You are not your Khakis

Boo awayI wasn't going to throw my two cents in on this whole "booing" issue (or non-issue, depending on your point of view), but then the Ice Trucker had to go and write an article about it.

Archdeacon's overriding concern? "Is it wrong for UD Arena fans to boo the Flyers?"

In a word, no. Absolutely not. The University of Dayton men's basketball program is a for-profit business. UD basketball is a product -- nothing more, nothing less. There is a budget, there are financial records, and there are contractual obligations associated with running a high-level D1 college basketball program. Those 13,000 people cramming into UD Arena for every game? Those are customers, they are there for entertainment purposes. UD basketball is a respite from their everyday doldrums. If you think college sports in general is anything but a money grab, I'm not sure what to tell you. College sports are simply another vehicle through which to sell advertising and overpriced soft drinks. College basketball is simply another entity that gamblers can spend billions wagering on.  

Then, there is this outdated notion -- quoting the Arch: "One camp says you don’t boo 18 to 22 year olds. They aren’t pros, they don’t get paid and they are trying their best."

True, UD's basketball players are not technically professionals. However, they are not amateurs either. Perhaps "semi-professional" is the most appropriate manner in which to label them. There is a bargained for exchange between each scholarship athlete and the University of Dayton. In exchange for signing a contract (that's not very amateurish, now is it?) with UD, scholarship athletes are given free tuition, room and board, books, etc. (approximate value is probably in the neighborhood of $50,000.00) That's not even considering the extra perks that come with being an athlete: the offseason "jobs" paid in cash, scattered undergrad ass, papers written edited by tutors, and "loans" given to uncles of recruits.

Age is certainly not a concern, as no one would argue that it's wrong to boo a 20 year-old "kid" that plays for the Knicks:

20-year old financially compensated to play for the New York Knicks: boo-able!

20-year old financially compensated to play for the University of Dayton: not boo-able!

So, that argument goes right out the window -- which means it basically comes down to the corporation that is padding its pockets with the talents of predominantly young black men. Why people draw a distinction between Knicks basketball and UD basketball is beyond me. Both are economic machines focused on their bottom lines, concerned with profits. Why would it be okay to boo John Wall the 20 year old guard for the Clippers, but not John Wall the 19 year old guard for the University of Kentucky? Because he is better compensated? Someone help me out here.