Really?

When the UConn men's basketball team won the basketball title, future NBA guard Shabazz Napier used the stage as a bully pulpit to talk about how he went to bed sometimes hungry. The NCAA responded by allowing teams to provide unlimited meals to it's athletes.

Is that your answer NCAA? Allow teams to provide buffet all-you-eat plans to it's students athletes?

In my early blog days (The Good Life - 8/26/11), I advocated that student athletes should get "straight cash homie" like Randy Moss. My main reason was that the athletes were making billions (with a B) for their schools. While a fully funded education may have been a fair deal back in the day, it's not quite the same in today's turbo charged collegiate sports world, especially with comments like Napier's. And he's not even a football player.

Using vernacular from the show "The Wire", there is too much dope on the table for players not to get a larger slice. As Kentucky coach John Calipari talked about on a recent discussion from the show "First Take", player's families are not transported to tourney games to watch their sons and daughters play and players are not even allowed to get student loans. I see why guys who think they have pro potential leave early.

Providing increased stipends (not salaries) would have a sideway effect. I believe more players would stay in college longer instead of the current one-and-done crops of players that make a pit stop in college. It's hard for me to get but so attached to certain players or teams when future pros like Tyler Ennis and Andrew Wiggins leave early. At the least, allow them to market themselves. Examples of this could include signing jerseys or taking photos with fans. Work out an agreement in which the school get's a cut of THEIR earnings.

In full disclosure, I must also say that I am for players leaving early, if they want to. I know I sound contradictory, but these "kids", in the eyes of society are grown men who should be allowed to make a living if an organization is willing to give them an opportunity.

Like a movie mob boss said, "...after all, we are not Communists."