Letters to the Sports Editor
5/1/2011Why does WNIT get so much?
Congratulations again to the University of Toledo women’s basketball team on their WNIT championship. Out of curiosity, what happens if neither team playing wants to pay the WNIT ransom and bid on the home game?
I’m amazed at the amount of money the WNIT office gets from the schools playing at all home-court sites, doing all the work and paying all the bills.
Sounds like the WNIT office is nothing more than a street hustler. What exactly does the WNIT office do other than pick the 64-team field?
BOB SIMON
Temperance, Mich.
WNIT title surely disappointed Blade
Way to go Rockets for winning the WNIT, but what a disappointment it had to be for The Blade to report that the University of Toledo’s hosting the games actually made money on the event.
Your earlier story that UT lost money on the first two games seems to have been somewhat pessimistic and a bit premature but shows your recurring skepticism of anything good that happens around the area.
Maybe if they had lost money we could have been greeted with that story on the front page Easter morning instead of the heartwarming holiday story of dead dogs.
DAVE MULLIN
Sylvania
Editor’s note: While UT did lose money in the early rounds, the story reported how the WNIT operates and explained the process for UT to keep getting home games.
Your claim that The Blade was disappointed that UT made money in the tournament is preposterous. Did you see the souvenir page when the Rockets won the WNIT? Did you see the electronic billboards all over Toledo that congratulated UT’s victory? The Blade paid for and sponsored them.
When will NCAA start paying athletes?
Is it time? Is it time to consider giving student-athletes a weekly allowance?
The NCAA estimates that college sports generate 4.2 billion dollars a year in revenue from fans across the United States.
Should a small fraction of that revenue go toward a weekly stipend for student-athletes?
Student-athletes are very grateful for the tuition, room and board, and book voucher money they receive from their respective universities. They also appreciate the excellent medical care they receive. Unfortunately, for many who come from households that are in financial difficulty, the grant-in-aid does not cover all their expenses.
There are many expenses for college students that surface every week beyond their room, board, books, and tuition costs. This may include gas for the car, money for tickets to a movie or concert, personal items, and the list goes on and on.
Will a weekly allowance slow down the problems that some college athletes get into, such as selling memorabilia for money or other NCAA infractions? I’m not sure.
But if coach Mack Brown at Texas can make $5.1 million a year, coach Nick Saban at Alabama can make $4.5 million a year, and coach Jim Tressel at Ohio State can make $3.5 million a year, I think it is time to consider a weekly allowance for the horses that are providing these men with that kind of salary.
Is it time?
GEORGE W. WEIDNER
Toledo