OPINION:
Dennis Lennox makes no case for paid student athletes (“College should pay student athletes,” Web, Nov. 17). OK, big-time college sports result in millionaire coaches, super-successful athletic-gear makers and big income from TV — without easing skyrocketing tuition costs for other students. But those facts don’t justify making a few student athletes professionals.
First, there would be far more “Rudys” than Joe Montanas. Practice squads would be slaves. The benchwarmers naturally would envy the BMWs owned by high-scoring centers. With payment for photos, images and endorsements, would those stars then start to speak in sentences during interviews?
Professional sports are beginning to have trouble drawing crowds; just flip to the back page of The Times’ Commentary section, which published Mr. Lennox’s piece. The Redskins’ bad record had fans leaving empty seats and stragglers unable to sustain their shouted demand that Dan Synder sell his billion-dollar-plus franchise. MLB seat sales slumped in some parks. Even Notre Dame Saturday failed to sell out for the first time in nearly a half-century.
As a Notre Dame grad (’51) and fan, I’d rather see the Irish’s expanded stadium nearly empty playing Ol’ Siwash and other unranked teams for the love of sports rather than have it overflowing for the sake of greenback accumulation.
CARL EIFERT
Alexandria, Va.
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