One man’s chaos is another man’s cache. After years of being trapped in a system that prevented them from getting fair value (or any value) for their skills, efforts and/or sacrifices, college football players are finally getting paid. And one of them is setting a new bar. Via On3.com, Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor is finalizing a $7.5 million deal to return in 2027. With incentives, he could bring in up to $9 million. With Taylor under center, the Bulldogs started 4-0. Taylor has since suffered a season-ending injury. Before the injury, Taylor was considered one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. While this development will prompt pearl holders to try to take advantage of the situation to generate more political momentum for the College Sports Protection Act, it is a reflection of the free market at work. Which is fine for those in positions of wealth and power, when it comes to their own financial position. When someone else is reaping the benefits of capitalism in a way that complicates the lives of those who have to balance the books (and take money from the boosters who support NIL funds), it becomes a problem. And that’s why they will do whatever it takes to reverse the gains that players have made. Because free enterprise is only desirable when the people who control it practice it. When workers start being paid according to their value, it becomes a crisis.
