Here We Go Again, Congress Getting Into College Athletics

What could possibly go wrong here? Let me count the ways.

The world of college athletics is changing at a rapid pace, and that's not the worst thing that could happen to sports under the NCAA. 

However, now it seems that our federal government, and in particular, COngress have decided they should throw their weight into the mix to help the athletes. 

Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated chronicled the latest developments. In contrast, he wrote, "A group of U.S. senators plans to introduce in Congress "a college athletes bill of rights" seeking to guarantee NCAA players monetary compensation, long-term healthcare, lifetime educational scholarships, and more eligibility freedoms."

Sounds good, right? Yes, if Congress had a track record of getting things done, and done correctly. 

The current group of Congressmen and women is currently in the middle of attempting to navigate this nation through a worldwide pandemic. In doing so, many of them have been absent from their offices in our nation's capital, choosing instead to work from their homes because of the COVID-19 virus. 

While Congress managed to approve a stimulus package that helped struggling families who needed it in the wake of the pandemic, they have woefully underperformed in almost every other way imaginable.

So what could go wrong when those people intervein in college athletics? I shudder to think just how wrong this could go for everyone. 

There are far more critical issues these folks would be working on right now, not college athletics problems that can wait until we are past this pandemic. 

"For them to get the cooperation from us, they're going to have to change some of their practices," says Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), a sponsor of the bill, according to Dellenger. "The NCAA feels urgency and needs to get federal cooperation. I'm going to make sure that we also are able to change NCAA practices that undermine the students' education, well-being, and basic first amendment rights."

Ok, I'm not going to argue anything he said there, though I hold some differing opinions, and have a few questions I'd like to ask the Senator. 

Still, the point remains that there are more pressing issues currently facing this nation than this, and the fact that our elected representatives have chosen to undertake this now is proof of their ineffective status in the eyes of many people. 

Yet here we are, Congress working on legislation for college athletics while the nation burns in many other ways. 

It should also be noted that on Thursday, the Senate went into recess until September, having not completed work on this, nor the more important pieces of legislation before them. 

While Booker himself, or his colleagues in the Senate might not technically be on vacation, they will not be doing the work of we the people. That means that families hurting from the impacts of this COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic will continue to suffer while Booker and his pals get paid for doing nothing. 

I wish I could find a job where I get paid to do nothing more often than not. Only in Washington D.C. is that possible. 

I'm not sure Hollywood could make something this ridiculous up, but if they did, it would have either be a horror flick or the worlds funniest comedy. 

Follow Greg on Twitter @GregAriasSports and @SIVanderbilt or Facebook at Vanderbilt Commodores-Maven.