Who he is: Reginald Alfred Bush is the 3rd down/backup running back for the Saints. His salary this year is $8 million (up from 2.6 million last year) with the opportunity for another three million in bonuses. This came after modifying his original six-year, $52.6 million dollar deal. His base salary goes up to $11.8 million next year. Saints starting running back Pierre Thomas, on the other hand, will make just under $1.7 million this year. In case you're curious, Thomas has 20 touchdowns over the past two years to Bush's 14. He also USED TO BE a Heisman winner.
Why he's on the bench: Bush isn't here for losing his Heisman or accepting money and gifts to play at USC. Clearly, he's not the only one, and in truth, most 18- or 19-year-olds would accept those gifts. He's here for the statement he made, rather his "non-admission of guilt," in response to being stripped of his Heisman. Bush said that giving up the trophy was the best way to end the controversy. I don't really believe that, but OK. Bush went on to say, "Obviously something has to be changed. You've got universities making millions of dollars off these kids and they don't get paid. The majority of college athletes who come in on scholarship come in with nothing. That's where you have a problem. You're making all this money off these kids and you're giving them crumbs."
Pardon me, Reginald, but didn't you get a free education? Free food and housing? Free Division I coaching that enabled you to become the second overall pick in the draft? Not to mention all the free...ahem, female fans that love a Division I NFL prospect living the next dorm over. Maybe other athletes feel the same as you, and maybe the percentages of money earned for the school compared to what your education costs are skewed. But I'm a grad student, and when I'm done, I will owe $60,000 in loans and definitely do not have $11.8 million due to me next year or any year. What I'm saying is, there are a lot more people in my boat than in yours, and we're the ones paying to watch you thus far underwhelm on Sundays. You get no sympathy from me.
Also, Bush always goes three rounds too early in fantasy drafts, as my friend Pat will discover over the next few months.
2 comments:
I feel like I should point out that I am not the Pat that Alex mentioned in this post. I did not draft Reginald Bush at all.
I don't disagree entirely with your points, but Bush, and all college football players, are risking their brains, bodies and careers every Saturday for your enjoyment and aren't allowed to be compensated anywhere near the level of their value. Most other college students pay a lot of tuition, but don't exactly risk their lives for others' enjoyment. Bush's entire earning potential becomes nil if he takes one bad hit.
I don't know what the answer is, but I don't disagree with "Reginald," either. College football players aren't much like any other college student and I don't think they should be treated that way -- it's just not the reality of college sports anymore.
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