NCAA Basketball Scandal

Let's be fair: these kids are making millions for their schools, and they are getting little in return. People point to the free education: well, a lot of kids are getting free or discount education. Only the athletes have to have massive restrictions placed on them in return. If a school gives a kid in the band a scholarship, he can be a session musician on the side. Basketball players literally have to account for powerbars in their study areas.

Here is at least one suggestion: how about athletes get to keep the rights to their own image and signature? Why shouldn't a top athlete be able to sell his autograph? Again... is there any other student with that kind of restriction? If a dance program has America's best college dancer, is he or she facing that restriction? Can an actor in the college play also be on Law and Order? Of course.

Basketball is bad, but football is worse. Those are years coming off your body for free. With cumulative damage to your brain, who knows what those college hits are doing? Who knows if the trauma of those years might contribute to the injury a player suffers in his first year, second year, any year?

It is not just a question of injury -- it is simply prime years. How much did Kevin Garnett earn in his first 4 NBA seasons? Lebron? Kobe? Jermaine O'Neal?

College shouldn't be able to have it both ways: force players to play there before going pro, and also force them to play for free.