Page 14 JAuplyri l1 20,, 22001154 EL SEGUNDO HERALD One Man’s Opinion Another Man’s Opinion He Made Me Do It College Sports Is Cash Cow By Cristian Vasquez Like millions of other Americans, I too am caught up in the spectacle of March Madness. However, despite my love of sports, the way these student athletes are exploited by the National Collegiate Athletic Association is troubling. I’m not arguing for these student athletes to receive contracts worth millions of dollars but there should be some type of compensation. Some people will argue that these kids receive a free education in exchange for their commitment to athletics and that is a fair argument. Yet, for as much money as collegiate sports generate for the schools, four years worth of tuition is the amount of pocket change that these institutions can more than afford. Let’s be honest with ourselves and admit that the NCAA is abusing these college athletes. USA Today reported that the NCAA registered a $61 million surplus in 2013, making it the third consecutive year that the association garnered more than $60 million. The NCAA itself reported that most of its revenue [81 percent projected for 2012-13] is derived from media rights. The majority of those media rights monies are the result of a $10.8 billion, 14-year agreement with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting, just for the rights to the Division I men’s basketball championship. In addition to this billiondollar deal, schools and the NCAA earn millions of dollars every year from the sale of merchandise, merchandise that the student athlete represents, for which they do not see a single dime. One can argue that it’s not the student athletes’ place to receive royalties for the merchandise since they are amateurs. Wrong: it is wrong to have the schools and NCAA continue to profi t from the every athlete’s image even after they graduate. Jersey sales and NCAA basketball games on video consoles History from front page Follow Us on Twitter @heraldpub Like Us on Facebook “Republicans and some Democrats are saying this deal with the bully better work out or they’ll slap more sanctions on Iran and make you look like an even bigger fool than you’ve made yourself.” For Everyone Except Athletes like the Play Station series or XBOX are just some of the merchandising tools that will generate profi ts for the NCAA for years; yet the student athlete sees none of it throughout their lifetime. As if that wasn’t enough, let’s not forget that sponsorship generates a substantial amount of money during offi cial NCAA tournaments. So when NCAA President Mark Emmert says that college athletics is about the integrity and spirit of the game, hence why student athletes shouldn’t get paid, it’s hard for me not to yell malarkey [in my head]. If coaches can agree to endorsement deals with sponsors and the NCAA generate millions of dollars a year in the spirit of the game, why can’t the student athletes that give the organization life receive at least a stipend? Not all student athletes are start running backs or nationally recognized point guards who benefi t from media exposure, and who can maybe benefi t from their highprofi le image. The tennis stars, the lacrosse players, the amazing swimmers and great golfers or stellar track and fi eld athletes are also part of this system that generates millions, and they too are denied royalties. There’s nothing wrong about the schools and NCAA generating money from something like sports, which are very profi table. However, it is a crime to have a group of people sell that product and not receive proper compensation. It’s disingenuous at best for NCAA representatives to say that college athletics is about the prestige and love of the sport when they make billions of dollars on the back of the student athletes. I’m a UCLA fan and that will not change. Yet, I can’t bring myself to buy offi cial merchandise knowing that many of these athletes at times are struggling to eat a decent lunch while some coaches, several athletic directors and many NCAA offi cials are stuffi ng their pockets with money. • By Gerry Chong “Waaaaaaa,” cried the little boy, as his mother pulled him along “Waaaaaa, he made me do it.” “Now stop it, Barack. Stop the temper tantrums. Either play nicely with the others or you can’t go out and play anymore,” said his mom. “But I don’t like Israelis so I left the old man sitting downstairs alone in the White House and came up to have dinner with you.” “That was horribly rude, child. He was the oldest playmate we have in that part of the world. Now he hates us. And by the way, did you have to send one of your political operatives to oppose his re-election and say you did not want to interfere in foreign affairs? Honestly, Barack.” “Waaaaaaaa,” squalled the child, “he made me do it.” “Barack, there’s this other bully in the schoolyard the other kids hate. His name’s Iran, but then you know that. He’s kicked sand six times in the principal’s face since 2006, sponsors state terrorism throughout the Middle East, is sanctioned by nine individual nations, lies about possession and development of nuclear power, and has a history of deception and human rights violations, but you want to be his friend! What’s with you, child?” “Waaaaaaa, he made me do it.” “All the aother kids in school now want to pick on you too. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and most of the 22 member Arab States have banded together militarily to oppose you and your schoolyard bully pal. Are you happy about that? I could just shake you, Barack.” “Waaaaaa, he made me do it.” “And just to prove he’s going to make you a sucker, he waited until the last week of his negotiations with you to tell you he isn’t going to sign any agreement with you. Then he waits until the last day to say he changed his mind about the most important provision in the agreement. Barack, he’s made a fool of you. He wiped the fl oor with you and John Kerry. Now he may get economic sanctions lifted, will keep the nuclear ability he developed, and get a nuclear weapon whether he cheats or not, because he knows you’re desperate for a star on your legacy.” “Waaaaa, he made me do it.” “Now look at the mess you created among your classmates. Republicans and some Democrats are saying this deal with the bully better work out or they’ll slap more sanctions on Iran and make you look like an even bigger fool than you’ve made yourself.” “Waaaaaa, he made me do it.” “Then there’s all this pro-Muslim foolishness you’ve spread on campus, saying Terrorists aren’t Islamists when Islam is their middle name. Come on, boy, what’s gotten into you? It seems like you’ve lost your balance, and are willing to throw your entire being away over defending Muslims.” “But don’t you see, Mom? He made me do it. It was the Dream of My Father.” • A tree planted by John Temple in 1844. of Whittier to the sea and from today’s Los Angeles River to the Santa Ana River. Manuel Nieto retired to his Rancho along with his wife, mother and four children. He would later become the wealthiest man in California based on land and cattle, only to be out done by Pio Pico in the 1850s. Thinking that cattle would bring profits to Nieto from the sale of beef, we were surprised to learn that most of the profits were derived from hides and tallow used for candles and soap. It was even more surprising to learn that much of the meat from the cattle was wasted as there wasn’t the population to demand and consume it. It is believed that the original adobe that Manuel Nieto built was a typical, single story adobe about twenty feet by twenty located in the West Whittier–Nieto area, has since been destroyed by floods from the unpredictable San Gabriel River. Jose Manuel Perez-Nieto died at age 70 in 1804, leaving his rancho to his wife and children. After Mexico Independence from Spain, the Nieto family petitioned the government to subdivide Rancho Los Nieto so that it could be divided amongst the Nieto children. In 1834, that request was granted and Rancho Los Nieto was divided into smaller ranchos. The new land grants were established and given out at as follows: Rancho Los Alamitos to Juan Jose Nieto; Rancho Las Bolsas to Catarina Ruiz the widow of Jose Antonio Nieto; Rancho Los Cerritos to Manuela Nieto de Cota and her husband Guillermo Cota; Rancho Los Coyotes to Josefa Cota widow of Antonio Maria Nieto and much smaller Rancho Palo Alto to Juan Jose Nieto (most likely Coyote Hills and Arroyo de los Coyotes). In 1844 and after the death of Manuela in 1832 and Guillermo in 1844, it was decided amongst their twelve children to sell the Rancho Los Cerritos rather than further divide the land. In 1843, Rancho Los Cerritos and its 27,000 acres was sold to a family member, John Temple. In 1844, John Temple began building a modern day, two story adobe, outfitted with the finest amenities and garden money could buy. The local indigenes Tongva Indians were hired to help with the construction. The original roof construction at this time was a flat roof built of timbers and sealed with tar from the La Brea Tar Pits. The rancho had more than 15,000 head of cattle and was prosperous in shipping hides and tallow and the production of dairy products. All that changed after several years of drought in the 1860s killed off much of the cattle. In a depress real estate market, John Temple made plans to retire with his wife to Paris, France and sold Rancho Los Cerritos and all of its 27,000 acres to Flint, Bixby and Company in 1866 for $20,000. John Temple died in San Francisco a few months after the sale never making it to Paris. The Flint, Bixby and company raised sheep on the vast land as they required less pastured lands than cattle. The Flint, Bixby and Company made a huge success in the wool trade until 1870 when the business tapered off with less demand. From 1870- 1927 the land was subdivided and sold off to meet the demands of the booming Southern California population. New cities began popping up from the acquired land that was once Rancho Los Cerritos. Today we are fortunate to have this land mark and treasure in our backyard to remind us of our not so distant past from Spanish rule to our present day metropolis. If you stop by the Rancho Los Cerritos, tell them Rick Foster sent you. Rancho Los Cerritos is located at 4600 Virginia Road, Long Beach, California 90807. Phone: (562) 206-2040. Rancho Los Cerritos is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 1-5 pm., except on major holidays. All tours are guided by either a living history or a third person docent. The last tour of the day begins no later than 4:15 p.m. • The Los Cerritos ranch house in Long Beach, CA. Photos by Rick Foster
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