The NCAA Pay for Play Debate: Should College Athletes Get Paid?

The singe most contentious area of debate when it comes to compensating student-athletes concerns whether student athletes should be paid beyond the full cost of attending school. The arguments in favor of "pay for play" stem from the fact that the players are the reason why the NCAA is able to make television contracts such as the one worth nearly $11 billion over 14 years just for the TV rights to March Madness; without the players, the NCAA would not be in existence, let alone be able to sign mammoth contracts like that one. Clearly, there are many arguments in favor of paying athletes, and many of them certainly have some validity.

Fallacies

1) Poisoning the Well - Presenting negative information about a person before he/she speaks so as to discredit the person's argument. A. Example: Frank is pompous, arrogant, and thinks he knows everything. So, let's hear what Frank has to say about the subject. B. Example: Don't listen to him because he is a loser. In paragraph three - However, one must consider this issue through every lens and from every angle, which is why I, along with the NCAA, believe for several fundamental and indisputable reasons that college athletes should not be paid. 2) Fallacy of Equivocation - Using the same term in an argument in different places but the word has different meanings. A. Example: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Therefore, a bird is worth more than President Bush. B. Example: Evolution states that one species can change into another. We see that cars have evolved into different styles. Therefore, since evolution is a fact in cars, it is true in species. In paragraph three - First and most importantly, paying college athletes beyond full scholarships would ruin college athletics and the amateurism that makes the system work. The reason behind giving athletes scholarships in the first place is so that they can get an education. Now that the scholarships fully cover the actual cost of getting that education thanks to the new NCAA legislation, the system is functioning the way it should be. 3) Red Herring - Introducing a topic not related to the subject at hand. A. Example: I know your car isn't working right. But, if you had gone to the store one day earlier, you'd not be having problems. B. Example: I know I forgot to deposit the check into the bank yesterday. But, nothing I do pleases you. In paragraph three - First and most importantly, paying college athletes beyond full scholarships would ruin college athletics and the amateurism that makes the system work. The reason behind giving athletes scholarships in the first place is so that they can get an education. Now that the scholarships fully cover the actual cost of getting that education thanks to the new NCAA legislation, the system is functioning the way it should be.

4) Appeal to authority - Often we add strength to our arguments by referring to respected sources or authorities and explaining their positions on the issues were discussing. If, however, we try to get readers to agree with us simply by impressing them with a famous name or by appealing to a supposed authority who really isnt much of an expert, we commit the fallacy of appeal to authority. (tak ingat, yg dalam contoh assignment scribd tu, yg many people tu. Dia assume semua org setuju) *guna yg tu pun boleh In paragraph four - Secondly, many people such as ESPN's Michael Wilbon argue that only the most "important" athletesfootball and men's basketball playersshould be paid. 5) Appeal to probability takes something for granted because it would probably be the case (or might be the case). In paragraph seven - A men's rowing team member might be one of the best in the nation at his craft thanks to coaching and hard work, just as much as a football player works hard and improves, yet the rower will not be able to sign a professional contract after graduation to continue doing his sport for a living. 6) (tak ingat, yg dalam contoh assignment scribd tu, yg many people tu. Dia assume semua org setuju) In paragraph eight - One of the biggest reasons why people enjoy watching college football and college basketball is because the student-athletes aren't being paid.