DHL Dan - XL

Fresh off his dump on John Calipari, Shank keeps the theme going in the first part of his periodic Picked Up Pieces column.

Funny how yesterday it was all Calipari's fault, right?

How college athletes handle opportunity important

Picked-up pieces while waiting to hear that Jane Swift, Vinnie Piro, and Billy Bulger have been hired by Boston 2024 . . .

■ As we wade into conference tournament week and prepare for Selection Sunday, let’s pause to consider the popular notion that NCAA athletes should be paid because they are being exploited by colleges and universities. It’s an easy argument. And it’s certainly true that “revenue” sports at big institutions make bundles of TV money off the labors of “student-athletes,’’ who officially receive nothing more than a free education. But the real exploitation comes when said college “programs” fail to educate student-athletes who will not play professionally. According to the Wall Street Journal, “only about 2 percent of athletic-scholarship recipients are drafted.’’ Every draftee does not enjoy a professional career. Meanwhile, “a bachelor’s degree adds about $1 million to lifetime earnings,’’ according to the Journal. Relative to other students, scholarship athletes are richly rewarded for their efforts. Most of the ballplayers will not play professionally, so it’s up to them (and dare we say, their coaches?) to make sure they take advantage of the quality education that represents a tremendous financial burden for most American families.

And... a once in a blue moon moment:

■ I have given up challenging the Patriots for anything they do in the offseason. They are always ready to go with a younger, cheaper model (Julian Edelman instead of Wes Welker, Ryan Allen instead of Zoltan Mesko) and they are invariably right.

He'll just wait until training camp opens up in August to 'challenge' the Patriots again.