A Horrible Game

Darrin Harris played defensive back for the University of Washington until his face mask impaled him after making a tackle.
He left the field in a coma and went through rehab. When he returned to school he was suffering from sleeplessness, sensitivity to light, and depression. He eventually left school, but still returns for medical assistance.

Graham  Sanford, age 25, was an offensive lineman at Illinois State University and was injured during his freshman year. Today, Mr. Sanford cannot get out of a chair without assistance after suffering a back injury that required 5 surgeries and maybe more. His out of pocket expenses average $ 10,000 dollars per year.

Adrian Arrington played strong safety for Eastern Illinois University.  While playing with multiple concussions, his father eventually had to come down onto the field and prevent his son's coach from putting him back in the game.

Mr. Arrington's concussions led to severe brain injuries and he has been declared legally disabled by the Federal Government because of frequent seizures that prevent him from working or even driving a car. He cannot work because he has also been declared a danger to others as well as himself. His medical bills are approaching millions of dollars. His medical bills are covered by taxpayers.

Kyle Hardrick played basketball at the University of Oklahoma with Clippers' star Blake Griffin. A 300 pound teammate fell on his knee and his basketball career was over. So was his ability to stand as a tire sorter for Goodyear or a truck driver. Kyle now works as and aid at a home for troubled youth.

These four young men, three Black and Mr. Sanford, who is white, all suffer from the same malady. After they were injured in college and left school either by dropping out, losing a scholarship, or graduating, the schools for whom they played and became injured, refused to pay their continuing medical bills.

There is a lot of discussion about whether or not players should be paid. Let's table that discussion and examine the real reason why the NCAA wants all of their athletes to remain amateurs.

AS LONG AS THESE ATHLETES MAINTAIN THEIR AMATEUR STATUS AND DON'T GET PAID, THE NCAA DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY THEM WORKMAN'S COMPENSATION IF THEY ARE INJURED. WHEN THESE INJURED PLAYERS LEAVE SCHOOL, THE INSTITUTION IS NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PAYMENT OF THEIR MEDICAL BILLS. EVEN THOUGH THE INJURIES WILL AFFECT THESE YOUNG MEN FOREVER.

In 1950, a player was killed on the football field and the NCAA denied that he even played football. But to cover their asses, the NCAA created the term, "student athlete" to describe college athletes and justify not paying them.

At all college sporting events, the ticket takers, the concessionaires,
the custodians, the referees, the coaches, and security personnel are all paid and covered by Workman's Compensation Insurance. The only ones not covered are the players, who are subject to the highest incident of an injury.

Paying college player's would make workman's compensation insurance mandatory and in all cases injuries that cause permanent disabilities will be 100% covered. Furthermore, when an employer pays it workers, the employer takes measures to ensure the safety of those workers and if not, their workman's compensation insurance will increase.

Lastly, it is being discussed and investigated that since the majority of basketball and football players are African American, the Universities don't appear too eager to change. However, regardless of one's race, to suffer for life from a sport that allowed an institution to make millions and not pay for long term care, is unconscionable.

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