It’s been a while since an interview stirred up as much controversy and intrigue as the one that Josh Rosen has with Bleacher Report. The interview covered an array of topics, but focused on the life of the student-athlete for the most part.
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen was highly critical of the way the NCAA has structure the system. He feels that student-athletes are not given enough time or support to truly succeed in either.
In what has proved to be some of the more inflammatory and provoking comments during the interview, Rosen said that many of the players “have no business being in school”.
On Wednesday, Charles Barkley used an interview with Dan Patrick to chastise Rosen for making his comments.
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“I don’t want some rich white kid who’s gonna be a No. 1 draft pick talking about… we’re just wasting our time,” the former Auburn basketball player stated. “Well, most of those kids (are) not wasting those times. Most of those kids need that free education to be successful at life.
“And he might be a nice kid, but lemme tell you something: I don’t want any rich white kid telling black kids, ‘no don’t worry about this stuff. Just come here and play football.’ Those kids ain’t got no chance at going to the NFL. Those kids need that education. … I hate that message.”
The former NBA star never hesitates to offer his opinion, so it was only a matter of time before he weighed in on the hottest sports topic right now.
In many ways, Rosen’s comments are being taken out of context. In the interview, he is critical of the NCAA not giving students the necessary tools to succeed in school. Rather, they focus on keeping the players eligible so that they can play football, making academic pursuits secondary to athletics.
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