Some Higher Learning in Order for Singleton

The credibility accorded movie director John Singleton by The Times in a Feb. 5 interview is irresponsible toward readers who expect content based on reality. What are Singleton’s credentials for preaching about the exploitative nature of college athletics that he perceives? One year of high school track? The two athletes he said he knew at USC?

Having spent seven years working in USC’s athletic department, I saw thousands of athletes come and go. I saw the successes of student athletes who took advantage of the academic support available and the failures of those who did not.

I would like to meet the athlete who failed academically, who feels exploited, and can honestly look in the mirror and say he or she went to every class, study table and one-on-one counseling session available to student-athletes at NCAA Division I schools. Success and failure are based on each student’s willingness to work, not the so-called exploitative nature of college athletics.

NICK SALATA

Los Angeles