This guy puts the "special" in our UK/US special relationship...

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20071026/tuk-nfl-star-they-speak-english-in-londo-45dbed5.html

Crowder added: "I know (Washington Redskins linebacker) London Fletcher. We did a football camp together. So I know him.

"That's the closest thing I know to London. He's black, so I'm sure he's not from London. I'm sure that's a coincidental name."

 

OH. MY. GOD.

omg.  I'm not even sure what to say!

Oh good lord.

Oddly enough, I'm not that surprised.

Big necks = small brains

That's BAD!

Oh dear. Well, at least he admits he's not that bright!

Management really shouldn't let some of these guys speak.  It's horrifying.
Anyway - That's not what they get paid for.
Makes me wonder if there are words in his play book or just pictures & symbols. 

FFS no wonder people think Americans are idiots

Pah....this just completely undermines my assertion that American athletes are far better educated than their UK counterparts. As far as I understand, professional American football/baseball/basketball etc players pretty much always come through the college sports system, where as here they seem to be pounced on by clubs at a very early age and are pandered to and fed nothing but sport, and don't usually get an education beyond the minimum requirement.

Sooo....what ARE they teaching these boys in college these days? Or am I completely wrong in believing that that these guys actually get a valuable education as well as playing sport?

Nah, don't you know that they just get passed on because they are good athletes? None of those athletes had to work  for their degrees. 

Nah, don't you know that they just get passed on because they are good athletes? None of those athletes had to work  for their degrees. 

I guess I have just been clinging to the hope that that sort of thing only happens in crappy teen tv dramas. You know...the popular young quarterback who excels at sport, and is passed by all the compliant teachers to ensure the team does well in the finals. That is, until the inspirational new teacher decides to go against the system, and pushes him to work hard and fulfill his potential as a scholar as well as an athlete.

Come on now.... surely they MUST have to actually work for their degrees. There has to be some sort of system to monitor these things!!

I have only just managed to get my entire workplace to agree that the US college sports system is better than spoiling young boys from the age of 13 and not pushing them to get an education or teaching them life skills beyond kicking a ball in a net! Don't tell me I've been wrong!

See, you've just been watching too much TV. 

On a serious note, I think it definitely happens, but I'm not sure how much. Obviously they can only cushion the scores too much and most teachers probably wouldn't do it. They do have to pass those SATs to get in to college and surely if they learned nothing it would show up! 

See, you've just been watching too much TV. 

Hah, now THIS is almost certainly true!  My mis-spent youth, watching 90210!!

I suppose you're probably right. It must happen to some extent. But I will still cling to my belief that an education, even one that might stress athletics over academics (as long as it INCLUDES academics!), is better than the way things are done in this country - for football players at least.

Although, going back to the OP.... this guy makes Wayne Rooney look like a Rhodes Scholar. And there is the weak point in my argument!

Sooo....what ARE they teaching these boys in college these days? Or am I completely wrong in believing that that these guys actually get a valuable education as well as playing sport?

It really depends on the university.  I personally knew some athletes that only went to class when there was a exam.  They also had someone assigned to them that made sure they had the answers before hand. 

Keep in mind, many professional players get drafted before they graduate.  I know for a fact this is the case in baseball.  My parents have been host parents to NCAA players during the summer.  If the players aren't drafted before their senior year, it pretty much means they aren't going pro.  Some of the players have it written in their contracts that they'd like to finish school, but others are only focused on playing in the pros and college was just a way to get them in front of scouts.