Can anyone explain to me why [View all]
our tax dollars are used to "protect" college football coaches with State Troopers when those same colleges are making millions of dollars in profit from these games?
And Yes, I am a huge fan of college football, but this bothers me every time I see it.
Gregg Easterbrook, who used to write ESPNs Tuesday Morning Quarterback column, frequently addressed this topic. He argued that coaches dont in fact face any unusual security threat that isnt adequately addressed by the general police presence at a game, and that having a personal escort is simply a way of letting the coach feel like a king, president, or some other official who legitimately requires a round-the-clock security detail. Easterbrook often extended this criticism beyond football, noting the many mid-level government officials (i.e. city council members, mayors wives, etc.) who had expensive taxpayer-funded personal security with little purpose other than to signal that the person is a VIP.
Easterbrook frequently noted that, especially at the NCAA Division I-A level, football coaches are used to always being the most important person in any room, with players and staff beholden to their every whim and a generally compliant media. Being able to parade through a stadium full of tens of thousands of people, escorted by four state troopers, only reinforces this.