Sorry, another rant. I think I'm hormonal this weekend...
My exchange with madman about my last post prompted me to get mad about the Public University System. The University of Tennessee is a prime example of all the problems I see. I'm going to get some numbers when I get a chance, but right now I'm trying to get us all packed for a little trip to see Thomas the Tank Engine in NC tomorow. But here's a little preview of what I'm thinking about...
Phillip Fulmer, UT's head football coach, receives a base salary of $325,000 and a total compensation of $2.05 million annually. For coaching a bunch of thugs to hit each other on and off the field. Yeah, the football program generates revenues, but my question is if it is so profitable then why does UT have to keep raising tuition by 10% every year? And why are professors paid piddly amounts compared to the g-d football coach? This is what I'm talking about when I say that government funded institutions are full of waste and bad priorities and all that. If they took half of what they paid Fulmer and put it into some useful research, just think of what could be done! Oh, I know. I don't understand. I don't know how the system works. Blah, blah, blah. But someone tell me why my hard earned money should go to Phillip Fulmer instead of to a professor/researcher who might find the cure, or at least a treatment, for some disease? Oh, I could go on about some of the crazy shit research at universities that gets government funding. But I've really got to go. I might get over my little fit before I get a chance to look more stuff up.
Sorry! Have a great weekend.
6 comments:
As a general rule I agree with you. However, much of the money that is donated for that kind of stuff comes from alumni. Alumni like to come back and see football games. They like it when the alma mater has a strong program and wins...it keeps them involved on some level and keeps them more likely to donate to a "winning" school. Yeah, I know, fucked up logic...but that's the deal!
Mr. G is right. Most states have limits on the salaries of their employees because they are government employees. The remainder comes from alumni, shoe companies, etc. You can look at it as marketing. Every university wants to have full enrollment. Having a good football (or basketball on the Atlantic coast) program helps to ensure that high school students will want to enroll.
Who is to say how much money a college or its alumni should spend marketing itself? If an alumnus wants to donate money to the football program, well it's his (or her) money. And football (and to a lesser extent basketball) are the programs that generally support the rest of the programs in the athletic department. I hate to break the news to you all, but I don't think women's field hockey is a money maker. Of course, neither is men's baseball for that matter. If not for financially successful football programs, you can say goodbye to almost all of the "minor" sports. And goodbye to Title IX. And therefore, too, goodbye to the scholarships that are given to student athletes competing in the minor sports. So you are taking away educational opportunities. Maybe paying successful coaches isn't such a bad idea after all. *The marching band strikes up a rousing chorus of "I Want to be a Football Hero"*
Madman =
Congrats on a son who's achieved so much already. There will be schools out looking for him, too.
Wow! I didn't know Fulmer got paid so much! My mom was a secretary at UT for years when I was growing up. And she didn't make squat! We had to live in a teensy one bedroom apartment! They could take HALF his salary and give everyone else on campus a bit of a raise! Don't you think?
your post is unreadablebecause the test and background are almost the same color.
Well, I was in a pretty pissy mood when I posted that. I'm not a big fan of college football, but I do like the NFL. Go Titans! (even though they suck now)
kat, that's exactly what I'm talking about! It's terrible.
seriously ill, I'm sorry. Your the first to mention that. Are you color blind? My father-in-law is and he has trouble like that. If anyone else has trouble please let me know. I find the font color easier on my eyes. It's the black backgrounds with white text that hurts my eyes.
madman, wow! That's great about your son's achievements! With a dad like you it's no surprise he has excelled. I hope the offers start pouring in for him. I went to a small college on a full academic scholarship. Maybe a smaller school would be a good option for him too.
midwest hick, yeah, I know that's true. I just think they could distribute the money a little differently. I'm talking about the big state universities here. Private schools are their own business.
mr g and dhammett, please don't stop coming here and talking about stuff! I love reading your great explanations and opinions! Thanks!
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