Look at the wristband; you can see APU
A group of college athletes have started an organization known as All Players United, or APU, whose goal is to "protest the NCAA's treatment of athletes on issues ranging from concussions to compensation." This weekend, the athletes of 3 universities wore the letters of their organization while playing in their respective games. This televised and really got people interested in this movement. I think that it is very important for these athletes to fight for their rights, and it shows us that if you want something done, do it yourself. These students have effectively started a grassroots organization that could change the course of collegiate athletics.
This organization has even sprouted talk about a player union for college athletes. This would allow them to have representation, and therefore have a better chance to express their opinions. This is a huge step forward for the NCAA athletes and I hope that they keep fighting and receive some fairer rules. Is this the best way to go about requesting change? Why has it taken so long for something like this to happen?
ESPN
CNN
USA Today
4 comments:
In response to your question, "Is the this the best way to go about requesting change?" I don't know. I don't claim to have very much knowledge about sports in general, but this does seem like, as you put it, a step int he right direction. Severe injuries have become all too commonplace and APU seems like it is being proactive to request better conditions. However, only time will tell how much change they're actually able to make. Grassroots causes are great, but my question is: What is APU really going to do? Will they push for certain legislation? New regulations? If so, I'd be interested to find out what because their goal statements seemed rather vague such as "demonstrate unity."
First to respond to Sam's question about the APU's goals, demonstrating unity is only one of the 4 goals the organization has. The other 3 include to show support for players who have joined concussion law suits against the NCAA, show support for players who "stepped up in the O'Bannon v. NCAA, EA Sports lawsuit regarding the use of players' images/likeliness, which could unlock billions of dollars in resources for current, future, and former players," and stand behind individual players being harmed by NCAA rules.
In an era when the reputation of the NCAA is at an all time low, the APU is providing a common place where all athletes can band together to fight NCAA injustice, for there is plenty to fight against. In my opinion, the NCAA is one of the most corrupt organizations in this country. It generates billions of dollars in revenue, and the players do not see one cent of that revenue. The NCAA claims that they refuse to turn college athletes into employees, assuring everyone that they stand by these athletes as students first. However, the NCAA has shown many times that they do not stand by this policy. Many college athletes depend on their scholarships to be able to attend the schools they are at. If athletes receive an injury that inhibits their ability to play, they lose everything. In addition, the climate of college athletics puts players in a job-like scenario. There is no such thing as an offseason for college athletes, they train year round, but receive no compensation. Their names are plastered on jerseys, advertisements, and video games, yet they receive no compensation.
The reality of the college athlete is that there is virtually no chance of becoming a pro. In the 6 most popular college sports, women's and men's basketball, baseball, football, men's soccer, and men's hockey, there is less than a 4% chance that a player will reach a professional level (http://freedom.mysdhc.org/guidance/information/From%20High%20School%20to%20Pro%20Statistics.pdf). Therefore, college athletes should undoubtedly be compensated while they have the chance, especially while their efforts pay for the NCAA's business leaders' 7 figure salaries.
The current state of the NCAA is utter exploitation, and I am extremely happy to see a push in the right direction made by the efforts of the APU. Keep fighting!
All Players United is a great way to request change, especially with the APU becoming a trend in collegiate sports. The media response seems to be going towards the side of the athletes we I beleive should be, because like Joey pointed out, college athlete's have a slim chance of becoming pro. And there are some players that play on these NCAA teams that don't even get scholarships, yet they have the risk of being injured, suffering a concussion, and being used in video games like NCAA Football.
One thing I find particular interesting with this movement in the battle against EA Sports. While EA has for years used players models resembling collegiate athletes and their numbers, they leave their names of the back of the jersey, however it is very easy to tell who the player is. And is it not unfair that these players get used commercially while they get no money?
This is a great movement, and this following football season will be interesting to watch especially with the federal antitrust lawsuit.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/23715174/ncaa-again-tries-to-opt-out-of-federal-antitrust-lawsuit
Post a Comment