Congratulations to UConn and its fans. As a lover of all things New England, I was pulling for them and enjoyed this years Madness more than any in recent memory. Thanks to UConn, Kentucky and at least 30 other teams for a great March!
I will be happy when the charade of the "student athlete" at most NCAA schools with highly ranked athletic programs is finally dismantled entirely. UConn had the misfortune to get caught and was arguably unfairly singled out, but, with notable exceptions, the whole thing is a farce.
As many now want to do, let's just admit that "student athletes" at most NCAA schools with highly ranked athletic programs are actually employees of the University, acting for the benefit of the University. Give them a cut of the royalties when their jerseys are sold; enable them to share in the TV and Gate money. At most NCAA schools with highly ranked athletic programs, for all but the relative handful who go on to careers in professional sports, those three to five years will represent the pinnacle of their lifetime earnings potential.
There are, of course, schools that are exceptions to this rule, but they rarely lift the trophies on the last day of the season.
If I had the time, I would track the careers of the players on all the teams that made the Sweet Sixteen for the past 20 years. I have a strong feeling that the findings would be very depressing and that for every NBA starter there are dozens if not hundreds of guys whose lives could well have benefited from some of the money they helped make for the schools from which they received an empty diploma folder on "Graduation" day.
