How I Became an Agent for America’s Most Powerful Cartel

Joseph T. Salerno

For the past thirty or so years I have made a small annual donation to my alma mater, Boston College. I usually earmark a part or all of the donation for BC’s athletic programs....I just received an emailed brochure from BC entitled “A Guide to NCAA Regulations for Donors, Alumni, and Friends of Boston College Athletics.”   To my surprise....I am a “representative of athletics interest” for the university.....As a “representative,” I am “prohibited” from providing “extra benefits” to any “enrolled student athlete.” These benefits include cash, loans, and co-signing for loans in any amount. Also prohibited are gifts of any kind to student athletes or their families including holiday gifts, clothing, and even birthday cards. I am also barred from providing special discounts for goods and services or rent-reduced or free housing to student athletes or their relatives; nor am I permitted to pay a student athlete an honorarium for a speaking engagement or allow him or her to use my cell phone to make a call without charging a fee........

Okay, so let’s cut to the chase.........The reason is that almost all intercollegiate athletic programs in the US operate under the purview and supervision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). The NCAA is what is called in economics a “cartel,” whose primary purpose is to maximize the net revenue of the athletic programs of its member institutions........ the NCAA is hardly a free-market cartel that enhances efficiency and productivity. As noted, the cartel is dominated by state institutions and even the powerful private institutions  are the beneficiaries of huge federal research grants and subsidized student loans......To Read More.... 

My Take - Okay, let's understand what college sports was supposed to be about....building leadership. That's not what it's all about now.  Sure there's all that money being wasted going to these leftist institutions, but for the most part it's really all about "bread and circuses" to distract people from what's really going on in the world - just as were the "games" in ancient Rome. And it works!!!!

The lack of knowledge about things that should be basic knowledge and understanting by people on the street is shocking.  One street interviewer asked if people would be willing to vote for Karl Marx this year.  It was amazing how many people didn't know who Marx was or that he was dead.  This is particularly startling since we now live in an information rich world and we're spending an insane amout of money on teachers and teaching institutions.  What are they teaching them?  It certainly isn't history or real economics.  And in the public schools kids have no idea where countries are that are in the news daily. 

But people need to have something to pay attention to - and sports fills the bill - that way they don't really have to think deeply about anything that has anything to do with history or reality. Nor do they need to think deeply at all and feel satisfied.   

I've stopped watching sports with the exception of the Cleveland Browns and I'm not all that thrilled with them either....or the NFL. I've come to the conclusion that if the world eliminated professional or collegiate sports as we know it the world might be better off.