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[QUOTE="Waltdods, post: 2593515, member: 2932"]
There is something in here that I do agree with - that a lot of the value of college sports comes from the universities and, to some degree, the NCAA.  Being a [I]Syracuse University [/I]basketball player brings value - those "OVERRATED" shirts are referencing Gerry, but they're bright orange because of Syracuse.  I do agree that this is something real, and something that should be accounted for.  I am a little (maybe a lot) more cynical about how much, if any, of this actually has to do with the schools "reputations as educational institutions" but I do agree that college sports brings something unique and perhaps irreplaceable.

At the same time, flip the argument in your first paragraph:  Separate Syracuse from GMAC and what's the value of a #3 jersey in 2006?  Not much.

More generally, I would encourage you to look at how much your argument is based, in essence, on definitions.  You say that GMAC "wasn't employable as a BB player."  But he was, clearly, employable as a basketball player:  Syracuse gave him a scholarship worth $50k, and a bunch of fringe benefits.  He played basketball on national television probably 50 times over the course of his career.  Tens of millions of dollars were made on games played by Gerry McNamara.  You are saying he wasn't "employable" because he was playing for free.  My argument is that he shouldn't have been playing for free.  Saying that he was is pointing out a fact, but is not really engaging with the argument.

On your last point, I will say I am unconvinced there is a meaningful difference between college athletics at Syracuse and UK and leave it at that.
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