Unionize these guys?

So a regional NLRB has given the thumbs up for scholarship Nortwestern footballs players to unionize.

This topic gets under my skin because most people don't have a clue about the money these guys are already paid.

Consider this......

Tuition and fees By NCAA rules a football player is only allowed to practice 20hr.s/wk. If your son or daughter were given the opportunity to "work" 20 hrs/week, and walk out of Northwestern without a student loan, would you dive on it? the tuition at Northwestern is $15,000 a quarter, you do the math.

Room and board How much does a 300 lb. tackle eat? I guarantee you couldn't buy all that food with a part time job.

Free medical care. I ran track on a partial scholarship and I still got my contacts and eye care free because it was tied to my athletic performance. I also received free treatment for mono that had nothing to do with my athletics. Think about all what all that free medical would cost in real life.

Meal Money When a team goes on a road trip, they get meal money. When they go to Bowl games or other tournaments, the hosts usually provide a buffet for the coaches, players and staffs to accommodate their schedules. Often these guys can pocket a couple of hundred dollars on road trip by eating at the buffet.

Free Tutoring Having trouble with that calculus class? Don't worry. The school will give you a tutor free of charge.

Extra Cash Many schools allow at need kids to keep their Pell Grant money and/or other government need based scholarships. I get sick of hearing about how a guy can't take a girl out for a movie when they have a thousand dollars in tattoos on their arms. I have also heard that players get small stipends to cover their laundry and incidentals.

Swag One of the guys I ran track with also played basketball for the University of Cincinnati. He showed me the watch all the guys got from the hosts of a holiday tournament they played in. That didn't even count all the other shit these guys pocket at these games. In addition, the team swag, warm ups, shoes, tickets etc. counts for a boat load of money if you had to buy it out of pocket.

Tax Free Wrap your mind around the total income you would have to earn as a private citizen to cover the costs of all this? AFTER TAXES.

This would take a parent a couple hundred thousand dollars a year, after tax, to cover the tab.

I was telling a friend last night, these guys better be careful what they wish for. This ruling only applies to football scholarship athletes. 

Football already gives AD's Title IX shit fits. Don't be surprised if schools don't just drop football scholarships all together.