• GrouchyGrouse [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    1 month ago

    I know it’s not the real answer but I just pretend it’s necessary for the sports to bring in the big bucks to fund the massively inflated coach salaries in a giant “chicken and egg” scam where each side of the equation justifies the cost of the other side as part of the same huge fucking scam

    • SoyViking [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      1 month ago

      As someone from outside the US I’ve always found it baffling that not only does Yankee universities have official sports teams, those teams are also professional teams with huge money involved.

      When I went to university, the athletic high point of the year was student unions doing a beer race in inflatable boats on the campus pond.

    • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      1 month ago

      One time, my university put on a massive prop-laden and super expensive “homecoming party” for some very important millionaire sportsball coach, with many buildings on campus decorated garishly to tickle his narcissism. This happened the same year that budget cuts were actively fucking over students with tuition hikes and the like.

      • GrouchyGrouse [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        1 month ago

        Yeah its a very “they’re dabbing on us” feeling when they talk about needing to fund X or Y important thing and yet the first thing they do when they get the money is spend it on something else. And they don’t even hide it. Like apparently we’re all supposed to be mad if you give a homeless guy money for a sandwich and instead he buys a beer but when taxes go up to pay for public works and it just results in the cops getting an APC it’s just part of life.

        • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.net
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          1 month ago

          That happens in so many places.

          When I was in college they had to raise tuition again while cutting back on university services but they had money to expand the rec room for administration and turn the library into some pompous Steve Jobs-wanking coffee shop with vague book decorations.

          When I was a teacher, I was told I had to tighten my belt because of a big budget shortfall and on the next page of that fucking newsletter it proudly announced a new sportsball stadium for the most prestigious US foreign policy high school in the district that costed the same amount as the shortfall!