Re: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Dige

["Jim Meninno" <jim_meninno@hotmail.com>]

I really like this idea.  If the NBA had CBA "farm teams" players could 
be drafted very early and go to the CBA for development.  If the player 
wanted to persue a degree, he should be given that option, with the 
drafting team retaining his rights for a specific period (5 years?) to 
allow him to get the degree, and play for his college.  I think this 
would end a lot of the hypocrisy that exists in the current system.  It 
would also be a more gradual entrance into the rigours and riches of 
professional sports, which must be good for the players and would 
further allow marginal players a better chance to make a living.

Originally the idea of athletes going to college in essence to study 
basketball appealed to me.  At least it is being honest about why the 
player is there.  Since the program would generate a lot of revenue for 
the school, I don't think the athletes' use of funds is the issue.  The 
real problem would be that these programs would be unlikely to get 
accredited as degree programs.  Then you would have to decide if there 
are requirements of certain numbers of degree students on the team to 
make competition between colleges fair.  

In the end, I think the way to go is to split the load between a minor 
league system and a college system, which only accepts true students.  
Players could even work towards their degrees in the summer if they 
chose to go the minor league route.  I don't suppose any of this will 
ever happen, though because there is too much money in the college game.

Jim

PS, I'm glad I got this in before the complaints about lack of Celtic 
content started.

>From: Shawn Roth <ufpdev!shawnr@uunet.uu.net>
>Subject: Re: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Dige
>To: celtics@igtc.com
>Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 09:00:25 -0500 (EDT)
>
>I would prefer that a person go to college with the intent to get a 
degree
>first and play a sport second.  I realize this is far fleged, but I can 
dream.
>A minor league system (i.e. baseball) should be put in place to give 
people a
>chance to skip college if they don't want to apply themselves in the 
academic
>areas.  This secondary basketball league that is starting up soon is a 
great
>idea.  The CBA teams should associate themselves with NBA teams in 
order to
>create a minor league system that would help fringe players and future 
NBA
>stars with there skills until such a date where they could advance to 
the
>parent team. 
>
>Just my thoughts,
>
>Shawn
>


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