Congress is the NIL referee we never wanted -- column

Former sports anchor Sage Steele joins ‘One Nation’ to discuss the ‘name, image and likeness’ for student athletes.

College athletics are under siege and this time, fans may have no one to blame but themselves if they continue to push Congress to regulate their favorite sport.

There are few people in the world with less patience than a sports fan. We want our teams to win and win now. Bad clock management at the end of a game? "The coach should have been fired a week ago!" Hire a big-name coach to replace him? "It’s championship or bust!" (As a fan and alumni of the Colorado Buffaloes, I know this fan reaction too well). Trade your star player in the twilight of his career for an unproven rookie with long-term upside? "I can’t believe they are going to make me pay to watch this team. They should pay me to babysit, instead!"

Admit it. We’re all guilty of exaggerated and unrealistic expectations when it comes to sports. Coaches are often carried off the field and placed directly on the hot seat. We’re buying our favorite player’s jersey one day and demanding he be traded the next. When things aren’t going in the right direction, we demand immediate change.

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The referee reviews a play during the TaxAct Texas Bowl between Texas A&M Aggies and Oklahoma State Cowboys on December 27, 2023, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.  (David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

While the immediacy of the fan experience is part of what makes sports so engaging, it can also come as a detriment. Ask Cleveland Browns fans about the early 1990s when both Bill Belichick and Nick Saban were walking their sidelines. By 1995, Saban had gone back to the college ranks to coach Michigan State