NCAA Gambles with Athletes future

The NCAA (National Collegiate Aloofness Association) has done it's homework.  They have seen the sports betting scandals of the past.  They are apprised of the current betting scandals going on in with players in the MLB and NBA.  They have even listened to Michael Lewis' Against the Rules podcast Season 5 where he details many of the intricacies involved in the legal sports betting craze.  (They saw half of the title of the conclusion episode "Anybody Can Win..." that's good enough for us.)  The NCAA has concluded that gambling has a positive impact on the life and learning of college athletes.  Gambling promotes the key attributes for "fostering lifelong well-being" that the NCAA wants for all of their student athletes.  (Yeah, that's the NCAA mission statement.)  Nothing fosters lifelong well being like gambling on it!  Sports are not fun because of the dedication, skill, and the thrill of competition.  They are fun because you can win money based on a gut feeling.  

Gambling is awesome in so many ways.  So awesome in fact that every ad is required to have a warning label on it.  "Warning: gambling is fun, addictive, distracting, expensive, and can cause extreme mental and physical harm.  Do you know any lame activities that can cause these things?  We didn't think so.  If you have a problem, which you won't because gambling is badass and you're not a pusillanimous person, call 1800-You-Good.  You'll be directed to a debt service advisor who will give you bonus odds on your recovery.*"  The warnings, the stress, the anxiety, the loss of money, all the things the NCAA saw and said "we need to get the kids access to that!"

The fun of gambling is important for young men and women to experience.  The extreme highs and lows are just teaching moments.  The stress and anxiety of placing that bet that is just beyond your comfort zone is a lesson that sticks.  The exhilaration of defeat is what really makes you feel alive!  Not to mention the possibility of soul crippling debt.  The NCAA knows how the majority of their student athletes are financially well off and has extra money to burn, because hey what college kid really needs a few extra bucks?!  None of them.  You know who does need it?  Draftkings and Fanduel.  Without these sites where would people go to feed their wholesome gambling addictions?  Casinos?  What if there isn't one close by?  Would they have to drive there?  Really?  No way.  Better idea... Give everyone a casino in their pocket!  Genius.  Go on.  With 24/7 access right on their phone they can forget about that physics term paper and focus on getting that 8 team parlay in.  Learning to enrich their lives for the love of the game is loser talk.  Winners bet on it.  (We'll take the under on that physics exam score.)  

Gambling has made its case to promote the positive principles of a productive person.  The decades of affiliations with organized crime, the fact that it has never led towards an game being rigged, and the lack of evidence to support the argument that variable reinforcement can be addictive.  Have you really seen anyone doing well that isn't gambling their rent money?  Unlikely.  Thank You NCAA!  You have always looked out for the student athlete and once again you have made a decision which will certainly have a huge impact on the lives of student athletes and definitely will not cause any financial or physical harm to any student athletes.  #youcanbetonthat!

*Not the actual warning label.  If you thought that it was then maybe you do need to call someone.