Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
9/16/2019 11:43 AM
In a major that can be determined by their boss - the coach
Not required. Many athletes, including football players, major in what they want. If the coach won't permit it, the athlete is free to go elsewhere.
Their scholarship is renewed at the complete discretion of their boss - the coach
Sounds like my job.
Their offer for "employment" can be rescinded at the complete discretion of their boss - the coach (see Ohio basketball recruitment board)
Long-term medical issues are left to their responsibility, not their employer - or their boss - the coach
Sounds like my job.
Sounds like you're making the argument these are employees, no?
I thought you didn't want to engage? Anyway, I'm making the argument that the athletes are being paid, just not a salary.
Yeah, man. I know. And I'm pointing out that if you consider their education compensation, than what keeps other labor laws from applying? If these are employees, it opens up a range of compliance issues.
My point has nothing to do with labor law. My response was prompted by your accusation that athletes were "working for free." Is that your position?
You compared athletes' compensation and the way they're treated by the universities to your own employment situation, essentially making the point that the scholarships are compensation and the employment's "at-will." My point is that that comparison necessarily brings labor law into the equation. If these were students first and athletes second, would their access to education be dependent of their performance as athletes?
It's pretty clear we're in agreement that athletes are obviously working and thus workers. They're compensated with athletic scholarships, but given the value many create (and the obvious fact that the most valuable athletes should be majoring in being athletes) that compensation's not adequate.
Further, my stance is that once you acknowledge the scholarships as compensation, you're in turn acknowledging the athletes as employees. And once you do so, labor law comes into play and it's hard for me to not see the NCAA as being in violation of all sorts of labor laws as a result.
Which is why this bill should be seen as a saving grace for the NCAA, who idiotically is opposing it. This is a way for them to have their cake while letting athletes support themselves otherwise where possible. And from a labor law perspective, it would actually be super helpful for the NCAA's case if athletes are earning second source of income elsewhere.
OCF seems to think the opposite: that athletes getting compensated by a third party for a separate set of services is what would lead to the classification as employees. I'm confused by that.
Last Edited: 9/16/2019 12:38:12 PM by Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame