Simon's decision to stay in line with basic economics

This is in response to Scott Bricker's insert titled "Simon returns for all the wrong reasons" in the Tuesday, April 29th Wildcat. In this insert Scott claims that Miles Simon is returning to college for his senior year for all the wrong reasons. Actually, I was quite surprised that he decided to come back until I read that he needed a little work on his game before entering the NBA draft. You see, people go to college for many different reasons. Some go just for the social events, others because they are truly interested in academic endeavors, even others to get a higher paying job than if they didn't go, even others 'cause their parents make them, and even others because they are incredible athletes and need an arena to hone their skills. Forgetting the ones who are here only for social endeavors and those whose parents are making them go, everyone else is here to make a better life for themselves by mastering the skills they are most proficient at.

Let me ask you a simple question with an obvious answer, Scott. If some big journalism conglomerate offered you $10 million a year to leave college today would you do it? Now add celebrity status to the mix and the answer becomes even clearer. People have different goals in life, and at least Miles Simon knows exactly what his goals are and exactly how to go about achieving them. I think it's about time that all of us who are overly critical of the athletes' inability to get straight A's in college need to realize they're not here to take a $20,000 entry level position in accounting, they're here to maximize their chances of playing pro-ball. At least our college athletes get an A+ in a couple of microeconomics topics, namely expected utility maximization and opportunity costs.

By Eric B. Schorvitz (letter)
Arizona Daily Wildcat
May 2, 1997