Is Columbia Playing Moneyball?

These guys don't look so tough

I continue to be amazed by what I find out about our football players via Twitter.

First, we had the problem of too many players posting inappropriate comments.

Then we had the problem of some players posting inappropriate pictures of themselves.

But now, I can’t help but notice how many Tweets by our players and incoming recruits unintentionally give away the extreme wealth their families enjoy. Spring break was especially telling, with player after player chronicling their exotic vacation locales.

Now as anyone who knows me well can tell you, I’m no enemy of wealthy or the wealthy. I’m a dyed in the wool supply-sider who believes we can grow the pie and make everyone wealthy… and that would be a good thing.

But I have more and more evidence that the average net worth of our football players’ families is sharply higher, (even if adjusted for inflation), than it was 15-20 years ago.

As one fan told me last week: “No wonder we went 0-10 last year, most of these guys look like they were born 10-0… what do they need to win football games for?”

Every former player I've spoken to recently tells me he can't remember more than one player from their time who was remotely this wealthy.

And that makes me suspicious.

Let me explain.

In his excellent book, The Price of Admission, former Wall Street Journal writer Dan Golden explained how Ivy schools still find a way to admit the richest applicants despite the rigorous academic requirements.

One new way was to find super-rich applicants who happen to play lower-profile sports like squash and Equestrian events and park those kids on the bench on those teams where no one would be the wiser.

That’s not the most “sporting” thing to do, especially for those few not-so-rich squash players and horse riders who get pushed out to make room for a billionaire.

But is there a chance Columbia is now doing this in the key high-profile sport like football?

I certainly hope not, and the argument could be made that rising Ivy tuitions are effectively attracting a higher percentage of wealthier applicants and crowding out the middle class kids more and more.

But the trend is worth noting and we should keep an eye on what’s happening here. Is there anyone here who would put it past our vaunted administration to use such a ploy to ensure that more full tuition-paying students fill our athletic teams… even if it costs us a few wins here or there?  

Even I’m willing to say this administration is still innocent before proven guilty… but I’m watching… always watching.