Chris Misaalefua

Rhetoric and Composition

25 March 2015
Professor Salome
Berkes, Peter (2013) Johnny Manzel briefly suspended, ending NCAA
autograph investigation. Retrieved from www.SBnation.com (March 17, 2015)
This article discusses a scandal regarding former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny
Manziel, was investigated for signing merchandise for money. Manziel had won the
Heisman the top award in college football the previous season. Johnny Manziel
became a household name after his incredible freshman season, and was also seen
as a bit of a bad guy in college football for his perceived reckless lifestyle that
included much partying. This relates to the NCAA putting up strains on college
athletes in regards to their own name. These restrictions made Manziel look like a
bad guy for not following the rules of the NCAA. I will use this piece to discuss why
athletes are prohibited from using their namesakes and likeness for personal profits,
and why they should be allowed to. This article is important because it relates to a
major issue of athletes, regardless of how much money they generate for their
school and the NCAA, being unable to receive payment.
Johnson, Graig (2014 ) The NCAA makes billons and student athletes get
none of it. Retrieved from www.thenation.com on march 20th, 2015
This article is extremely important because it offers a strong supporting viewpoint
as well as statistics. The main argument on how a student- athlete works for sixty
hours a week at their sport, well over the American work week. This article
emphasizes the mass revenue that the NCAA makes from college athletes without
having to pay them. The statistics are vital to my paper because they really show
how much the average student athlete puts in to their craft per week. Ill use this

piece to point out that student athletes should be paid as they even work overtime
in regards to the full American work week being forty hours.

Mendelson, Joel. (2014) College athletes should get paid. Retrieved from
www.alligator.org on March 19, 2015
This article is important because it provides an opposing viewpoint for me to refute.
Mr. Mendelson argues that paying for tuition and education is enough for athletes.
Mr. Medndelson did not play college sports at Florida, which could play a role in his
skewed view of the situation. I feel that when it comes to college athletics athletes
should either be able to get paid for the service to the college or be able to work a
job so that they can put money in their pocket for extra things, such as fare to get
home, money for clothes, and gas money. I feel that the NCAA does not factor in the
these kids are student-athletes and not just athletes. Proving this article wrong is
important so that I can not only make a point but also counter a reasonable
opposing one. Doing this will give my paper strength from more than one angle, and
be very beneficial overall.
Solomon (2014) Notre Dame AD: College players should be paid for using
their names. Retrieved from www.CBsports.com on March 14, 2015
This article is important to my paper because it explains an important argument
that college athletics should be paid when the NCAA uses their names, whether on
jerseys, poster, or advertisements. This article explains how student athletes should
be reimbursed. Ill utilize this piece to piggyback off of earlier themes of college
athletes being able to receive payment for their namesakes. Its also important
because of an important figure, The Notre Dame athletic director, voicing his

opinion on the matter and hopefully giving some strength to the argument of
college athletes being paid.
Trahan, Kevin (2014). 15 facts about the NCAA wealth + competitive
imbalance. Retrieved from the www.sbnation.com on March 22, 2015
This article very factual, and I will use it to point out how some college programs
earn as much as a professional sports team. ( Texas Michigan, and Florida) the
article also states that revenue sports are very profitable and that the business are
still growing. I will use these statistics to illustrate how much revenue the NCAA
truly makes, and how athletes really do not make much of that despite being the
major reason for these humongous profits. Its a ridiculous theme to imagine a
couple of the major sports markets, with all the athletes that make millions per
year, actually grossing less revenue than the NCAA does per year, yet with the
NCAA athletes not being paid.
Waldron, Travis (2014). UConn Star: College Athletes Have Hungry Nights
That We Dont Have Enough Money to Get Food. Retrieved from thinkprogress.org
on March 23, 2015.
This article will be one of my most important. It centers on former University of
Connecticut basketball star Shabazz Napiers comments about not always having
enough food to eat sometimes. These comments were especially were important
because Napier was the star of UConn team that would go on to win the National
Championship during the 2013-2014 season. I will utilize this source to provide a
strong supporting argument to that idea that free education is enough for college
athletes. Shabazz Napier was a prolific player for the UConn Huskies, and especially
during the time of the NCAA Tournament Finals, his opinion was very important and
he was constantly in the spotlight.

These articles have helped me generate a strong base for my paper, and I can
already feel the pieces coming together. The aspect of how much money the NCAA
makes and how little the student athletes are reimbursed is important, and the
argument against my thesis is vital for me to refute to provide a strong, persuasive
point in my argument.