[CBFF] [NBR] Why character matters

[Westmalle van 't vat]

On 1/30/08 8:54 AM, "Jason Cetina" <jason at cetinas.org> wrote:

> Stories like this used to seem abstract to me. Now I think about it in
> more real terms.

That's exactly it, Jason.  Behind everyone of these stories are real people,
whose lives have been truly damaged by the likes of the Stevenses, the
Neuheisels, and King County prosecutors of the world.  You better believe
that if I had a daughter, I would think twice about sending her to a college
with a big football program because on most of those campuses, it is money
and the image of the program that consistently influence decision- and
policy-making.

FWIW, I favor a total disenfranchisement of major college athletics from the
college campus.  The NCAA should become a minor league operation with
colleges owning the teams (and mascots, logos, naming-rights, etc.) that
compete.  That way they can make their money and have sports entertainment
options for their campuses.  But players would no longer be required to
attend classes, and their scholarship money would be their salary.  It would
be more honest.  It would do away with shady recruiting violations.  And I
think it might create just enough of a barrier between the team and the
school so that the league (i.e., NCAA) could really enforce behavioral
standards without the interference of administrations who value dollars over
everything else.  

Anyhow, I digress. . .

> I know Angelo and Lovie say character matters, but do you believe them?
> I think I do, but I drink a lot of blue and orange kool-aid.
> -
> Jason

I think the issue is more a willingness to believe the all too earnest
confessions of weak and/or manipulative young men.  Part of that is
understandable because you do see young guys make mistakes but turn it
around.  And Lovie in particular is a Christian man who believes in
forgiveness and redemption.  So I think Lovie, who convinced Angelo to
relent at first, wanted to believe that the team could rally around Tank and
help him help himself.  I think the team did; but Tank did not make good on
his end.

Steve