My Reaction to the ''Black Athlete''

Many Black athletes endure humble beginnings. They go through financial struggles throughout their entire life. So when an opportunity to make or take money, they have a hard time not accepting it. Colleges and Universities that recruit black athletes break NCAA rules by playing their players one way or another. It could be an Alumni paying the players or Agents. Throughout recent years their have been many cases in which a Black athlete is caught being recruited and being paid. The Sports that involve these cases are mostly Football and Basketball. A year ago there was a case involving Heisman Trophy winner Cam Netwon. The University of Tennessee and the University of Auburn offered Cam Newton's Father money in order to recruit him.

If Division one athletes do not accept money and their family cannot afford to send them money then what happens? Even though the athlete is on a full athletic scholarship, spending money throughout the year is hard to obtain while training all year round for a sport. In March 2010 the quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was charged with burglary. He and a fellow player stole two computers and a guitar from a fraternity house at the University of Oregon. This cost Masoli his starting position throughout spring football. He was moved to wide receiver by the coaches and thought it was not the right fit. So he transfered to the University of Ole Miss. Now his currently a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. But this incident cost Masoli his political image in College Football. He lost his Heisman Trophy contention because of this. He says actions was caused because he had little spending money and wonders if he should have asked alumni or Agents for money. He said if he would have broke the NCAA rules, he probably would have got away with it and still be at the University of Oregon. 

Masoli led Oregon to its first Pac-10 title and Rose Bowl since 2001

Another case involving the Black athlete was when Reggie Bush was forced to return his Heisman Trophy. During his football career at USC, Reggie Bush and his family received money and gifts. The running back coach was aware that this was happening but did not do anything about it. Even though he won the Heisman Trophy through the voting, and the rules that were broken did not affect his performance or the opponents he played. The NCAA board felt that the Heisman trophy is fitted for athletes who show a positive image in the college football world. He did return the trophy but the runner up in the voting did not obtain the trophy. Which was Vince Young. He wanted to start a program that helps athletes and families afford the costs of sending players to college. He said he wanted to do this to help people not make the same mistakes he did.

Many Black athletes that become professional have broken the rules of the NCAA in some way. But in their eyes, the risk is worth it because they are trying to make a living in the sport that they play. Compared to most Black Athletes backgrounds, they are highly motivated to go professional at a sport no matter what the cost might be. A lot of Black Athletes have nothing to lose but everything to gain. A movie was created called ''Blue Chips'' to demonstrate why colleges break NCAA rules in order to recruit athletes. Colleges do it in order to win. And you win with the best players on you team.