Kings Without The Rings

All of us that are big sports fans can agree that it is one of the most agonizing feelings to have your team be the “frontrunners” or somewhere close to the top, only to come up short of where they knew they could and should have finished. With that being said, there have been so many incredible teams that blew away the competition in the regular season and then even for a while in the playoffs, but somehow stumbled before the finish line.

The main two teams that instantly came to mind were the 2007 New England Patriots and the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors. These two teams set records and did things that no other NFL or NBA teams had ever done before. Most thought of them to be a lock as champions far before the playoffs even began.

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Those 2007 Patriots were the first team ever to finish the regular season 16-0 since the league 
expanded their regular season to being sixteen games in 1978. They set an all-time record for most points in a season scoring an insane 589 points, which is 33 more points than the next closest team. These guys weren’t just getting by opponents, they were absolutely destroying them. They won 12 games where they scored over 30 points, four games where they surpassed 40 points and two games where they scored over 50 points.

To go on top of this, Tom Brady had what you could argue was the greatest single season in NFL history as he threw for an all-time record of 50 touchdown passes and won the MVP award. And it only gets better. Those Patriots also set the all-time record for touchdowns scored on the season with 75. When I said these guys were destroying their opponents, I wasn’t kidding. They set ANOTHER all-time record outscoring their opponents on the season by an overall margin of +315 points.

After all of these incredible accomplishments, they were sure to not only win it all, but to do it in dominating fashion, right? I remember this 2007 Patriots team vividly because this was the first year that I started watching the NFL. When it came time for that Giants vs. Patriots Superbowl that season, I literally thought that the Patriots were going to win by around four touchdowns – at least. Somehow, someway they fell short, losing that game 17-14.

Now, moving onto the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors. Being someone who has played and watched basketball almost my entire life, I was absolutely astonished by those seemingly unbeatable Warriors. These guys were the defending NBA champs and – to put it simply – were on the verge of being a dynasty like nobody had ever seen. They finished the regular season at an all-time best record of 73-9. The record for the best regular season was previously held by Michael Jordan and the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls at 72-10, which nobody thought would ever be topped.

To put into perspective just how good these Warriors were, they broke over twenty NBA records that season alone. One of the many records they set was winning 54 straight home games, a winning streak that spanned from January 31, 2015, to March 29, 2016. They were led by Steve Kerr, who won the coach of the year award, and point guard Stephan Curry, who won the MVP award for a second straight season. That season Steph Curry set a record for most made three-pointers in a season, which, funny enough, was previously set by himself as he ended the season with an astounding 402 made three’s.

It didn’t stop there, Curry’s counterpart and fellow “splash bro” Klay Thompson was nearly as good of a shooter himself. This was and is the greatest three-point shooting tandem of all time. Aside from the great shooting, they had guys who were, as I like to call them the do-it-all players in Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala. As I studied this team, I came to the realization that this team, from this season, was the closest thing to a perfect team that the NBA had seen.

So now, the question that everyone still wonders even up to this day – how on earth did the 2007 Patriots and the 2015-16 Warriors not win it all? The question never was the skill. I believe that at the end of the day, it was all mental. They let the pressure of being a dynasty get to them and didn’t end up having the killer instinct to close the deal.

There have been teams that were much worse than those Patriots and Warriors in terms of physical skill that have won the championship. I’m not alone when I say that if these two teams could have a do-over, they would almost definitely win it all. Losing in the championship round haunts both teams to this day.

PHOTO BY GARY PETERSON

The difference between the Giants-Patriots in 2007 and the Cavaliers-Warriors from 2016 is that although the Giants and the Cavaliers were outmatched physically, mentally they were the champs. They didn’t take for granted the opportunity to play for the championship. As a result, they were more focused and had more of a chip on their shoulder. Skill is just half the battle.  Poise, confidence, and focus (all the way through) are the other half.

The Patriots and Warriors had gotten so used to blowing out their opponents and winning easily that by the time the championship round came for them, they weren’t mentally prepared to face the adversity that came with the game being close. On the other end, the Giants and Cavaliers were in a lot more close games and had their backs up against the wall from losses all season. The underdog teams were used to being in lots of pressure situations and having to respond and be tough both mentally and physically. I believe that this is what gave them the edge to beat these incredible teams.

This all goes back to a quote that I love and live by, “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” ― Kevin Durant. I believe that the mental aspect of the game, including confidence, being able to pick yourself up after a loss, taking things one day at a time, and having the mentality to outwork your opponent is the reason why the Giants won the SuperBowl in 2007 and the Cavaliers won the finals in 2016.

Why College Athletes Should Not Be Paid

This debate about whether college athletes should be paid or not is one of the biggest active debates in all of major sports and has been for decades. There are so many good reasons why college athletes should be paid, and there are also so many reasons why they should not be paid. The thing that is very unique about this debate is that no matter which stance you take, it is a given that in this case, more money would inevitably mean more problems for one, or both sides. Now, when I say both sides, I am referring to the college athletes on one end, and the NCAA being on the other end. 

Courtesy Axel Quartarone/CBS2

As some NCAA sports are growing in popularity and revenue, players are feeling like they should have more of a right to be paid. This is due to the fact that they are the ones physically putting in the work to make college sports as big of a hit as they are. When you think of the direction that this is going, given the fact that these players rely on the NCAA to play, and the NCAA relies on these top-tier athletes to perform, a famous saying comes to mind: “united we stand, divided we fall.” Something this big could either make this incredible organization thrive to a much higher level than it is already at, or bring it crashing down if the two sides cannot agree on a solution. It is also clear that this decision to pay the athletes, or not, is a tough one. It will be very important for both sides to come to a conclusion on this debate in the long run.
With that being said, what makes college sports so exciting to watch? Why are so many people preferring to watch things like college football and basketball over even the NBA and the NFL? There are many theories out there, but it is pretty simple. The reason college sports are so exciting to watch is because these young men and women are playing for the love of the sport that they are in and the university they attend, instead of just to make some money.  
I have observed lots of differences between college and professional sports, and given these observations, I believe that it is the passion in the college game that generates so much hype and makes it so intriguing. This is not to say that professional sports are not exciting to watch, but there is a lot more negative drama surrounding professional sports and it all seems to come back to one simple factor – the money.  
Many believe that in order to keep the same passion and energy that has made college sports as huge as it has become, they need to leave the money out of the college game. If these amateur athletes begin to be paid, the college game becomes the same selfish, money-driven cycle that the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, etc., are always caught up in. It can be painful to see athletes leave a team and city they love just because they believe that they are not getting paid enough money.
As a lifelong fan of college sports, I have observed that part of the reason these college athletes lay it all out on the field, court, track, etc., is because of the love they have for the sport they play period. The chance to make good money in the future, based off of their collegiate performances is another huge reason that you see these student athletes playing with so much passion and determination. 
There are so many instances where professional athletes with high-paid contracts try to take advantage of the system or give half effort, because they are getting guaranteed money. This makes for leagues like the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, etc., to have lots of good talent when it comes to the performance of their players, and plenty of bad as well because of the money giving certain athletes a lazy feeling of security. 
Although these college athletes are not literally being handed money, in a roundabout way, they are getting paid through the perks of having a full-ride scholarship. Most ordinary college students pay anywhere around $50,000-$100,000 for tuition, books, and other things, while these athletes on full-ride scholarships have all of that paid for. As writer Megan James said, “Most of these athletes receive scholarships that leaves them paying absolutely nothing to go to a University. If you pay college athletes on top of that, it would be too much.”
An athletic scholarship does not mean the same thing for everyone. For some, it is the opportunity to have a professional career in that sport for years to come. For others, it is the chance to play the sport that they have always loved, while having their main necessities paid for, and also figure out the field of study that is right for them. People tend to say that these student-athletes need money on top of the benefits of their scholarship. I respectfully disagree. If the college athlete is clearly not good enough for the next level (pros), they should not be getting paid for what they do, period. 
In this case, the student-athlete should be grateful to even be getting as much in benefits as they are through their scholarship. The collegiate system is set up in a very fair, and accommodating way. Fans of professional leagues want to see the very best of the best on the court/field. With professional scouts being as good at tracking talent as they are, athletes getting compensated fairly, based on their skill level will never be an issue. 
But hold on, it goes much further than even that. These athletes get meal plans provided which make all of their nice meals completely free. They get free on-campus housing with their teammates. They also get nice jerseys, uniforms, and other athletic wear completely free as part of their scholarship through brands such as Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, etc. 
Because their scholarships take care of massive costs, these athletes do not have to pay any taxes on these perks they are receiving through these universities. By playing hard and showing good results, these athletes are some of the main reasons that universities get their name out there and grow in revenue. Even if these athletes do not get physical cash, they can end their college careers feeling a sense of accomplishment because they helped the university to grow in plenty of different ways and gain bragging rights as they were successful in their different sports. 
These student-athletes also benefit from support systems provided by boosters, sports administrators, coaches, and teammates. This is especially huge for collegiate football players. Through teammates and coaches, they each have so many people to go to for support, whatever their challenges might be. After they graduate, many of these athletes, especially the solid ones find it easier to get jobs due to the influential people that they met during their college careers. For example, I have seen many instances where former college athletes who did a solid job ended up getting good sports broadcasting, writing, reporting, marketing, etc., job positions after graduating from college even if they did not go pro. 
Another really nice perk that these student-athletes get through their scholarship is free airfare and stay at hotels. They get to go on nice vacations that are also free for them because of their scholarship. Between events like the different college football bowl games, and the NCAA basketball tournaments, these athletes get very generous gifts from the NCAA.
A perk that winning schools are rewarded with is money to improve their facilities, which opens up the door for more recruits to come to the school. This benefits the individual athletes, because as the school’s facilities start to grow and more talent comes in, they get more recognition on tv and their names get put out there to professional scouts easier due to the increased exposure. Plenty of these different bowl game sponsors (foundations) give very generous gifts to the coaches and athletes such as t-shirts, jerseys, and hats as a thank you for taking part as they travel to these different venues. 
All of these perks add up to a very high cost in terms of total expenses, and these are all separate from the on-campus perks, which are already huge. The benefits that these student-athletes get through their athletic scholarship stretch far beyond their on-campus life. According to the NCAA, “Many student-athletes also benefit from academic scholarships, NCAA financial aid programs such as the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund and need-based aid such as Federal Pell Grants.” 
For people who think it is unfair that college athletes do not get paid, you have to keep in mind the point behind college sports. Just like students in any other field, it is the final steps before getting into a career. It is simple, the best will get paid contracts, and those who are not the best will not. If you want to see a league of the best players in the world playing for big contracts, you will enjoy watching something like the NFL much more than watching college football.
It is clear that these student-athletes are given so many on and off-campus rewards for playing the sport they love and doing a great job at it. If you are one who believes that college athletes should be paid, it is hard to argue with these athletes getting anywhere from $8,700-$10,400 per year through benefits from their scholarship. On the other hand, if you are one that does not believe that college athletes should be paid, this is perfect. They are not getting paid in direct cash, but they are getting nice perks for their living situations while they are in college.  
It is clear that college athletes do so much to make college sports as big of a hit as they are. However, based on the data above, they are in reality getting compensated very generously for the athletic efforts they bring through benefits of their scholarship. There are so many students in different fields that do so much to help the community through unpaid internship work and school work that stretches far beyond the classroom. If college athletes start to get paid on top of the benefits from their scholarship, students in so many different fields of study will have a valid argument that they should be compensated for their efforts, as well. At this point, these universities would have a very hard time finding enough money to fairly compensate all of their student-athletes. 
Thankfully, there are solutions/compromises that could benefit both sides. These are also ideas that would help the players to be more motivated during their college careers and also help them to stay safer. As writer Edward M. Wojtys said, “The dollars to upgrade the research and treatment of injuries are there, it just needs to be recognized as a higher priority.” This could benefit both the athletes and the universities. The athletes would stay much healthier (giving them more incentive to play), universities could afford this, and universities would not have to spend outrageous money to pay all of their student-athletes.

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Former Duke basketball guard Gerald Henderson said (talking about paying college athletes), “One thing I’ve thought of would be setting it aside for them after they leave college. This is a solid idea, as it pertains to the money because it can potentially be a good compromise for both sides to be able to come to a conclusion. This way, even the players that do not get a professional contract would be able to take away some money from their efforts that they put in during their college careers.
When it is all said and done, I have come to the conclusion that the main reason college sports are so captivating to watch is because the student-athletes play for the love of the game, and their schools, not just a bunch of money.