[Softball Fan]

Those decrying paying college athletes are like those who believe the beatings should continue until morale improves.

The athletes are saying we work hard and take risks with our bodies so we want to get paid. Then the Ivory Tower types are like "let them eat cake" because if they eat a five star meal, it somehow bothers them? Why?!?!?!

Does Stanford not have to pay top dollar to professors that keep Stanford on top academically, and by extension maintain the equity of your Stanford education?  I mean just think if Stanford said "Pfft, we're not paying the top Astrophysicist researcher in the country $1M per year. Let them go to MIT where they are comfortable buying the best academic reputation. At Stanford, we want researchers to be here because they love to see cows grazing on our campus more than they want to earn as much as they can..."?

The whole psychosis against paying athletes to play for your entertainment, or in this case, just allowing them to get paid to perform for your entertainment when you aren't paying, simply baffles me.

"The athletes are saying we work hard and take risks with our bodies so we want to get paid."

This doesn't address the current NIL system.  Walk-ons in all sports work hard and take risks in practice daily.  Division II and Division III athletes in all sports work hard and take risks.  But the vast majority of these athletes aren't getting NIL deals.  They aren't getting any financial compensation.

"Does Stanford not have to pay top dollar to professors that keep Stanford on top academically, and by extension maintain the equity of your Stanford education?"

This is a misguided argument.  Stanford is an academic institution.  Its charter is to educate students.

[Softball Fan]

Those decrying paying college athletes are like those who believe the beatings should continue until morale improves.

The athletes are saying we work hard and take risks with our bodies so we want to get paid. Then the Ivory Tower types are like "let them eat cake" because if they eat a five star meal, it somehow bothers them? Why?!?!?!

Does Stanford not have to pay top dollar to professors that keep Stanford on top academically, and by extension maintain the equity of your Stanford education?  I mean just think if Stanford said "Pfft, we're not paying the top Astrophysicist researcher in the country $1M per year. Let them go to MIT where they are comfortable buying the best academic reputation. At Stanford, we want researchers to be here because they love to see cows grazing on our campus more than they want to earn as much as they can..."?

The whole psychosis against paying athletes to play for your entertainment, or in this case, just allowing them to get paid to perform for your entertainment when you aren't paying, simply baffles me.

"The athletes are saying we work hard and take risks with our bodies so we want to get paid."

This doesn't address the current NIL system.  Walk-ons in all sports work hard and take risks in practice daily.  Division II and Division III athletes in all sports work hard and take risks.  But the vast majority of these athletes aren't getting NIL deals.  They aren't getting any financial compensation.

"Does Stanford not have to pay top dollar to professors that keep Stanford on top academically, and by extension maintain the equity of your Stanford education?"

This is a misguided argument.  Stanford is an academic institution.  Its charter is to educate students.