The Board of Education’s Public School Athletic League (P.S.A.L) and Cablevision’s MSG Varsity is nearing a half-a-million dollar deal that will broadcast many public high school games through some parts of the city and the Tri-State area.
Let’s throw away the political and moral issues that this deal could implement in the future like the right age to be treating kids as pros, and the money the city government will be making off children, and let’s just yell out to the heavens– IT’S ABOUT TIME!!!!
For decades New York City high school sports have been covered in the media by various newspapers, and recently many blogs and websites. Other school systems in other states had their sports broadcasted for years, and are truly popular among residents. It’s about time the largest public school system in the country, in probably the most influential city in the world, do this.
Now let’s ask those political and moral questions. Is this right? Is this too extreme? It’s okay to make money off of college athletes, because they are on scholarships (NCAA’s form of wages), and of adult age. But now we are talking about making money off of high school kids. Forgive my language, but is it okay to “slave,” or “pimp,” these kids out. There are no scholarships here, after a while we know this will expand – sports ventures always do—and when it becomes 1 million, and then 2 and 3 million to broadcast public school games, who will be getting the cut. The schools? The government? The coaches? I bet it won’t be the poor high school players, some of who don’t have close to enough to go to the next level of education. It seems like the argument will be that these kids will get “exposure,” which could “possibly” lead to academic scholarships for colleges and in some cases more. But not all of them will, and this is definitely not the same case as colleges.
While those deep words are weighing on you, let me remind you of my position, by saying I have been waiting for this move for long time and I am excited for it. I don't really know what issues this may bring, but since I used to play P.S.A.L. baseball for Boys and Girls High School I have always wanted to say “Hey mom, I’m on TV.” I’m pretty sure the kids of this age do too. Now when high school sports are shown on TV, I can enjoy watching my Boys High Kangaroos destroy the Lance Stephenson-less Lincoln Rail-Splitters in the finals, and during the season too!
-- La Guerre
Soucres: NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/sports/cablevisions-msg-varsity-nears-deal-for-psal-games.html
Picture: Boys and Girls vs Lincoln H.S. in the Basketball finals at MSG. Picture from the NYTimes.
