Many issues have loomed over the sports world recently, particularly the issue of paying college athletes. Some argue that athletics are so important that universities must spend millions of dollars a year just to allow students to play for them. As noted in a Huffington Post article on this topic, paying college athletes is like throwing a lit match into a haystack: Once the fire is lit, it continues to burn, making the situation worse. There are many differences between haystack and paying athletes. To begin with, throwing a needle in a haystack is a completely negative concept; everything will burn. However, in paying college athletes, some manage to find reasons why this could be a positive thing. For example, some believe that paying athletes will bring more competition and make some colleges much more talented or gifted than others. Others say it will bring more money and more revenue to the program and the school. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Another difference is the ending of the situation. At the end of the fire there is smoke which will eventually suffocate. But this is a problem that cannot be solved by itself. Whatever decision is made on this, someone will be upset and the “fire” will continue to burn. Therefore, besides these differences, there are many similarities. One is the haystack going up in flames and the entire education system with it. If we pay our college athletes, the focus will be more on the monetary value they are able to reap, not at all on learning. College is supposed to prepare the student for their life's work through learning, not to be their life's work. College sports will also look more like professional sports focused on money and less on the sport itself. Added to this are the scholarships. Are the scholarships not sufficiently incentive? And how it does depends on the amount of money each player receives. What that monetary equivalent is for innate athletic ability depends on how much they receive. Continuing, this has to face a fire. By throwing a small lit match into this haystack, everything flies away. Just paying college athletes raises many other issues. Paying athletes may generate more revenue, but how much of that revenue will actually go back to the college or institution they play for. The problem that arises is that of fairness towards other students. Young athletes are already given a lot of things that non-athletes don't have. Not only do they get to travel and stay overnight in the best hotels, but they also get special treatments outside of sports. Some athletes may receive special attention from certain professors or even people from the city in which the college is located. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay A third similarity between burning a haystack and paying athletes is the speed at which things will "burn." The haystack will burn quickly, leaving nothing behind and getting bigger and bigger as it goes. The same goes for this problem. Everyone wants to express their own opinion on this subject, which gives rise to a growing problem. People will quickly get angry and.