“In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”

-Iroquois Nation Maxim

With people at the cash register of American sports today decisions are more often about “pay-for-play” today, now!?” than any consideration being given to educate the next generation. Never mind the next seven. (See Worth Repeating)

Scenario. Tom Jurich takes out his checkbook. The one with University of Louisville printed across the top, and fills in the Pay-To-The-Order Of: Russell Smith. Amount: $1,614,733. For: Services rendered.

According to a Time Magazine cover story September 16, before Smith’s next stop-and-pop at Yum Center against Kentucky Wesleyan, November 29, $1.67 million is the cut he’s entitled to as an employee of the top sports revenue producer last academic year. For 2011-12 University of Louisville Cardinal athletics generated 42 million, 434 thousand, 684 dollars.

This, according to a study by Drexel University’s sports management department and something called National College Players Association.

The drums beat louder and longer among sports media elite to “pay college athletes.”

If, like me, college sports is still worth your time, the prospect of openly paying athletics is horrible.

While Jurich is handing Russ Smith a check for a million-six, down I-64, according to the Drexel study, Mitch Barnhart ought to be writing one to Julius Randle for $810,790. A projected one-and-doner who’s only recently been issued a jersey number for his seven month stay at Kentucky.

Consider this a warning, the NCAA is about to become obsolete and bidding wars for athletes will become like autumn stud sales at Keeneland. If we let it happen.

The Drexel study in Time Magazine calculates UK athletics was fifth in the pantheon of revenue production for 2011-12. Barnhart put 21 million, 598 thousand and 680 dollars into the bank, according to Time.

Why is Randle due anything? Because he signed with elite Kentucky.

Calculation: His college choice was enough to fire up tee-shirt sales, jerseys (No. 30) and placards with his photo and whatever else UK fans will pay for. Money-maker items for all for everybody not named Julius Randle.

And this postscript: Quarterback Johnny Manziel’s value to Texas A&M University for media exposure and winning the Heisman Trophy last year – $37 million, Time Magazine writer Sean Gregory said.

Count me among those who care less than nothing about NBA and NFL sports. The former has evolved into a collection of me-first prima donnas skilled enough to show off in shorts into their late 20s enough for NBC-TV ratings. The NFL is steroid souped-up savagery that is bringing more ‘fines’ with every Sunday and leaves cripples for taxpayers to care for in the end.

How and why did pay-college-athletes issue become so noisy, a story with legs and momentum in recent years? Big money of course and media attention. Greed, control and influence have gotten more sophisticated. Blatant example: A fee levied on fans for the privilege … to ‘rent’ seats at the game, quickly covered up with “our prices are consistent with those at other league schools.”

For me, the worst calamity come to college sports is anything that involves squeezing fans. And directors of athletics are getting away with it.

Dave Zirin writes about politics in sports for The Nation magazine. His latest book, Game Over: How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down, ought be a must read for sports fans. Zirin’s work exposes how professional franchise owners and college administrators are raking in such huge profits, quietly devalue professionals as bottom-of-food-chain gladiators all the way to a shamefully cheap chump-change settlement to compensate retired NFL players on disability for services rendered … making the NFL.

For college fans, the media drums beat grows ever louder to re-define a college scholarships as less than worthless, more an insult to those who earn millions for those in control.

Solutions? A few ideas.

√ Fans prevail on national media to concentrate and expose NBA player association’s hidden plantation mentality. One they hide behind with owners’ passive support while holding university basketball programs hostage as farm teams.

√ Salary cap for college coaches. A million a year for likes of John Calipari, Nick Saban, Rick Pitino and others, is more than reasonable. If coach doesn’t like it, in a land of opportunity, he’s free to go elsewhere.

√ At taxpayer behest, maybe politicians can agree on something. Legislate to allow high school graduates to pursue a career when, where and however they choose.

√ Create a sane and level playground for high school-to-college athletes. Predicated on – “kids who commit to play college sports, be offered athletic scholarships that include a set stipend, same for all amount.

Reducing the politics would reduce the influence of greed. These steps would be a far better direction for solutions than Tom Jurich writing a check to Russ Smith.

WORTH REPEATING DEPT.

From A Yahoo.com column August 19.

“Is it time to pay players at the Little League World Series? Of course, it is.

“… This isn’t about paying every kid who’s playing ball in your neighborhood, just the ones who reach the big stage and are put on television. This isn’t going to cause the formation of a union with an inevitable strike or contract holdout.

And no one is really getting paid. Call it prize money or a scholarship or something if it makes you feel better.

The players deserve something from this booming, expansive event, even if it is just a few grand that go(es) directly into a college scholarship fund or some kind of trust (if they don’t go to college) that can’t be accessed until age 18 or 21. A similar system could be worked out for international players based on their own cultural norms.”

And so it goes.