NCAA needs some changing, but this is a lie

Over the last week the story of Shabazz Napier going starving at UCONN has spread like a wild fire. Napier is quoted as saying, "there are hungry nights that I go to bed and I'm starving" (http://goo.gl/lV6Uyw). This is either extremely poor planning by the athlete/team staff or this is simply a lie coming from a college athlete that feels they should be paid.

Obviously paying college athletes has been a hot topic of late. Northwestern's attempt to unionize the football team is the latest example and we will see many more in the near future as this topic reaches its tipping point. There are a broad range of viewpoints ranging from leaving the system as it is to paying some sports but not all or simply just allowing athletes to make any money they can whether it's from memorabilia or money from boosters, etc. No matter where you stand on these ideas, it can generally be agreed that something must change among NCAA sports as college sports (Football and men's basketball to an extent) has become a huge multi-billion dollar business that, to some extent, exploits its athletes.

However, regardless of what your opinion is on paying college athletes, I believe what Napier has stated about starving nights is a complete lie! Personal experience tells me it's not possible for you to go starving as a college athlete. Athletes on college campuses are taken care of very well. There is a fantastic support structure set up. UCONN basketball, in particular, is a premier program that will never have a lack of money or support simply because of former players that care so much about the program. This means the members of the UCONN basketball team will have their scholarships which cover their educational experience, and they will have meal plans and stipends that cover their necessary food to not only live, but perform at their peak on the court.

The UCONN staff could possibly not schedule correctly to allow their athletes to be at dining halls during normal operating hours. I guess that's not a problem as UCONN has been doing this basketball thing for a while. Perhaps Shabazz Napier is not capable of planning ahead or thinking about how he uses his free time to accommodate normal meal times. If this is the issue, stop blaming others for self-created problems. I guess, again, that is not the actual issue. Max meal plans for cafeterias, money available for other on-campus dining locations, and buffet style meals on the road keep an athlete more than adequately fed. If Napier has ever gone to sleep at night in his dorm room on an empty stomach, it is his own fault. I would like to see some changes for college athletes, but straight BS like this is not how it should be accomplished.