It's Sometimes Better just to Say Nothing

Former third string and current starting quarterback, Cardale Jones, of the Ohio State Buckeyes made a statement on Twitter about his thoughts on school and going to class back in 2012.

So while I surfing the web trying to find a something new to write about that no one has heard of, I found this little beauty. Anyone recognize this? If not, it's OK because it came from the third string quarterback of the Ohio State Buckeyes named Cardale Jones back in 2012. But it's 2014 now and he's technically now the team's starting QB now which helped lead the team to a 42-35 victory against a very aggressive and hard hitting Alabama Crimson Tide in order to put them in the BCS National Championship game. Regardless, take a close look at that tweet of his and think about it. For me, I got to say that I am a little shocked to see it even though I believe it's meant to be in a joking manner.

Now, I admit that I am no fan of going to school and can not wait for the moment when I am out and on my own and I do understand that college and school may not always be for every single person out there. It is always your decision to make whether you want to continue or not. However, if you want to head for the NFL or NBA or whatever sport it may be, your best bet for making a bigger name for selling yourself is going to play at the collegiate level. 

So some of you might be wondering, "Yeah how come I got to go to school when I just want to play sports?" and that's a good question (not really, but I'll answer it). Well for starters, when you play sports in college, you are referred to as a "student athlete" and that means that you are a student of the college who participates in athletics. But the term does not just apply to college, it applies throughout  high school, middle school, and so on. So long as it's a sports activity that is connected through some school, you become a "student athlete". The term means that you must do what a student in going to class and get good grades while also performing on the field or court or whatever it is you play on. Ultimately, it's on the player to remember that he must be able to perform off the court /field and in the classroom in order to keep himself eligible to participate in athletics and also keep whatever scholarship they may possibly have with their team.

Now I understand that Cardale Jones tweeted this out when he was considered just the third string quarterback to starting QB Braxton Miller and backup QB J.T. Barrett, but it still shows an ugly side to college athletics and athletics as a whole overall. Sometimes, it does seem very plausible when you have a good athlete who can be very successful and think that a future in pro sports is possible. Many legendary athletes have come from homes that were not "picture perfect" in one way or another and gone on to have fabulous careers in which they are forever enshrined in the history books, but nowadays, the feeling is turning toward many athletes giving a vibe that athletics will take them all the way while school is just something like a "time filler" if you will. To me, it just seems so wrong that some would value a perfectly good and free education to a highly established university and just concern all their efforts into being the best player they can be so that they can get drafted and make "millions" or so they think.

As for Cardale Jones, I have never met him or talked to him but the kid seems to have been quite a talent on the field. It's when you discover things like this tweet above that scare me to think that a kid like Jones is going to become or is one of these kids that will rely mostly on his athleticism to get him  through life and earn a paycheck. And unfortunately, this is not the era to start thinking in that manner. Nowadays, many players in the world of professional sports are actually becoming very sound in ways and workings of business. But that does not mean that players are not feeling the sting of rejection. 

It leaves me speechless when I see such talented high school basketball players go for a year of college and leave after just one season just because they are convinced that they are good enough to play in the NBA even though they can still be considered a high school student in terms of education. Then there those players that go to the MLB and NHL right after they hit 18 years old in hopes to make it big and only a small percentage of them actually are able to get a chance to flourish and have pro careers. The NFL have it down the best with making a player have to wait at least three years till they are eligible to enter the draft. However, there are those that even still will enter a year early than they maybe should and end up only rating a few years.

Basically, I can understand that this tweet was more than likely just some kind of a joke or way to blow off the steam that builds up in classes. It just worries me that a kid as good as Cardale Jones or possible others may have the perception that school is just a breeding ground and pipeline to the professional sports world (which in reality it is) while they just smile and wave as they walk throughout the campus and halls en route to the big time. It was great to hear though that Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer had approached Jones at that time and told him to "get his act together" and to "stop acting like a clown" when he was outside of the football team (Greenstein). It's just another reminder of how great a coach Meyer is as he's made Cardale Jones into a good looking QB who will play on Jan. 12 for the national title against the Oregon Ducks.

Greenstein, Teddy. "Ohio State's Cardale Jones Is Getting Quite an Education." Chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune, 30 Dec. 2014. Web. 02 Jan. 2015. <http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-greenstein-ohio-state-cardale-jones-spt-1231-20141230-column.html>.