Post by @ProfBellamy on Jan 10, 2011 9:41:29 GMT -5
Six easy steps to football reform
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 10, 2011; D01
The NCAA's attitude toward college football is like the scene in "Apollo 13," when astronaut Jim Lovell's wife Marilyn takes in the damage after the moon-shot party. "I can't deal with cleaning up," she says. "Let's sell the house."
One of the more disillusioning seasons in memory will wrap up with what should rightly be called the BS Bowl, and whether the NCAA knows it or not, it faces a huge crisis of public confidence. People are sick of players on the take who spend about as much time in class as they do at a Gas-N-Sip, and NCAA pipe tampers who harbor them with morally casual attitudes dressed up in bow ties. The argument university presidents use to avoid personal responsibility is that corruption in the game is an intractable problem beyond the capacity of individuals to solve it. It's too big to clean up. So they just sell the house.
But that's an easy out. There are a half-dozen reforms that would restore some honor and clean purpose to the sport tomorrow, if only school administrators would find the backbone. It's not that no one knows what to do. They just lack the will to do it.
"I don't buy this notion that it's beyond me," says Tulane President Scott Cowen. "I don't buy this notion that I can do nothing to influence it. Individual presidents have to bear responsibility for their own institution. We can't simply say, 'It's too much bigger than me and it's somebody else's problem.' That's passing the buck."
A reform movement should start with the understanding that while NCAA division I-A football isn't exactly studies in ancient Cypriot texts, nevertheless it has genuine educational value. It's as important as math or music or poetry in helping to open students' potential. It belongs on campus and is worth saving. It's not like it would take unconventional weapons and millions of casualties.
Here are the six steps.....
Read the complete article at: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/09/AR2011010902334.html
As a College Administrator, my favorite one is the ineligibility of freshman. The freshman transition is already hard enough for many successful students. I think most of ya'll would want to kill me, but in my work my job is to make sure students graduate.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 10, 2011; D01
The NCAA's attitude toward college football is like the scene in "Apollo 13," when astronaut Jim Lovell's wife Marilyn takes in the damage after the moon-shot party. "I can't deal with cleaning up," she says. "Let's sell the house."
One of the more disillusioning seasons in memory will wrap up with what should rightly be called the BS Bowl, and whether the NCAA knows it or not, it faces a huge crisis of public confidence. People are sick of players on the take who spend about as much time in class as they do at a Gas-N-Sip, and NCAA pipe tampers who harbor them with morally casual attitudes dressed up in bow ties. The argument university presidents use to avoid personal responsibility is that corruption in the game is an intractable problem beyond the capacity of individuals to solve it. It's too big to clean up. So they just sell the house.
But that's an easy out. There are a half-dozen reforms that would restore some honor and clean purpose to the sport tomorrow, if only school administrators would find the backbone. It's not that no one knows what to do. They just lack the will to do it.
"I don't buy this notion that it's beyond me," says Tulane President Scott Cowen. "I don't buy this notion that I can do nothing to influence it. Individual presidents have to bear responsibility for their own institution. We can't simply say, 'It's too much bigger than me and it's somebody else's problem.' That's passing the buck."
A reform movement should start with the understanding that while NCAA division I-A football isn't exactly studies in ancient Cypriot texts, nevertheless it has genuine educational value. It's as important as math or music or poetry in helping to open students' potential. It belongs on campus and is worth saving. It's not like it would take unconventional weapons and millions of casualties.
Here are the six steps.....
Read the complete article at: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/09/AR2011010902334.html
As a College Administrator, my favorite one is the ineligibility of freshman. The freshman transition is already hard enough for many successful students. I think most of ya'll would want to kill me, but in my work my job is to make sure students graduate.
