College Athletes Essay - A Discussion

College Athletes' Essay - A DiscussionAn essay called 'Paying College Athletes' was authored by Daniel Kessler. The essay is a dialogue between Kessler and Dave Duerson, the former football player who was paralyzed from the neck down following a serious car accident. Duerson was awarded compensatory damages from the NCAA because of Kessler's personal injury lawsuit. Duerson would go on to become a retired high school football star.Kessler begins his essay by addressing the differences between football and baseball. He states that the football players in both sports do not spend as much time on the field or in practice and that this could make their injuries worse. Kessler's analysis of this situation does not hold water as many football players spend countless hours in practice every week. Football is such a physical sport that it is not realistic to think a player can be fit enough to play all of the time. Practice sessions are so much fun for players that they will likely not spend their time exercising as much as normal otherwise.Kessler then explains the difference between rugby and football by comparing them to golf. He argues that football players do not require as much force to take the ball away and can take a bigger hit in the process. They also do not have to endure a total body injury as the rugby players do.Kessler then presents some arguments that the NCAA is not really protecting the student-athletes; in fact, it is hurting them by collecting money from them and not showing the same care and concern to the team members who deserve these benefits. Kessler claims that many sports such as baseball and basketball are actually more dangerous than football. This is the reason why the athletes should be paid a larger percentage of the television revenue. College sports bring in billions of dollars for universities across the country.Kessler then discusses the argument that since athletes are being paid, schools should not have to pay health insurance. He states that teams would benefit more if they paid for their players' health insurance. Kessler also makes the point that this would also help alleviate the cost of football players getting into more serious accidents that could cost them their careers. Kessler provides the anecdote of a player who was hurt in an auto accident because he did not have health insurance. Although Kessler does not mention it, it is possible that the player had a serious injury because he was not covered by medical insurance, yet he was injured as a result of his vehicle being involved in an accident.Kessler ends his essay by stating that if athletes are compensated, then they should be paid full time. Some athletes in football make as little as $5.00 per hour. This amount is incredibly low and if he were an athlete in football, he would certainly be able to support himself through his work at a job. It is certainly true that some players in the game make well over a hundred thousand dollars annually, bu t for a football player that earns that much money, he would likely not have the time or money to hire a lawyer and pursue an injury case.Kessler states that the athletes have been put on scholarship only so that they will continue to support their team members. Therefore, they should receive a stipend of at least the full cost of attendance. Many schools do not pay their players for the remainder of the year as it is illegal for schools to do so.Kessler's essay is an important, yet controversial piece of literature. He is attempting to provide a much needed alternative to the media hype about the athletes and their academic careers. He believes that the students who are exploited by colleges need to be heard and compensated for their hard work and devotion to the sport.