Friday, August 11, 2017

Upon Further Review...


Shame on my hometown Chicago Tribune for quoting UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen (way way) out of context.  Rosen told Bleacher Report in a recent interview “football and school don’t go together.”

That’s the kind of thing that gets me really mad.  My daughter was a high school and college athlete with excellent grades; we expected no less of her.  Clare didn’t have to follow us into the liberal arts, but she had to be good at whatever she decided to do.  After getting a master’s degree in sports’ administration, she muscled her way into a fulltime position at Northwestern University.  Parental mission accomplished.

So, I was all ready to go after Rosen as the next Johnny Manzel until I read the entire interview, in which the junior quarterback complained about the conflict between a required class in his major—economics, not basket weaving—and spring football.  That wasn’t what I expected to hear from a possible #1 NFL draft pick.

Rosen went on to say, “Human beings don’t belong in school with our schedules.  No one in their right mind should have a football player’s schedule and go to school.  It’s not that some players shouldn’t be in school; it’s just that universities should help them more—instead of just finding ways to keep them eligible.”

In addition, Rosen thinks:  “At some point, universities have to do more to prepare players for university life and help them succeed beyond football.  There’s so much money being made in this sport.  It’s a crime not to do everything you can to help the people who are making it for those who are spending it.”

This is a 20-year old talking?  Maybe it stems from what the players at Northwestern tried to do a couple of years ago spreading West.  I hope so.

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