Interest in college sports

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

We are seeing the terrible downside of indulging children's need for immediate gratification. So things like loyalty, perseverance, and commitment to something greater than themselves are being lost.

Think of all the people transfers shit on? Their teammates, the coaches to whom they've given not just their word but their legally binding promise. The ticket holders, the donors that paid their tuition, room and board. The NCAA should make transfers much more difficult. Mandatory year unless the coach leaves or there's a family health issue and then you've got to transfer to the closest to home school that will take you.

If not, we're going to end up with a boring game of semi professional prima donnas that are already making it clear they don't give a shit about their audience. They now think we are the lucky ones who get to see them and pay their way in the world for 5 years, while providing an education for which 99% of the people on the planet would be both lucky and happy to obtain. Its consistent with the bizarre milieu of absolute self-absorption purchased with the currency of guilt that is becoming our governing ethic. Ultimately self destructive as it has always been in history. So the bizarre ethic will eat itself, and with the college games we enjoy.

Some day, perhaps sooner than anyone realizes people will look back at these times and they will feel shame.

 

[fivecardstud14]

We are seeing the terrible downside of indulging children's need for immediate gratification. So things like loyalty, perseverance, and commitment to something greater than themselves are being lost.

Think of all the people transfers shit on? Their teammates, the coaches to whom they've given not just their word but their legally binding promise. The ticket holders, the donors that paid their tuition, room and board. The NCAA should make transfers much more difficult. Mandatory year unless the coach leaves or there's a family health issue and then you've got to transfer to the closest to home school that will take you.

If not, we're going to end up with a boring game of semi professional prima donnas that are already making it clear they don't give a shit about their audience. They now think we are the lucky ones who get to see them and pay their way in the world for 5 years, and providing an education for which 99% of the people on the planet would be both lucky and happy to obtain. Its consistent with the bizarre milieu of absolute self-absorption purchased with the currency of guilt that is becoming our governing ethic. Ultimately self destructive as it has always been in history. So the bizarre ethic will eat itself, and with the college games we enjoy.

Some day, perhaps sooner than anyone realizes people will look back at these times and they will feel shame.

 

[Arbor1]

I guess I'm an old guy, but I'm curious if anyone else fears that this sort of stuff--portal, loyalty, shiny object, leave on a whim--is going to dampen their enthusiasm or interest for college sports in the future.
I'll always be an Iowa fan, but with what amounts to free agency, you can't really get too attached to teams/players as the roster stands a chance of being different--to varying degrees--every year. Will every Saturday (football doesn't seem to be getting hit nearly as hard as hoops) be "plan your weekend around kickoff" status? Will every game night be chips and salsa time?
Just wondering what others' opinions are...

Wait till the $$ for players gets approved. Agree totally with you btw. Sad future taking shape.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

I am relaxed. I'm nearing the end of my life so the calamitous future does not make much difference to me. Were I 20 years younger I'd be out of my mind looking for a very private place to go. The collapse will happen and when it does it will happen much quicker than almost anyone thinks. History may now be moving in hyper-speed but its still history and from Sennacherib to Sharpton the cycle changes only its speed but never its direction.

I can afford to relax. You my friend, cannot.

 

[HawkInArk]

We are seeing the terrible downside of indulging children's need for immediate gratification.

This is not debatable.

 

[LarryMullenJr.]

Wait till the $$ for players gets approved. Agree totally with you btw. Sad future taking shape.

I really think this is going to be the case, sadly. I really don't have a problem with a kid (anyone) making money off their NIL. And I get that the starting QB is going to be able to make a boatload, while the field hockey goalie likely won't make much if anything--that's life...despite some folks' continued attempts, outcomes can't be guaranteed equal.
But when say, UCLA can tell a kid "we can offer you an endorsement deal at the LA area Datsun dealership for $100k per year" while Kansas State can't, you've got the law of unintended consequences at play.
I get it--and it's capitalism--so it is what it is. It's just the NCAA, or the kids themselves, that will bring the change. A change that many folks consider to be severe damage.

 

[DewHawk]

My interest has been waning for years starting with professional sports. Collegiate sports have been my only sports interest for several years. And now that appears to be on a very steep decline as well. The good news is I am older and will be gone sooner than later.

 

[Dauminator]

Lol at the bolded part.

What sport would you say is in its prime today, as we speak?

 

[sbhawk64]

I have all but left pro sports. I am definitely losing interest in college too. It used to be about competition and entertainment. Now its about whining and making political statements.

pass

 

[sbhawk64]

What sport would you say is in its prime today, as we speak?

Im with 5 card, I thionk every sport of note is struggling. People of character are deciding to pursue other options. Those who "need sports' are hanging on

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

I really think this is going to be the case, sadly. I really don't have a problem with a kid (anyone) making money off their NIL. And I get that the starting QB is going to be able to make a boatload, while the field hockey goalie likely won't make much if anything--that's life...despite some folks' continued attempts, outcomes can't be guaranteed equal.
But when say, UCLA can tell a kid "we can offer you an endorsement deal at the LA area Datsun dealership for $100k per year" while Kansas State can't, you've got the law of unintended consequences at play.
I get it--and it's capitalism--so it is what it is. It's just the NCAA, or the kids themselves, that will bring the change. A change that many folks consider to be severe damage.

Here's a long way of saying you're right.

You know why people say one thing starts a slippery slope into something terrible? Because its true. Most of the many things wrong in the country today started with good intentions. In the 90s it started with anti sodomy laws. Well, those laws seemed stupid and archaic and I felt they should go. My social conservative allies said that would lead directly to gay marriage and I said they were nuts. Plus, gay marriage did not really seem altogether bad to me so we got gay marriage. The point I missed for several years was gay marriage was merely the next step on the use of private conduct to redefine sexual reality. Now the issue is people pretending to be the opposite gender whose adherents and supporters demand the rest of society go along with the delusion. So a 6'8" man can play basketball with girls. We have seen a simple act of modernity, eliminating 18th Century sodomy laws, develop into a movement that attacks the very fundamentals of mammalian biology and insists that children should be able to declare their own gender-a dangerous and twisted assault on reality.

So, unless one is a complete libertarian, in which case organizations like the NCAA would not exist, we have to ask ourselves why are we as a society paying trillions of dollars to fund post secondary education and then what is the point of engaging in intercollegiate sports. Doesn't it already seem that the "bigness" has become an enemy of the original point of intercollegiate athletics?

 

[BBHawk]

Unfortunately it's not the kids who are ruining college athletics as much as the adults who want to profit from them. Greed will bring an end to it eventually.

 

[SchwartzUndGold]

My interest in Sports has waned as I have aged. I watch Iowa Football and Iowa Men's Basketball and that is 90% of my viewing of sports. Those 2 sports in 2021 are nothing like what I watched in the late 50's and early 60's. Yet I remain interested in them only because of being an Iowa fan. I believe the biggest change between the new era and the 50-60 time period is the mentality of the players today and I am not saying it is bad. The motivation for athletes playing in the 50-60 era wasn't about becoming a pro athlete. There were fewer pro teams in football, basketball and baseball so opportunities were scarce.

Most 50-60 scholarship level athletes were motivated by getting an education in return for playing a sport they excelled at. In my view the present generation of athlete is motivated by a desire to play immediately after signing a scholarship. The education part isn't really important and higher ed institutions needs winning teams to attract students. So colleges find ways to keep them happy AND eligible to play. The environment that college sports finds itself today evolved and as a fan there are some healthy and unhealthy aspects to it.

The portal has problems but that isn't the real underlying problem. It is a reaction to deeper problems with major college sports and higher ed institutions. The whole system is out of whack and the only people who can fix it are the those in charge of higher ed.

 

[jo12208]

We are seeing the terrible downside of indulging children's need for immediate gratification. So things like loyalty, perseverance, and commitment to something greater than themselves are being lost.

Think of all the people transfers shit on? Their teammates, the coaches to whom they've given not just their word but their legally binding promise. The ticket holders, the donors that paid their tuition, room and board. The NCAA should make transfers much more difficult. Mandatory year unless the coach leaves or there's a family health issue and then you've got to transfer to the closest to home school that will take you.

If not, we're going to end up with a boring game of semi professional prima donnas that are already making it clear they don't give a shit about their audience. They now think we are the lucky ones who get to see them and pay their way in the world for 5 years, while providing an education for which 99% of the people on the planet would be both lucky and happy to obtain. Its consistent with the bizarre milieu of absolute self-absorption purchased with the currency of guilt that is becoming our governing ethic. Ultimately self destructive as it has always been in history. So the bizarre ethic will eat itself, and with the college games we enjoy.

Some day, perhaps sooner than anyone realizes people will look back at these times and they will feel shame.

Less and less people will watch.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

BBHawk-hence the story of the Golden Goose and looking gift horses in the mouth.

But the grown ups are no longer in charge of things, the delusional are. The need to glorify victimization and create new and ever more bizarre victim classes, like varsity athletes attending college for free while becoming locally, or nationally, famous with even more doors opened once they leave their privileged status.

Yes, it is very much a problem with the adults not drawing lines 40 years ago. We aren't the first vastly rich empire to destroy itself between the pursuit of greed and perfection.

 

[littlez]

BBHawk-hence the story of the Golden Goose and looking gift horses in the mouth.

But the grown ups are no longer in charge of things, the delusional are. The need to glorify victimization and create new and ever more bizarre victim classes, like varsity athletes attending college for free while becoming locally, or nationally, famous with even more doors opened once they leave their privileged status.

Yes, it is very much a problem with the adults not drawing lines 40 years ago. We aren't the first vastly rich empire to destroy itself between the pursuit of greed and perfection.

You’re just being ridiculous now.

 

[onlyTheObvious]

I think it’s on the decline almost everywhere for every sport.

tailgating carries college football. If you didn’t allow alcohol working a 5 mile radius of college stadiums attendance would drop by an unreal amount.

i think soccer could replace football over time, as long as it’s during tailgating season. Frankly, I enjoy the tailgating and hanging with friends and family more than the actual game.

The number of ‘serious fans’ is declining.

non power conference basketball fans will become quickly disenfranchised when they get that rare special talent and they leave after one year to a power conference.

 

[Ronman]

If the transfer portal is to remain, then obviously is for all schools to participate in the give and take and not just the give. Unfortunately, our coaching philosophy seems to be hide your head in the sand, do things as you've always done them and hope for the best. In my estimation, all of these new "advances" in college sports seem to exist primarily to benefit those already on the top.

 

[littlez]

If the transfer portal is to remain, then obviously is for all schools to participate in the give and take and not just the give. Unfortunately, our coaching philosophy seems to be hide your head in the sand, do things as you've always done them and hope for the best. In my estimation, all of these new "advances" in college sports seem to exist primarily to benefit those already on the top.

So we were in the top 10 all season. Shouldn’t that benefit us?

 

[Ronman]

I, for one, have lost a tremendous amount of interest in sports the past decade or so. I think to some degree there is such a thing as "sports fatigue." Yes, I am old but I remember when there was ONE MLB game on every week. One NFL game (usually the Bears, where I lived) a week. I followed Hawkeye football on the radio and in The Big Peach and college basketball was just an afterthought for quite awhile as was the NBA. Then in the late 70's, cable arrived and sports broadcasting blossomed and I was ecstatic. I attempted to watch every contest in every major sport. This was not sustainable or desirable. Demands on your time increase, sports change, athletes change and before you know it, you're being very selective as to what contests you are willing to invest your time.

 

[Ronman]

So we were in the top 10 all season. Shouldn’t that benefit us?

Not if we don't take advantage of it. I seriously doubt transfers are calling McCaffery asking if they can come play for Iowa. The names "Duke", "Kansas," etc market themselves. We have to work at it a lot harder.

 

[littlez]

Not if we don't take advantage of it. I seriously doubt transfers are calling McCaffery asking if they can come play for Iowa. The names "Duke", "Kansas," etc market themselves. We have to work at it a lot harder.

Those schools are losing as many players as they are getting. Look it up. Duke picked up a guy from Davidson who averaged 3 pts. There’s 1500 players in the portal. It’s not that fu$$ing hard.

 

[LarryMullenJr.]

Those schools are losing as many players as they are getting. Look it up. Duke picked up a guy from Davidson who averaged 3 pts. There’s 1500 players in the portal. It’s not that fu$$ing hard.

I would "argue" that 1500 is insane. It'll be like schoolyard recess if it continues.

Why don't we just get everyone together in July and shoot it up for teams.

 

[vacuum_cleaner]

It's like Jerry Seinfeld said...If you're cheering for a sports team, all you're doing is cheering for a piece of laundry. If a player has on the correct laundry, you cheer for them. If that same player has on the wrong piece of laundry, you root against them.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

You’re just being ridiculous now.

I think I've quite accurately described America 2021. Western culture in general but especially us.

 

[NevadaHawk]

Remember when a transfer was a BIG DEAL?

Yes, remember when Gerry "Sir Jamelot" Wright transferred to Iowa? We were turning cartwheels over that one.

 

[BBHawk]

Yes, remember when Gerry "Sir Jamelot" Wright transferred to Iowa? We were turning cartwheels over that one.

From USC. Who Iowa played the year before. I was at that game. Saw the infamous technical called when Hansom threw the ball at a USC player then ducked behind Gerry's brother, who ended up getting the technical. I was standing in the doorway, it happened right in front of me. Hanson was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

 

[HawkRugged17]

 

[BBHawk]

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That's ridiculous. What kind of a degree can you get doing this? Disjointed at best.