Response to "Football is a Sucker's Game" by Sokolove

What was the point of this article? I wasn't sure if Sokolove was writing negatively about college football or not. He would write about how U.S.F. Coach Leavitt wanted a football team and then went on about all that he has accomplished, but then suddenly switch the subject to how much the sport costs and how Leavitt was greedy. So what was the point? You're either happy that this commuter school now has a great team or you're not, make up your mind Mr. Sokolove.
I've made up my mind about this football craze. Although I do believe in having pride in the school you're attending, the pride should not be derived from sports, but rather academics. I would much rather leave my university satisfied that my education will serve me well in the world, than a good four years running around chasing a ball and not sure where my life will end up. How many of these football stars make it to the NFL? They are given full rides to these colleges based on their talent in the sport, but how often do these players actually get around to playing along side the big boys? Not often.
I don't find it right that so much money that could be used to better the academic experience at the university should be used to accommodate the needs of these brutes. Millions of dollars go into housing and keeping these men, some of which had G.P.A.s that were below acceptable for university admissions. I'm not given incentives to come to a university, why should these men? I'm not expecting a gigantic glittering building that will teach me about math or English. Instead, I'm paying $3,500 a year to attend in hopes that someday I will be able to use my brain, not my body to succeed. These men, although skilled at their trade, are practically prostitutes, they perform services of entertainment to raise money. That may be a little too harsh, but I'm a bit peeved about college football's funding. These boys are babied high schoolers that are being thrown into the ring of the university big-boys.
This brings me to the irresponsibility of these helmet wearing schmoes, who need a mandatory study time to do homework. This is not high school anymore, students do not walk through school with their teacher holding their hand. Many of these men are fathers, fathers to multiple children. Do they have someone setting up mandatory play time with their kids? If you're practicing 6 hours a day and still have homework to do for class, where will they find time for the multiple children they can't seem to stop conceiving. Where do these men find time to hold jobs to support their growing families. According to the article, the U.S.F. team had around 60 children that had been born either before or after the team members had been brought in. No one seemed to be thinking when they started handing out scholarships to the future fumblers of American football.
That scholarship money could have been used for something more than the university's trophy team. The scholarship that went to a football player with a low G.P.A. in high school could have been given to the girl or boy that was destined to find the cure for certain types of terminal cancer, or found a way to stop the multiplication of cells affected with AIDS. But no, these discoveries will be delayed because college football is priority, go team!