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I agree. For those familiar with soccer in Europe, take a look at the system they have in place there. Athletes on a path to professional sports join private sp

I agree. For those familiar with soccer in Europe, take a look at the system they have in place there. Athletes on a path to professional sports join private sports clubs early on and (1) mature athletically much faster and (2) quickly have the potential to earn money for playing. Professional sports is a legitimate career which doesn't really require a college education, so we could really learn from Europe's clean division between school and sports.

Nux 13y ago
I think the football players in Europe are also pretty uneducated, though not being active in a college or uni nobody really cares. We just take it for granted. My problem with football is the toxic environment that develops around it, all the abusive fans (a bunch of misogynist, homophobes, xenophobes and racist lowlifes), all the damn betting agencies - the black spot in any neighbourhood, all the scandals about bribes and such. It's a shame, because the sport itself is very nice.
- gojomo 13y ago
  While there are plenty of toxic attitudes and behaviors in American sport as well, it seems (from a distance) that the European football system is worse. It might be that the laundering of loyalties through colleges helps the US a bit here. The 17-23 year-old athletes are inside, and must feign allegiance to, a system of more supervision and higher educational aspirations. Many fans acquire collegiate affiliations far from their home region, and the overall fan base might lean more college-educated, because of all the co-marketing during college years.
  - johnward 13y ago
    I think you basically just get the lowest common denominator when it comes to sports fans. Kind of like when you walk into any walmart in the US.
- mcv 13y ago
  > It's a shame, because the sport itself is very nice. I think fundamentally the problem is in watching other people sport. Sport is great for people to do. As entertainment for mass consumption, it's not so great.
k-mcgrady 13y ago
>> "Professional sports is a legitimate career which doesn't really require a college education, so we could really learn from Europe's clean division between school and sports." I really hope that was sarcasm and I'm just missing it. I don't think the American system is all that great but seriously, have you listened to an English footballer give an interview? They can barely string a sentence together. Think of the kids who believe as you say, it's a legitimate career. The ones who then don't become professional and can't get a job as they left school so early.
- thomasz 13y ago
  I'm pretty sure that more than 90% of them can read...
  - x0054 13y ago
    Well, according to the research in question so can 92% of University of North Carolina football players. What's your point?
  - timje1 13y ago
    At more than an 8-9 reading age? That's probably true for the premiership. If we included the lower leagues... I wouldn't take that bet.
  - kenshiro_o 13y ago
    I don't think they can read well... I am sure a lot of them would score below average in national reading tests.
  - VMG 13y ago
    But nobody pretends they can
- tehwalrus 13y ago
  > "have you listened to an English footballer give an interview?" People who play sport with nearly all their time from age 10 or so are going to be less academically developed - that's not necessarily a tragedy in and of itself, although it might be a shame. That's not the issue here. The issue is that in the USA, apparently, these athletes are all enrolled in higher education courses that they will either fail or drop out of. In the UK, and Europe, athletes aren't required to pursue such courses as part of their athletic development - they can go straight from school to professional sport, via privately run clubs which maintain youth teams and leagues.

Nux 13y ago

I think the football players in Europe are also pretty uneducated, though not being active in a college or uni nobody really cares. We just take it for granted. My problem with football is the toxic environment that develops around it, all the abusive fans (a bunch of misogynist, homophobes, xenophobes and racist lowlifes), all the damn betting agencies - the black spot in any neighbourhood, all the scandals about bribes and such. It's a shame, because the sport itself is very nice.

gojomo 13y ago
While there are plenty of toxic attitudes and behaviors in American sport as well, it seems (from a distance) that the European football system is worse. It might be that the laundering of loyalties through colleges helps the US a bit here. The 17-23 year-old athletes are inside, and must feign allegiance to, a system of more supervision and higher educational aspirations. Many fans acquire collegiate affiliations far from their home region, and the overall fan base might lean more college-educated, because of all the co-marketing during college years.
- johnward 13y ago
  I think you basically just get the lowest common denominator when it comes to sports fans. Kind of like when you walk into any walmart in the US.
mcv 13y ago
> It's a shame, because the sport itself is very nice. I think fundamentally the problem is in watching other people sport. Sport is great for people to do. As entertainment for mass consumption, it's not so great.

k-mcgrady 13y ago

>> "Professional sports is a legitimate career which doesn't really require a college education, so we could really learn from Europe's clean division between school and sports." I really hope that was sarcasm and I'm just missing it. I don't think the American system is all that great but seriously, have you listened to an English footballer give an interview? They can barely string a sentence together. Think of the kids who believe as you say, it's a legitimate career. The ones who then don't become professional and can't get a job as they left school so early.

thomasz 13y ago
I'm pretty sure that more than 90% of them can read...
- x0054 13y ago
  Well, according to the research in question so can 92% of University of North Carolina football players. What's your point?
- timje1 13y ago
  At more than an 8-9 reading age? That's probably true for the premiership. If we included the lower leagues... I wouldn't take that bet.
- kenshiro_o 13y ago
  I don't think they can read well... I am sure a lot of them would score below average in national reading tests.
- VMG 13y ago
  But nobody pretends they can
tehwalrus 13y ago
> "have you listened to an English footballer give an interview?" People who play sport with nearly all their time from age 10 or so are going to be less academically developed - that's not necessarily a tragedy in and of itself, although it might be a shame. That's not the issue here. The issue is that in the USA, apparently, these athletes are all enrolled in higher education courses that they will either fail or drop out of. In the UK, and Europe, athletes aren't required to pursue such courses as part of their athletic development - they can go straight from school to professional sport, via privately run clubs which maintain youth teams and leagues.