[Vision2020] Pro football...

[Tom Hansen]

I seriously doubt the credibility of your "story", Mr. Kaag.  Another
question you might think of asking is:

"How much revenue is developed as a result of the various athletic programs
(i.e. football, basketball, etc.)?"  You might be surprised at the response.

This would at least show an attempt on your part to "balance" your article
(instead of sticking with your four "pointed" questions).  It might also
surprise you that some of our past football players are European.  Alot of
our track athletes are from overseas.  Do you realize that there were four
Vandals in the last summer olympics and not one of them represented the
United States?  It may also surprise you that the University of Idaho's
athletic program has one of the highest graduation rates in the northwest.

Just providing you answers to some questions you were better off asking,

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
UI '96


> -----Original Message-----
> From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On
> Behalf Of Don Kaag
> Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 6:01 PM
> To: Vision 2020
> Subject: [Vision2020] Pro football...
>
>
> Visionaries:
>
> I know that many of you are rabid  college football fans, but I have to
> go with Bob Hoffman on this one.  We should get out of the pro football
> and basketball farm team business and back to real college kids playing
> sports because it's fun, and hang what league we're in at UI.
>
> Once upon a time, when I was writing a regular opinion column for the
> Idahonian/Daily News.  I wanted to do a piece on college althetics, so
> I contacted the UI athetic department and asked them the following
> questions.
>
> 1.  How much do the basketball and football programs cost annually?
> 2.  How many of the players on the varsity squads are A)from out of
> state, and B)on full scholarship?
> 3.  How much do we spend on those scholarships?
> 4.  Of those players on full scholarships from out of state, how many
> graduate with a degree from UI?
>
> I couldn't get any answers.  I wrote the column with what I could find
> out by asking around.  The following Saturday, the head of the UI
> athletic department called me at home and raved at me for writing an
> inaccurate column about his programs.  I explained that I had contacted
> his office and was given the runaround, but that I was willing, if he
> would answer the questions for me, to do another column retracting
> anything I had written that was inaccurate.
>
> Although he said things like, "Idaho has a small population, and to be
> competitive we have to recruit players from out of state", and, "I have
> had fans come up to me at football games and hand me checks for $20,000
> to support the athletics programs", he never answered the questions.
>
> I pointed out to him that there are colleges and universities that
> pretty much suck at football and basketball, but that have millions in
> endowments because alumni have dontated money to support academic
> excellence.  He laughed.
>
> I still have the questions.  And I still don't have any answers.
>
> Regards,
>
> Don Kaag
>
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