Dartmouth should just shut it down... Eliminate the program.

It's an extra-curricular. It's an academic institution. Sports are supposed to be for fun. They are "extra".

Dead Last In Ivy League, Dartmouth Basketball Votes To Unionize

In a precedent-setting move that could help nudge college sports along its path to gradual ruin, the decidedly lackluster Dartmouth College Big Green men's basketball team on Tuesday voted to form a union. Players who led the effort said they seek a "less exploitative business model for college sports."

By a 13-2 vote, the team voted to join Local 560 of the Service Employees International Union. The second-largest labor union in the United States, SEIU is a major financial backer of Democratic Party candidates.
The 11 Dartmouth players who voted to unionize pose for a photo; maybe the two who voted against it were busy researching their transfer options (via The Dartmouth)

The Dartmouth administration, which had previously warned that unionization could result in the team being ejected from the Ivy League, reiterated its stance that college athletes are not employees, making unionization inappropriate:

"The students on the men’s basketball team are not in any way employed by Dartmouth. For Ivy League students who are varsity athletes, academics are of primary importance, and athletic pursuit is part of the educational experience. Classifying these students as employees simply because they play basketball is as unprecedented as it is inaccurate."

The unionization vote came on the same day the Big Green ended their 2023-24 season dead last in the Ivy League and 6-21 overall, going 0-14 on the road, winning only two league games, and ranking number 334 out of 362 Division I teams in KenPom's computer rankings.

“Dartmouth seems to be stuck in the past. It’s time for the age of amateurism to end,” declared 6'6" junior forward and union rep Cade Haskins, who scored 9 points all season and averaged 2.5 minutes in the 10 games in which he was put on the floor. According to his official team bio, he's a "possible economics major."

https://twitter.com/RichardHan...tball-votes-unionize



Dartmouth basketball fans no doubt wish they were stuck in the past: It's been 65 years since the Big Green appeared in the NCAA tournament, the longest tourney drought among teams that have appeared at least once.

"Let's work together to create a less exploitative business model for college sports," said Haskins and teammate and fellow union rep Romeo Myrthil, a a 6' 2" guard from Sweden. The unionizing hoopsters don't seem to have articulated any specific grievances thus far. The Ivy League doesn't give athletic scholarships, but does give need-based ones. The total annual cost of attendance at Dartmouth for the current academic year is $87,315.

Dartmouth basketball isn't exactly a financial gusher for the New Hampshire school, making the players' rhetoric about being "exploited" ring hollow. Attendance at the Big Green's rare, Tuesday night victory over Harvard was just 809.

The vote is a significant milestone, but the team won't be collectively bargaining anytime soon, as the issue is bound to be wrestled over in federal court. Dartmouth has already appealed to the National Labor Relations Board, asking the regulatory body to reverse a regional NLRB official's February decision that Dartmouth athletes are employees and therefore eligible for unionization.

“Because Dartmouth has the right to control the work performed by the Dartmouth men’s basketball team, and the players perform that work in exchange for compensation, I find that the petitioned-for basketball players are employees within the meaning of the (National Labor Relations) Act,” wrote NLRB's Laura Sacks at the time.

The NLRB's jurisdiction only covers private schools like Dartmouth. In 2015, the agency blocked Northwestern University football's attempt to unionize, saying that -- since Northwestern was the only private school in the Big Ten Conference -- giving the Wildcats the power to collectively bargain would be too disruptive.

Dartmouth fans must be wondering if their team will someday go on strike. As an alternative union tactic, they could try an on-court work "slowdown." However, given the Big Green basketball's performance in recent years, would anyone even notice?

https://www.zerohedge.com/poli...tball-votes-unionize

quote:

“Because Dartmouth has the right to control the work performed by the Dartmouth men’s basketball team, and the players perform that work in exchange for compensation, I find that the petitioned-for basketball players are employees within the meaning of the (National Labor Relations) Act,” wrote NLRB's Laura Sacks at the time.

To mean: NCAA baskeball is worth billions, with NIL the amount of funds coming in is significant, and with unionization we can gain a seat at the table in order to extort as much funds into the SEIU as possible and more control for the NLRB over college athletics.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
The unionizing hoopsters don't seem to have articulated any specific grievances thus far.

What exactly are they looking to gain? What's their "problem"?

quote:

Originally posted by 1967Goat:
What's their "problem"?

Apparently the problem is they don't have enough talent on the team to be competitive.

If I did not know any better, I would have been sure this was an article from The Onion or Babalon Bee.

They don't even have to play if they don't want to - non of them are on sports scholarships.

They're pissed because nobody is making any NIL money and obviously there's a reason for that .

It’s always easier to blame the system instead of taking steps to ensure that your team doesn’t suck.

Look at it this way, if they go on strike, they aren't likely to win more games than they already do.

quote:

Originally posted by mojojojo:

quote:

Originally posted by 1967Goat:
What's their "problem"?

Apparently the problem is they don't have enough talent on the team to be competitive.

Too many white kids on that team. No wonder they suck.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Too many white kids on that team. No wonder they suck.

Is this where we yell racist?

Nobody cared about the basketball team when I went there. Also, back then, Dartmouth was the conservative Ivy. Times have definitely changed.

They draw a crowd of 809? There’s tens of dollars at stake.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:

Look at it this way, if they go on strike, they aren't likely to win more games than they already do.

Yeah, but they won't lose as many.

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Too many white kids on that team. No wonder they suck.

Is this where we yell racist?

It's why they suck, but with 27% of the players pictured being black, that's much higher than the black percentage in the general population.

I thought NIL was going to ruin college sports. Nope, it’s this. Lol

For these athletes it’s a fairly harmless mental exercise. Not a one of them will play a day beyond the last game there.

College kids long to be relevant and heard. As dumb as this is it’s less annoying than shouting down an invited speaker with mindless chants.

I suspect shutting down the sport is an option for the university. Might even save them money. Regardless, this screams out that this will be a very obvious case of unintended consequences. Or the old, be careful what you wish for. The obvious one being no more free college. We shall see.

Sports, whether college or pro, holds less sway on me every year. I enjoy them still but any hint of shenanigans and I can give it up too. This is hinting of shenanigans. Lol

SEIU laying plans to rake in some NIL$

Just furthers my personal witness that "Ivy League" educations are approaching mediocrity.

quote:

SEIU laying plans to rake in some NIL$

Yes. There's a reason why they are going after Dartmouth. It's because everyone thinks it's a joke. But if they can get away with it there... they will get away with it elsewhere.

Dartmouth should just shut it down... Eliminate the program. It's not necessary. In fact, it's become detrimental.

Sports is "extra-curricular". Dartmouth is an academic institution. Sports are supposed to be for fun. They are "extra".

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

Dartmouth should just shut it down... Eliminate the program. It's not necessary. In fact, it's become detrimental.

Sports is "extra-curricular". Dartmouth is an academic institution. Sports are supposed to be for fun. They are "extra".