On Pro Sports Age Restrictions

So Dan Wetzel, writing for Yahoo Sports about the evolving story that ties USC RB Reggie Bush to a sports agent after a potentially smelly real estate deal, almost convinces me that there should be no age limit for pro sports. Currently the NFL and NBA have age restrictions. He says the NCAA's "outdated amateur rules" hurt student athletes. He almost convinces me.

He argues that because Bush was forced to come back for his sophomore year at USC. The school, the coach and folks selling USC trinkets made millions, Wetzel writes, while Bush was forced to live like a "pauper." He goes on to compare age restrictions in football and basketball to other sports (gymnastics or figure skating) and careers.

"By the time Britney Spears would have graduated from Kentwood (La.) High School, she sold 19 million albums for Jive Records. No one suggested she should have been singing in the school choir, let alone forced to attend Louisiana State for three years before she was 'ready' to embark on a career."

Back when Ohio State RB Maurice Clarett was challenging the age restriction by seeking to enter the NFL draft after his freshman year, JP favorite Gregg Easterbrook, who writes the Tuesday Morning Quarterback column (who has moved back to ESPN from NFL.com, I see) defended age restrictions as a matter of the leagues protecting the quality of play - and thus a money issue. Back in 2004, he used Wetzel's trick when he wrote on his blog for his day job with The New Republic:

"Why shouldn't a 19-year-old be allowed to be an airline pilot--how dare the airlines keep 19-year-olds out of the cockpit? Numerous professions require minimum age, possession of degrees or minimum years of training experience for entry."

Easterbrook goes on to argue that the NBA experienced a decade long plummet in ratings and popularity when it started drafting high schoolers who were not ready for prime time. The quality of play suffered, he argues, because those players lacked training in fundamentals.

"They launch crazy off-balance shots, refuse to do anything but go one-on-one, and endlessly try to mega-dunk like in the shoe commercials--but they miss ten shots for every one mega-dunk that succeeds."

I think I still agree with Easterbrook more. The NFL and professional sports leagues are businesses and they can (and should) set their own minimum qualifications.

But then again, I also think that college athletes should be allowed a stipend (yes, even on top of their athletic scholarship) so that they can live and not be taken in by some of these con artists posing as agents who are out to make a quick buck.

Let 'em Play [Yahoo Sports]
Easterblog [The New Republic]