Typically, when one thinks of a whore house, they think of pimps and hookers, and more likely men buying and selling women. And while brothels sometimes turn out larger profits, offer more secure places to do business, and sometimes do drug testing, they aren’t much different from some of the lower class street operations. In the end, someone is getting fucked. As is the case with college athletes.

I don’t usually watch college basketball but when March Madness comes around, I break out my virtual bracket and vote for as many upsets as possible. So this year, when Murray State dropped Vanderbilt and Northern Iowa beat Kansas, I was in heaven. The NCAA was not. As the NCAA tournament began to unfold, and upset after upset happened, one thing became clear (aside from the fact that team mechanics beat out athleticism), few people were watching the games and where ratings dip, contracts weaken, and where contracts weaken, money is lost. Many of the players, who probably won’t even make it to the NBA will never see a dime. Instead, they will get a mediocre education from a less than mediocre institution and then be out on their asses with a highlight reel and a couple of college trophies. The NCAA will move on, and will pimp the next crop. And like most pimps, they will do everything to keep their best product on the market longer. And if that doesn’t work–bring in new buyers.

Introducing sales person #1, Greg Shaheen, NCAA Senior VP of Basketball and Business Strategies:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyZ09HjEuK8&feature=related

Of course, they are studying and researching various ways to put together the teams, but at the end of the day, it is all about economics. Because while this year’s NCAA tournament yielded some of the best basketball in years, many games didn’t live up in the ratings. In 2002, the NCAA and CBS agreed to a $6 billion contract giving CBS exclusive rights to show NCAA tournament games. That contract is up for renewal in 2014. Greg Shaheen is just one of the many staffers toying with the schedule to ensure either bigger names play longer or more teams play. It seems, by 2014, college athletes will be put to work in more ways. And they will oblige, happy for the short-lived trappings of college fame, groupies, and trophies. And the NCAA will cash in with a more lucrative contract and will probably do even less to make sure those who work for them are properly compensated. And thus the cycle continues–the pimp/prostitute theory holds.