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rantnrave:// Why do sports fans accept exploitation so easily and nonchalantly? Did you watch the NCAA tournament? Did you enjoy it? Did you care that North Carolina players did not come close to receiving fair market value or that their hardship brought profits only for the university and their head coach? At UNC, they're not even guaranteed an education. Some players allegedly received scholarships to attend fake classes. Roy Williams earned an extra $925,000 for winning his third title -- what did the players get? College football is no different. Student-athletes star on Saturdays so schools can build lazy rivers. And the NCAA lobbies Congress to maintain their cheap labor. This doesn't end when the athletes turn pro. NFL players don't have guaranteed contracts. Minor league baseball players accept below-minimum-wage jobs in hopes of one day getting big league contracts. They don't have a union or much bargaining power after signing. Bleacher Report's Brandon Sneed profiled Kyle Johnson, a Mets minor leaguer, who has never made more than $11,500 in a season. Can you read that story without empathizing with him? Where is the fairness there? There is a cost to success but shouldn't organizations have to pay something, too? ... You'll be able to watch NFL Thursday night games on Amazon this year. While the Thursday night product is heavily maligned, the NFL received five times more for the digital rights in 2017 than in 2016. ... Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory doesn't think the state really repealed HB2. LGBT advocates don't think so either. But the NCAA will consider bringing championship events back to the state. Was the NCAA just responding to public perception? Or did it actually care about the substance of the law? What does this mean for the NCAA's view on Texas, which could pass its own version of HB2? How will the NCAA respond in that case? ... Welcome to CBS, Tony Romo. The NFL will miss you. Not just the Texans and Broncos. Romo was one of the league's best quarterbacks and perpetually underrated.

As he readies for what could be a long career past 40, Brady remains proof that how you take care of your genes matters more than genetics.

Ian McMahan | The Guardian

Some longtime season-ticket holders allow a deadline to pass without sending in their renewal checks.

Dan Steinberg | The Washington Post

Is a football stadium all wrong for college basketball's biggest game? A night spent watching North Carolina-Gonzaga from the rafters.

Jason Gay | Wall Street Journal

NHL players won't participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics. I am not happy about this and am looking for someone to blame.

Aaron Gordon | Vice Sports

Researchers in the U.S. and the U.K. are looking at different ways to reduce brain injuries in contact sports.

Angelo Young | Salon

"It's not enough to be smart. You have to be curious."

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