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Wilson gets the love, not the money
Submitted by kentysiac on 08/29/2009 - 20:35
The line stretching from the edge of the west concourse at Carter-Finley Stadium to the front of the Murphy Center was concrete evidence that the reward of a scholarship in no way properly compensates college athletes for their value to an athletic department.
On Meet the Pack Day on Saturday, N.C. State fans waited for more than an hour in the hot sun for autographs from the table where the quarterbacks, place-kickers and punters sat.
Though Josh Czajkowski is a fine kicker, they obviously weren’t there for him. “Russell Wilson,” seven-year-old Johnny Barnes Jr. of Sanford replied when asked who he was waiting to meet.
Barnes wore a jersey bearing Wilson’s number, 16, that had been purchased for him about two weeks ago. Colleges get rich off the licensing fees for these jerseys, and it’s funny how number 16 is in vogue now at N.C. State.
And how number 17 was the hot jersey when Philip Rivers wore it at N.C. State.
And how number 50 North Carolina Tar Heel basketball jerseys are everywhere in the afterglow of Tyler Hansbrough’s illustrious career.
And how number 4 Duke jerseys were the rage when J.J. Redick was setting scoring records for the Blue Devils.
Clearly fans purchase jerseys that are replicas of those worn by their favorite players. Yet those players don’t get a dime for the exploitation of their image by the colleges.
They aren’t compensated for their effect on the bottom line, either. N.C. State just announced that season tickets at Carter-Finley are sold out for the ninth straight season despite a struggling economy.
Athletic director Lee Fowler attributed that to excitement over the program’s progress under coach Tom O’Brien. But let’s give credit where credit is due, to Russell Wilson, the returning first-team All-ACC quarterback.
The line for O’Brien’s autograph was about one-third the length of the line for Wilson’s autograph. It’s unlikely N.C. State would have sold out this season if not for the excitement over Wilson.
Even 7-year-old Johnny Barnes understands Wilson’s effect on a game after attending the Papajohns.com Bowl last season. Barnes described how N.C. State played well in the bowl game until Wilson was hurt. Without him in the second half, the Wolfpack lost a come-from-behind decision to Rutgers.
Without Wilson, the Wolfpack wasn’t close to a .500 football team last season and wouldn’t be terribly attractive to fans this season. With Wilson, seats for Thursday’s opener against South Carolina are the hottest ticket in town, and his autograph is in high demand.
Jennifer Decker, 26, of Siler City held a jersey draped over her right arm in hopes Wilson would sign on the “1” or the “6” on the back.
Gaye Clifton, Ken Clifton and their daughter Kristina of Greensboro stood in line for one hour and 20 minutes for Wilson’s autograph. And they had lined up early to wait for their opportunity.
"We considered ourselves lucky when we turned around and saw the line behind us,” Gaye Clifton said.
The Cliftons witnessed one of Wilson’s oddest signings of the day, as he held an infant in one arm and affixed his signature to the child’s tiny Wolfpack outfit. Wilson handled his duty cheerfully and used the opportunity to communicate a message.
He wrote “1 Corinthians 13” each time he signed, referencing a Bible verse on the importance of love. That was appropriate, because he certainly had to be feeling loved Saturday.
"He’s fast,” little Johnny Barnes said admiringly.
For now, though, love is all Wilson will get. N.C. State gets all the money generated by fans’ affection for the quarterback.
That's how the NCAA works.
About the blogger
Ken Tysiac has covered the ACC for The Charlotte Observer since 2003, and spent the previous eight years covering Clemson for the Anderson Independent-Mail and then The State in South Carolina. He grew up in Rochester, N.Y., and is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.Want to post a comment?
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Comments
Why not pay them...
Sun, 08/30/2009 - 21:43 — willncsuI got a stipend and medical insurance for a RA in grad school. Since it was research for NASA it actually brought money into the school. Not nearly as much as RW though.
I think If most of these
Sun, 08/30/2009 - 14:57 — chrismg1I think If most of these athletes were given the choice, they would take their scholarships over whatever money they could attain from jersey sales or publicity.
You mentioned Hansbrough as an example. He is from Missouri as everyone knows so without a scholarship he would have to pay out of state tuition which is $20,603 and set to go up another $1,200. So thats over $80,000 that he did not have to pay to go to school and play basketball for 4 years. Duke's tuition is around $50,000 a year so any player sticking around for four years would have to pay about $200,000 without a scholarship. NCSU is a little cheaper ranging from $2,000 to $9,000 a year depending on the number of class hours taken and resident status.
just because they aren't getting royalties checks doesn't mean they aren't being compensated for their contributions to athletics
I think somewhere along the
Sun, 08/30/2009 - 18:33 — ashley41683I think somewhere along the way you missed the ruling by the UNC system to continue allowing out of state athletes to qualify for instate tuition. Thus lowering the amount of money a school is giving them in scholarships etc etc. There were a few articles about it a couple of weeks ago.
It's still a valid point.
Sun, 08/30/2009 - 20:36 — SpacewolfIt's still a valid point. The out-of-state student, if he were not an athlete, would have to pay out-of-state tuition. Being able to pay instate tuition benefits the athletic department or booster club, whose costs are reduced. The benefit to the student-athlete is the same, unless he is on a partial scholarship, as is common for non-revenue sports.
NC State sold out their
Sun, 08/30/2009 - 11:57 — VanAlstonNC State sold out their season tickets back when Amato was coaching. People knew the product was going to stink and they bought them anyway. NC State fans love NC State. Russell Wilson plays for the team and therefore gets the love.
Well, except for Lee Fowler. His mom probably doesn't even love him.
wrong
Sun, 08/30/2009 - 13:21 — gvillegatrthe product did not stink while under Amato unless you are refering to all the dumb ass penalties. there were some talented players under his regime throughout. thye just weren't able to overcome them like at Free Shoes University.
"N.C. State just announced
Sun, 08/30/2009 - 03:22 — TDiddyt"N.C. State just announced that season tickets at Carter-Finley are sold out for the ninth straight season... But let’s give credit where credit is due, to Russell Wilson, the returning first-team All-ACC quarterback."
C'mon Ken, you're better than that. The first 8 seasons were sellouts before Wilson ever played a down. You're hyping the hype just a bit too much here.
1-11
Thu, 09/03/2009 - 00:28 — Heels20That very well could have been State's record if Wilson was not the QB this past season. The Pack most likely would have failed selling out in 2007 had it not been for the excitement surrounding a new coach. Wolfpackers love their football, but not enough to stay interested after a 1-win season and a 3rd straight year of failing to appear in a bowl game. Wilson was the difference and saved the program.
Wrong idea, halfhearted effort
Sun, 08/30/2009 - 02:12 — CSOM_97Of the twenty to thirty sports colleges typically support, no more than two or three will be revenue positive. The couple of positive sports subsidize all other sports. Colleges are in the business of educating all students, both body and mind. Diverse athletic offerings allow a wider variety of students to experience this - and all are equally valuable to the individual's development.
Colleges give these atheletes scholarships, books, meals, clothing, academic support, as well as paying for equipment, travelling, and coaching support. Very, very few athletic programs are profitable overall.
These cheap and shallow arguments that students should be paid ignore the fundamental nature of universities and their central missions. Positive cash flow from one discipline is used to fund other unprofitable disciplines - whether that cash comes from football or from a patent resulting from research activities.
Great response.
Sun, 08/30/2009 - 10:54 — JPDOhioThis one and mad_max's too. Ask any graduate with massive student loans that will take years to pay off what the value of a college education is. These kids have an opportunity to get that education free and still participate in an activity that they love.
So get off the PC high horse and stick to the action on the field and in the locker room. The benefits accrue to both the school and the player, assuming they each take full advantage of the unique opportunity.
I don't know...
Sun, 08/30/2009 - 00:51 — mad_maxI have problems with articles like these. You act as if college athletes are forced into labor for the financial benefits of the athletic departments. If the players were really being taken advantage of so badly, then they wouldn't take part. You forget that not only do the athletes receive scholarships, but they receive exposure. Sure, without the great athletes there is no excitement, but without the industry in place, there is nothing for the players.
Also, I don't think you can really say whether or not NC State would have sold out their season tickets based on the existence of Russell Wilson. They sold out before Wolfpack nation knew of him.