soccer, baseball or hockey. I'm talking about football and basketball, the two sports where college athletics essentially are used as feeder systems to the NFL and NBA...a sort of minor league if you will.
I won't even try to dig deep into all the shit that is going down. We have heard about Miami, LSU, Tennessee, Oregon and USC. They are the ones who have been caught. Guaranteed there are at least 20 other schools doing the same shit, if not worse.
The real problem I have with it all is that I still can't get enough. My whole life I have loved college football more than the NFL. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but there was always something fun about the sport. I loved learning about new teams from places like Pullman, WA or Waco, Tx or East Lansing, MI. I have always loved seeing rankings next to the teams. (Now I am smart enough to know that Indy-NE is going to be a good game, but the build-up for #1 Texas against #2 Oklahoma is soo much more exciting.) I love the mascots and the traditions and the hatred between the schools. I love that some of the athletes will never play again; that this is the highest level they will ever achieve. Oh, and I love watching College GameDay. Everything about it I love.
I know that in order to be a great program you need to cut corners. I know that the system is messed up, but I just can't get enough. I simply can't turn my back and make a stand that I have had enough.
I wish I could, but I can't. So like baseball and basketball with the escalating salaries and drug problems, I will turn a blind eye to the problems and continue to watch. I'll ignore all the corporate sponsorships, all the off-the-field problems, all the corruption. Instead, I will turn on Chris, Lee and Craig Saturday mornings and get ready for the exciting day ahead. September 3 can't come too soon.
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