2. "Given what we know in 2015, the question is whether anybody is really 'playing' football. Are high schoolers risking their lives for a chance out of poverty or a sense of elevated status really 'playing'?
3. Relatedly:
I love watching college sports but they comprise one of the most-indefensible wastes of taxpayer dollars at state schools. And please, save me your debunked Flutie Effect arguments. There's no serious connection between having a good sports team and a better student body or academic reputation. It's a waste of dough, diverts away from academics in every possible way, and exploits student athletes, who generally would be better off playing in the semi-pro leagues that would inevitably crop up if college sports disappeared.