Good for Nigel Hayes, who won't sit idly by when he sees injustice
MADISON, Wis. — Nigel Hayes doesn’t make statements lightly, and he doesn’t stand up for things he doesn’t believe in.
He has every right to protest against the collegiate model, and the NCAA not paying athletes.
Criticism of the sign he held on ESPN’s College GameDay felt more like antiquated “you should just be happy you have your scholarship” commentary than the continuation a meaningful conversation about the small percentage of college athletes who are not compensated beyond their cost of attendance, yet bring in millions of revenue for schools and conferences.
Yes, Hayes solicited donations to a Venmo account for “broke” college athletes — he later said it’s a friend’s account and he’s not accepting money because it’s against NCAA rules.
Funds raised will go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County, Hayes told ESPN.
But this is not a publicity stunt or a spur-of-the-moment decision. Two years ago Hayes joined a lawsuit against the NCAA. He became one of three named plaintiffs in a suit led by sports labor attorney Jeffrey Kessler seeking an injunction against NCAA rules that limit athletes’ compensation.
Hayes is not one to remain silent when he perceives injustice.
He’s spoken out on social issues, including racism and police brutality. Last week, when I asked him what prompted what he describes as “an awakening” regarding his platform and these topics, he spoke about reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which detailed the evolution of Malcolm Little to Malcolm X, human rights activist.
Essentially, once Malcolm X’s eyes were opened to injustice, he could no longer sit idly by — and that’s how Hayes feels now. He held this controversial sign up on television two days after he visited the brand-new National Museum of African American History and Culture, the most recent addition to the Smithsonian museums. Funny enough, the trip was made possible because his league, the Big Ten, extended its money grab into Washington, D.C., via the University of Maryland, where basketball media day was held on Thursday.
Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes uses 'GameDay' sign to make powerful statement on NCAA paying athletes
“Starting with this journey of me learning more about my history and other things concerning my people, it was a unique, special feeling to be able to put pictures and images and artifacts to the things I’ve read about, the people I’ve read about, the slavery, the atrocities of it,” Hayes told USA TODAY Sports on Friday. “When you go this museum and you see the shackles, or the cabins they had to stay in, or the tools used to beat them — you go through history. You see Malcolm X and the Black Panther Party, the clothes that they wore, the signs that they made, the newspapers from that time. There was the counter from Greensboro.
“When you’re able to take something you’re reading in a book and see it in real life, it’s definitely something special. … I was in awe of everything that was going on, trying to take in everything I could.”
It’s important to understand this context when trying to understand Hayes and his decisions regarding social justice — and also the college athletic system. He no longer sits idly by.
Sure, Hayes is quite close to earning millions if he achieves his goal of playing in the NBA next year. He had an opportunity to go pro this past spring, but got feedback directly from NBA personnel that told him he wouldn’t be drafted where he’d aimed if he did. He also found out specifically what areas in his game he needed to improve to do so, and to maximize his earning potential.
You can’t hold that against him; just because there is a literal avenue to get paid for basketball, be it in the NBA’s developmental league or overseas, doesn’t mean he must feel forced to do that — or shut up if he continues to play in the collegiate system.
There is no easy fix here, no obvious compromise. There are plenty of people who deeply believe in amateurism as a bedrock of the college system, and that a scholarship is a huge financial benefit (which it is, compared to non-scholarship students, many of whom are saddled with student debt for years and years after graduation). There are those who believe that athletes should benefit from their own name, image and likeness. There are more, too, who don’t have any specific solutions, but are uncomfortable watching unpaid college football players risk serious life-altering injuries playing for coaches making five million dollars a year.
John Thompson III says Georgetown won't shy away from any protests
But Hayes has every right to speak up, every right to call attention to any issue he wants. College athletes across the nation are realizing right now that their voices matter. Their platforms can be powerful.
Just because Hayes has a Division I scholarship, academic support, exposure and all sort of other benefits that come along with being a basketball player at the University of Wisconsin doesn’t mean that he can’t speak out against the collegiate model. Josh Rosen, UCLA’s quarterback, is doing the same thing — from a point of affluence, which he acknowledges upfront.
"I have connections that will do me well in life," Rosen told CBS Sports earlier this year. "I will be OK without football. I want to fight for the people who won't be OK. They're the ones who are going to be screwed in life because they're the ones who are living in (a) team room because they can't make a security deposit.
"I'm going to actively fight for players' rights. Not while I'm in college. I'm always going to keep a consistent track record of what I believe in. But I don't have the clout or the means. I have the voice. … I want to incite change.”
There are athletes who do not feel comfortable saying these things, or holding signs on television — athletes who maybe fit the image of a broke college athlete better than a Josh Rosen or a Nigel Hayes.
But we need to listen to those who do feel comfortable speaking up and speaking out. That’s all they’re asking for.