March Madness kicked off again over this past weekend with the first and second round games. Stories surrounding Zion Williamson and Duke’s near loss as well as the play of Ja Morant are on every news outlet, but one event beyond the performance of the teams that stood out was the criticism that Michigan State’s head coach Tom Izzo faced after he berated a player during a timeout in the first round. Izzo was questioning the effort of Michigan State first-year forward Aaron Henry, as the team had some difficulty knocking off 15th-seeded Bradley University.
Many sports fans and players alike, as well as most players who have spoken out, believe that the criticism is an overreaction. However, the incident is less interesting because of the debate about coaching styles, but rather for how it once again reveals the way that coaches and fans view players in the NCAA.
Izzo responded to the incident by flipping the questioning back at the reporters, saying, “I get a kick out of you guys. Get after somebody because you're trying to hold them accountable. I don't know what kind of business you're in, but I tell you what, if I was a head of a newspaper, and you didn't do your job, you'd be held accountable."
The irony of his response is plain to see given that being an NCAA athlete is not a job, which the NCAA makes quite clear every time that question is raised. However, Izzo’s analogy seems to suggest that his players are his employees. The distinction between an employee and a student-athlete is made clear by the fact that one is compensated and the other is not, but it is not always apparent in the way that student-athletes are treated.
Even in a professional league like the NBA, in which the players are actually employees, you would be much less likely to see a coach treat his players in a way similar to how Izzo and many other former and current NCAA coaches treat theirs. Arguments can be made that these players in the NBA are older or that they have paid their dues and earned higher levels of trust from their coaches, but regardless, the lack of concern from most fans about the treatment of players in college shows how most view the place of student athletes: they should have no agency in regards to their time and athletic experience.
Izzo is a legendary coach in the NCAA, and in the larger scheme of things this incident will blow over, but as events like this continue to stack up and questions continue to rise about the treatment of and respect for student athletes, the question of how long the NCAA will be able to stay on course without any change remains.
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