college and professional sports

[Jessica]

If you want to talk about sports, please do. I absolutely love the insult interplay.

[[deleted user]]

I absolutely loathe sports so will try to avoid this one. We get nasty enough on Furry Best Friends OFF TOPIC! LOL!

Do join us there if you like controversy.
Alice

[Jessica]

I find controversy amusing. Of course I went to the University of Iowa and we had a very adversarial relationship with Iowa State.

Now, I don't follow sports much. When I knew people who were playing, I would follow those professional teams, especially the Patriots and the Bears. jess

[Rhonda]

Modern sports, especially with the obscenely high salaries, remind me of the Roman Coliseum, except that no one dies. I suppose that some competition is healthy, but the entire expense tends to worry me a great deal these days. I can't, even if I wanted to, simply go to a baseball or football game without spending an incredible amount of money. In addition, people tend to identify too closely with the team they like. Their personalities become dependent on these sports teams. That part seems a bit unhealthy. When a game is on and I am in a group watching something, however, such as New year's Day, I tend to get involved, even, on occasion, yelling at the TV. I'm afraid I would be an addicted gambler if I were ever dumb enough to go on the floor of a casino too!

[Jessica]

Rhondak, An excellent point. The money is obscene--even going to semi-pro baseball game costs a fortune.

As for gambling, it's funny you mention that. I gambled once, on my grandma's 90th birthday celebration weekend. It was dirty and dull and I ended up sitting and talking to my aunt (who one about $5K--and does not need it at all). It's sad to see all the people who don't have money gambling. Never even bought a lottery ticket.

[Dallas]

My niece will be relying heavily on a sports scholarship (softball) to get through college, so I'm all about college sports! I just wish the money were more equally distributed.

[Jessica]

Males will always get larger scholarships. The "reason" is that they draw larger crowds. Do you think this is an adequate reason or rationale?

[Elena]

We don't have sports scolarships in Italy, nor college sports. Are we missing something at all? :)

[Dallas]

I think "drawing larger crowds" is just an easy excuse for the colleges justify the disparity. It starts so early with girls not being encouraged to play sports, lack of equipment/facilities, and not seeing well-run programs in grade and high school for girls. High schools tend to focus on football, baseball and [boys:] basketball.

We have title IX, but it doesn't seem to go very far for equality.

[Dallas]

Elena wrote: "We don't have sports scolarships in Italy, nor college sports. Are we missing something at all? :)


"
Elena, European countries tend to have better run national federations for sports--maybe this is the reason for not having it in college.

[Elena]

We should have, I guess... But recent scandals involving the soccer (our national sport) federation make me feel quite puzzled-There's probably too much money around the whole business.

[Jessica]

Dallas wrote: "I think "drawing larger crowds" is just an easy excuse for the colleges justify the disparity. It starts so early with girls not being encouraged to play sports, lack of equipment/facilities, and ..."

Dallas, I agree completely. Jess