In case you had not noticed, collegiate sports have been completely swallowed up by the sports/entertainment/gambling behemoth. The latest evidence of this is star quarterback Demond Williams Jr.’s surprise announcement that he is entering the so-called transfer portal to find another team. Williams is abandoning the University of Washington Huskies despite having signed a legally binding revenue sharing deal with the UW just last Friday.
After many long decades of playing for free, college athletes have been granted the power to monetize their days on campus. They are now doing what any professional athlete with bankable skills does – look for a team that will pay more money and offer a better chance to win a championship. Antique ideas like loyalty to fans or commitments to teammates are as outdated as waiting to have sex until marriage.
Williams’ sudden departure is aggravating for many reasons, not least because the Huskies football coach, Jedd Fisch, had built his team and his plans for the future around a quarterback who had promised to stay. One has to wonder, though, if Williams was at all influenced by the fact that, when the coveted coaching job at Michigan opened up a few weeks ago and Fisch was talked about as a prime candidate for the position, Fisch did not categorically say he would not take it if offered.
Star players are now doing what ambitious coaches are doing: run for the money.
I am extremely skeptical any time a player or coach, collegiate or professional, in any sport, declares affection for the fans and for a particular university or city. I do not believe these guys love the fans, they love that the fans cheer them and laud them and hold them up as heroes. And they love any city or university that gives them a job – until they move on to the next place.
I am a loyal supporter of my alma mater, the University of Washington. The university gave me a comprehensive education and a great start on my journalism career, as well as providing innumerable benefits to the city and state I call home. So I’ll cheer for the teams that represent my university, but I will not be fooled into believing the star players and coaches are more than entertainers passing through town until a better gig comes along.
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