At Oregon you can buy a job without a college education.
ESPN: Outside the Lines looks into u of o athletics
Because I think this is a very controversial issue that more people should look into. Glad to see ESPN doing a little “reporting” even though it’s tough for them to dig to deep in just under six minutes. There are way to many controversies with hiring the second biggest donor, who does not have a college education, and who basically bought the job. Although I’m sure it helps with donations, and it may be a good way to build up the infrastructure of the athletic facitilies (baseball stadium and basketball arena) it does not send a good message to the student athletes who need to remember that there is more to life than sports. The good ‘ol boys club in Eugene has got to be loving this amosphere, but it is not the right way to run an athletic department.
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My first thought about the college education is this - the purpose of college is to prepare students for their future careers, which means athletics for some “students.” If a student were studying to be a businessman, doctor, lawyer, scientist, dentist, pharmacist, software developer, etc. were offered a high paying job with a signing bonus a year or two or more before he is scheduled to graduate, said student (ok, most any student) would take the job before graduating. Therefore, college was able to prepare him (or her) for a career with many career specific learning opportunities to come on the job just like an athlete. Therefore, is is really necessary for everyone to graduate from college?
Does the Bill and Melinda Gates Education Foundation mean any less consindering that Bill dropped out of Harvard? Should we not listen to the words of successful entrepreneurs who did not earn a college degree…some who might not receive a high school diploma?
Sure people benefit from an education, but we have plenty of learning to do when we are out of college that can easiliy make-up for a few years of partying and spending time with co-eds while trying to pull ourselves out of bed to make it to that 8am Legal and Regulatory Environment of Business Law with Professor O. Lee Reed.
As for the financial aspect of the ongoings, we will not be privy to the happenings that occured, some of which could have been underhanded, which is nothing new in big time college athletics (and I do not think any of that is right or should continue). However, would we get upset if this happened in a business? At a doctor’s office? At your tech start-up? In a professional sports franchies or league?
Yes, a college athletic department should have high standards just like everyone else. However, when we have scandals of all kinds happening in all facets of our society including churches, should we really expect good things to come out of a multi-billion dollar industy?
Our society has lost its moral compass, so sketchy happenings will continue and the Ducks will still have Phil Knight (and his friend in charge) as its Daddy.