Age restriction in professional sports?

Go ahead… share all the usual anecdotes about “The American Way” about the right to make money when the market says you can compete for it. General support for that notwithstanding, just becuase someone is CAPABLE of performing, doesn’t ENTITLE someone to a license.
Case in point, I could drive just as well and even better at 14 as every other 70 year old grandma that can’t see over the stearing wheel. Why couldn’t I get that license? Because someone made that rule.

Dictator/Commissioner Stern and the NBA are mulling over the idea of further delaying the eligibility of the draft to the age of 20. I can’t really believe I’m trying to help make the point for Dictator Stern, but there are some arguments to be shared.

In your neighborhood, find the two 17 year olds with the best and worst character assessments. Give each one 10 million dollars.

Does anyone think that at the end of that $10 million, the one with the worst character will gravitate to the tendencies of the best vs the other way around?

Some make the argument that we all have the right to make bad decisions… When bad decisions result in bad trouble, if there are ways to mitigate those trouble making decisions in advance, we have the responsibility to take advantage of those opportunities.