Northwestern players file paperwork to unionize...

[PlayerRep]

I get where the players are coming from, as it's certainly very easy to understand that they feel exploited. That said, do the players have any leverage in this?

If they get certified as a union or win any related lawsuit, they will have significant leverage.

 

[PlayerRep]

This is a better article.

"College athletes, putting in a 40-hour work week with no pay, say they're not amateurs. With coaches and commissioners making millions, they want a College Athletes Players Association."

"A bid by Northwestern University football players to unionize faces significant legal barriers, but even the specter of a union could help tip the highly commercialized playing field more in student-athletes’ favor."

“My goal is to make sure that all student athletes are set up for success long after their playing days are over,” said Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter at a press conference Tuesday in Chicago, where he outlined plans to form the College Athletes Players Association.

"Northwestern was not mistreating its players, Mr. Colter added, but simply playing by the rules of the game as they currently stand. “We need to eliminate unjust NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] rules that create physical, academic, and financial hardships for college athletes across the nation,” he said."

"If the NLRB does recognize the group as a collective bargaining unit, “it will be pretty significant,” says Andrew Zimbalist, an economics professor at Smith College in Northampton, Mass. But the impact would be “primarily in the momentum and publicity it garners,” he says. The NCAA or some other outside body, such as Congress, could feel the pressure to bring about the kinds of changes the players are looking for, he adds."

“How can they call this amateur athletics when our jerseys are sold in stores and the money we generate turns coaches and commissioners into multimillionaires?” Colter asked at Tuesday’s press conference, while also noting that the point of unionizing would not be to ask for players to be paid outright. “The current model represents a dictatorship…. We just want a seat at the table,” he said."

"The president of the College Athletes Players Association, former UCLA football player Ramogi Huma, said the union would help ensure that scholarships cover the full cost of tuition, and that medical coverage extends beyond the playing years, two goals shared by another organization he heads, the National College Players Association."

http://news.yahoo.com/college-football-players-call-union-seat-ncaa-table-223855508.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Plainsman]

This is a better article.

"College athletes, putting in a 40-hour work week with no pay, say they're not amateurs. With coaches and commissioners making millions, they want a College Athletes Players Association."

"A bid by Northwestern University football players to unionize faces significant legal barriers, but even the specter of a union could help tip the highly commercialized playing field more in student-athletes’ favor."

“My goal is to make sure that all student athletes are set up for success long after their playing days are over,” said Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter at a press conference Tuesday in Chicago, where he outlined plans to form the College Athletes Players Association.

"Northwestern was not mistreating its players, Mr. Colter added, but simply playing by the rules of the game as they currently stand. “We need to eliminate unjust NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] rules that create physical, academic, and financial hardships for college athletes across the nation,” he said."

"If the NLRB does recognize the group as a collective bargaining unit, “it will be pretty significant,” says Andrew Zimbalist, an economics professor at Smith College in Northampton, Mass. But the impact would be “primarily in the momentum and publicity it garners,” he says. The NCAA or some other outside body, such as Congress, could feel the pressure to bring about the kinds of changes the players are looking for, he adds."

“How can they call this amateur athletics when our jerseys are sold in stores and the money we generate turns coaches and commissioners into multimillionaires?” Colter asked at Tuesday’s press conference, while also noting that the point of unionizing would not be to ask for players to be paid outright. “The current model represents a dictatorship…. We just want a seat at the table,” he said."

"The president of the College Athletes Players Association, former UCLA football player Ramogi Huma, said the union would help ensure that scholarships cover the full cost of tuition, and that medical coverage extends beyond the playing years, two goals shared by another organization he heads, the National College Players Association."

http://news.yahoo.com/college-football-players-call-union-seat-ncaa-table-223855508.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hard to deny that the kid makes some good points.

 

[Mr. Greenjeans]

I get where the players are coming from, as it's certainly very easy to understand that they feel exploited. That said, do the players have any leverage in this?

If they get certified as a union or win any related lawsuit, they will have significant leverage.

No, they won't with Title IX with regards to pay for play, if football gets pay for play every other other sport will be entitled to the same, men's or women's.

That said any reasonable person would agree that if athletes in any sport sustains an injury that hampers them post career it should be covered by the institute they were playing for, that's only fair.

 

[Mr. Greenjeans]

This is a better article.

"College athletes, putting in a 40-hour work week with no pay, say they're not amateurs. With coaches and commissioners making millions, they want a College Athletes Players Association."

"A bid by Northwestern University football players to unionize faces significant legal barriers, but even the specter of a union could help tip the highly commercialized playing field more in student-athletes’ favor."

“My goal is to make sure that all student athletes are set up for success long after their playing days are over,” said Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter at a press conference Tuesday in Chicago, where he outlined plans to form the College Athletes Players Association.

"Northwestern was not mistreating its players, Mr. Colter added, but simply playing by the rules of the game as they currently stand. “We need to eliminate unjust NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] rules that create physical, academic, and financial hardships for college athletes across the nation,” he said."

"If the NLRB does recognize the group as a collective bargaining unit, “it will be pretty significant,” says Andrew Zimbalist, an economics professor at Smith College in Northampton, Mass. But the impact would be “primarily in the momentum and publicity it garners,” he says. The NCAA or some other outside body, such as Congress, could feel the pressure to bring about the kinds of changes the players are looking for, he adds."

“How can they call this amateur athletics when our jerseys are sold in stores and the money we generate turns coaches and commissioners into multimillionaires?” Colter asked at Tuesday’s press conference, while also noting that the point of unionizing would not be to ask for players to be paid outright. “The current model represents a dictatorship…. We just want a seat at the table,” he said."

"The president of the College Athletes Players Association, former UCLA football player Ramogi Huma, said the union would help ensure that scholarships cover the full cost of tuition, and that medical coverage extends beyond the playing years, two goals shared by another organization he heads, the National College Players Association."

http://news.yahoo.com/college-football-players-call-union-seat-ncaa-table-223855508.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hard to deny that the kid makes some good points.

Very true, and they would likely have grounds to sue major sports that the NCAA has conspired with to limit the options of gifted players. The NFL, NBA and MLB have all done this. Just different parameters for each league.

You can look at the success rates of guys coming out of HS like Kobe or KG or LeBron vs many who failed (there are many). Whether it's smart for a player to stay or go is their business and not mine, so I don't care whatever they do, it's a free country.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

This is a better article.

"College athletes, putting in a 40-hour work week with no pay, say they're not amateurs. With coaches and commissioners making millions, they want a College Athletes Players Association."

"A bid by Northwestern University football players to unionize faces significant legal barriers, but even the specter of a union could help tip the highly commercialized playing field more in student-athletes’ favor."

“My goal is to make sure that all student athletes are set up for success long after their playing days are over,” said Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter at a press conference Tuesday in Chicago, where he outlined plans to form the College Athletes Players Association.

"Northwestern was not mistreating its players, Mr. Colter added, but simply playing by the rules of the game as they currently stand. “We need to eliminate unjust NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] rules that create physical, academic, and financial hardships for college athletes across the nation,” he said."

"If the NLRB does recognize the group as a collective bargaining unit, “it will be pretty significant,” says Andrew Zimbalist, an economics professor at Smith College in Northampton, Mass. But the impact would be “primarily in the momentum and publicity it garners,” he says. The NCAA or some other outside body, such as Congress, could feel the pressure to bring about the kinds of changes the players are looking for, he adds."

“How can they call this amateur athletics when our jerseys are sold in stores and the money we generate turns coaches and commissioners into multimillionaires?” Colter asked at Tuesday’s press conference, while also noting that the point of unionizing would not be to ask for players to be paid outright. “The current model represents a dictatorship…. We just want a seat at the table,” he said."

"The president of the College Athletes Players Association, former UCLA football player Ramogi Huma, said the union would help ensure that scholarships cover the full cost of tuition, and that medical coverage extends beyond the playing years, two goals shared by another organization he heads, the National College Players Association."

http://news.yahoo.com/college-football-players-call-union-seat-ncaa-table-223855508.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hard to deny that the kid makes some good points.

Very true, and they would likely have grounds to sue major sports that the NCAA has conspired with to limit the options of gifted players. The NFL, NBA and MLB have all done this. Just different parameters for each league.

You can look at the success rates of guys coming out of HS like Kobe or KG or LeBron vs many who failed (there are many). Whether it's smart for a player to stay or go is their business and not mine, so I don't care whatever they do, it's a free country.

Could be wrong, but I think the pro leagues have rules based on years removed from high school, not years played in college.

 

[PlayerRep]

I get where the players are coming from, as it's certainly very easy to understand that they feel exploited. That said, do the players have any leverage in this?

If they get certified as a union or win any related lawsuit, they will have significant leverage.

No, they won't with Title IX with regards to pay for play, if football gets pay for play every other other sport will be entitled to the same, men's or women's.

That said any reasonable person would agree that if athletes in any sport sustains an injury that hampers them post career it should be covered by the institute they were playing for, that's only fair.

You are confusing leverage with pay. The union organizers are not even suggesting that players be paid. See below quote. There is no doubt that recognition of a union would give the players significant leverage.

"Colter asked at Tuesday’s press conference, while also noting that the point of unionizing would not be to ask for players to be paid outright. “The current model represents a dictatorship…. We just want a seat at the table,” he said."