TO THE EDITOR:
Coming into UNC for my year abroad after only visiting America once before, I wasn’t really sure to expect. I had my fair share of preconceived notions about America, but the only ones that ended up being accurate were the fascination with my Irish accent and the unwavering mediocrity of Taco Bell.
I’ve always been fascinated by American college sports, as the system in place here is unlike any other worldwide.
In the absence of a strong network of developmental teams that feed into the top tier leagues, college sports here have become a booming business, which I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing first-hand at UNC football and basketball games.
I had no idea how wildly popular each college team was.
To me, putting athletes in a position where they more or less need to go to college for at least a year or two in order to get the necessary exposure to play professionally seems to be an unfair solution for both the athletes and the Universities.
American sports leagues are obviously wildly prosperous enterprises, but it will be interesting to see if the current system that emphasizes development in college leagues eventually evolves into a system similar to that seen in Europe.
Whatever happens, I will continue to cheer on my Tar Heels from across the pond.
