Well gee, it's just great to see head coach Jim Harbaugh and his Michigan Wolverine football squad touring Italy. Nothing wrong with rounding out the world education of apish linemen and more than a few others that likely couldn't pass an eighth grade equivalency exam given ten tries. Or maybe there is something wrong indeed.
To wit -- who's paying for this? If it's Harbaugh out of his own pocket, everything is fine and dandy. To be sure, the dude can certainly afford it. After all, he's knocking down $9 million a year, the highest salary in all of football, NFL coaches included.
And what might it cost to take an entire team overseas for a week or two of fun and entertainment, along with coaches, trainers, other staff, and the like?
It probably involves 80+ players. Add in the others and the total is most likely well over a 100.
Now start thinking about air fare, so many first class motel rooms, buses or other transportation to haul them around, and let's not forget feeding a few tons of hungry athletes would be on the pricey side as well.
Add it all up and what do you have as a total tab? Likely at least a half million, maybe much more. These guys aren't exactly doing this trip economy style, ya know?
But what do you think the chances are that Harbaugh is paying for all this? Probably about the same odds are Hillary has of winning an Electoral recount of the last Presidential election. In other words, not good. Ain't happening.
Thing is, as mentioned above, a million or so is nothing Harbaugh couldn't afford. Besides, his tax people would likely find a way to write it off. That is, if, as a 1%-er, he pays any taxes to begin with. The IRS codes can be funny, or maybe not, that way.
Nevertheless, SOMEBODY has to pay for all this. Is it the university? More than likely so.
And that's just flat-out wrong.
Eventually, such boondoggles as this get passed down to, yep, the consumers, fans, and even non-athlete students.
That might involve a hike in the already high tuition rates, or ticket prices for games going up -- again. Let's also not forget the vast majority of the football players are already there on "full ride" scholarships. They and their parents don't have to pay anything out of pocket. They get all the perks and none of the bills.
Looked at from that perspective, one could certainly argue running up a several hundred thousand dollar tab so the "haves" can have and enjoy even more is not only excessive, but downright arrogant.
Dang. The Maize and Blue folks and jocks being perceived as pompous and thinking they're above the hoi-polloi of the ignorant masses.
Who ever could have imagined such a thing?
LOL
PS. Maybe somebody should take the time to remind the UM legions that there ARE no wolverines in the entire state of Michigan, and haven't been in a long long time -- save for those in zoos.
Just a thought.....
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