Go Bucks

This is a melancholy day because it is the end of college football season for the Ohio State team, but it's a happy day because they won their game last night against Arkansas.
I love college football, but it is messed up!
The colleges make millions of dollars off their football programs. The players, if they are lucky, will go on to play in the National Football League and could make millions. At the very least, they are supposed to get a "free" education for playing football. I think the school gets much more out of the players than the players get out of the school.
Watching Grace attempt a college sport, practicing 22 hours a week, I saw how difficult it must be for hard core athletes who are gone for games and miss classes, along with more hours of practice. How can they possibly keep up with classes? They don't very well. That's why football players are notorious for majoring in things like athletic training.
Earl claims it's a symbiotic relationship, but the power is very lopsided.
Some of the OSU players got in trouble with the National Collegiate Athletic Association for selling some of their football trophies. They aren't allowed to earn any money off their "celebrity." I'm sure these boys are coddled and treated like kings because of their athletic prowess. They also are allowed to let slide through the system rather than pushed to work hard and earn a degree. The boys who sold their trophies -- a charm and a ring for winning, made $1500 to $2500 and also got some free tattoos.
They have apologized and promised to come back to school next year to finish their college rather than going to the professional football league, where they could make big money.
Last night though, they played like men. The guys who were in trouble all made great plays to help lead the Buckeyes to victory over Arkansas. I hate to listen to the sports announcers who say that Ohio State can't keep up with the southern teams, but I love watching those same announcers eat their words.
I don't know how to fix the college system. I love being able to support Ohio State along with hundreds of thousands of other fans and alumni in Ohio and around the world.