[CBFF] [NBR] Why character matters

[Jim Ferolie]

That makes sense for big-time college football programs, but not for 90 
percent of colleges that have football. And what about schools in the 
middle, your Iowas, Arizonas, Northwesterns, that compete for these 
recruits, too, but have 50 or 60 guys who know they don't have the slightest 
chance of going to the pros but they play football as part of their 
growing-up process?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Westmalle van 't vat" <westmalle at comcast.net>


> 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
>
>
>
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