[Vision2020] Uncommon reading

Carl Westberg idahovandal1 at live.com
Tue May 26 17:25:25 PDT 2009


While I do not believe that academic programs should be cut in lieu of
athletic programs, I, like Jennifer, am a fan of college athletics, and
particularly Idaho Vandal sports.  Have been since way back when Jerry
Kramer and Wayne Walker suited up for Vandal football in the 1950s.  I
was very young, but I remember those days.  In the remarkable
basketball season of 1963, when Gus Johnson lit up Memorial Gym, I
recall having to stand in line for tickets 3 hours before tipoff.  Ray
McDonald carrying 4 hapless defenders into the end zone at Neale
Stadium in the mid 1960s.  Of course, Don Monson's basketball team
beating Iowa at the buzzer in the NCAA tournament in 1982, propelling
Idaho into the Sweet 16.  All those moments and more are a strong part
of the fabric that is the U of I.  And for those advocating a drop to
the Big Sky because of the ill fortunes of the football team, football
isn't the only sport played here.  Yes, the football program has
struggled, but the basketball programs, both men's and women's, are
making a huge turnaround, and the Vandals have done just fine in the
WAC in many other sports, such as track and field.  While academics
clearly are number 1, the diversion of athletics and the memories
created for fans is important to the college experience, also.  IMHO.  
Carl Westberg Jr.

> From: jennifer at inlandradio.com
> To: kjajmix1 at msn.com
> Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 11:24:18 -0800
> CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Uncommon reading
> 
> I don't remember where I read it but very few--about 19, I believe--athletic
> programs across the nation actually directly make a profit for their school
> (the average deficit was somewhere in the $9 million range). That being
> said, since when did making a profit for the school become a requirement for
> any program whether athletic or academic? I'm a fan of college sports. I'm
> also a fan of academics. I think we'd lose enrollment and endowment dollars
> if we cut unprofitable athletic programs from UI (read: all?). Losing
> enrollment and endowment money would lead to huge budget cuts in all or most
> academic programs. This doesn't mean I think we should increase these
> programs exponentially, but I think it's foolish to think that having them
> doesn't contribute to the overall health of the school.
> 
> Sincerely,
>  
> Jennifer
> -----Original Message-----
> From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
> On Behalf Of lfalen
> Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 10:01 AM
> To: keely emerinemix; Chris Price; whayman at roadrunner.com
> Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com; tiedye at turbonet.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Uncommon reading
> 
> I could not agree more.
> Roger
> -----Original message-----
> From: keely emerinemix kjajmix1 at msn.com
> Date: Fri, 22 May 2009 11:31:44 -0700
> To: Chris Price bear at moscow.com,  whayman at roadrunner.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Uncommon reading
> 
> > 
> > The idea that collegiate sports programs are rah-rah opportunities for
> proud students and alumni to bond over three-hour games is a lovely one --
> and about as quaint, outdated, and irrelevant as my grandmother's fox stole.
> It's a whole different . . . uh . . . game nowadays, where athletes are
> recruited solely on the basis of athletic skill and scholars are recruited
> all too rarely.  I realize that UI sports programs raise revenue.  I also
> know they cost a tremendous amount.  Has anyone studied the cost/profit
> ratio of these programs?  I'm the mother of a Vandal student and the
> daughter of a Vandal grad.  Both my son and my father contributed nothing at
> all to the success of Vandal sports programs, and I'd like to think that
> their academic contributions mattered at least as much as the ability of
> other "students" to throw a football.
> > 
> > There's something wrong when even one academic program is cut when
> athletic expenditures are increasing.
> > 
> > Keely
> > http://keely-prevailingwinds.blogspot.com/
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > > Date: Fri, 22 May 2009 11:09:11 -0700
> > > From: bear at moscow.com
> > > To: whayman at roadrunner.com
> > > CC: vision2020 at moscow.com; tiedye at turbonet.com
> > > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Uncommon reading
> > > 
> > > 
> > > TYPICAL! we cut academic programs, but God forbid that we cut wasteful
> > > athletics! Bubba can PLAY football, he just can't spell it! Is there
> > > something wrong with our local universities turning out  Nobel winners
> > > rather than second rate athletes?
> > > 
> > > The purpose of the universities, ESPECIALLY the land grant universities,
> > > of which both U of I and WSU are, is to EDUCATE not turn out such fine
> > > examples of professional athletics as Ryan Leaf!  [Ryan David Leaf is a
> > > former American football quarterback who played for the San Diego
> > > Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys between 1998 and 2001.
> > > His brother Brady was a quarterback for the University of Oregon Ducks.
> > > Leaf had a successful college career at Washington State University,
> where
> > > he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in his junior year. He was
> > > selected as the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft after Peyton
> > > Manning of the University of Tennessee, and many scouts predicted he
> would
> > > actually be a better pro than Manning. However, his time as a
> professional
> > > lasted only four years, and was marked by injuries, poor relations with
> > > teammates and the media, and poor performance. He is widely regarded as
> > > one of the biggest busts in NFL and professional sports history.]
> > > 
> > > Before ANY academic programs are cut from a real university, the
> semi-pro
> > > athletics need to be done away with.
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Comments?
> > > 
> > >
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------------------------
> > > > So much for the Pollanation of ideas at a land grant institution.
> > > >
> > > > Warren Hayman
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Dave" <tiedye at turbonet.com>
> > > > To: "vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> > > > Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 7:19 AM
> > > > Subject: [Vision2020] Uncommon reading
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >> WSU halts "common reading" program.  I guess some clear talk about
> our
> > > >> food is too much for some.
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >>
> http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/may/21/wsu-drops-reading-program/
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> Maybe they could burn them all in a bonfire and have a weenie roast.
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> Dave
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> --
> > > >> Windows, OSX, or Linux is the same choice as:
> > > >> McDonalds, Burger King, or a (real) Co-Op.
> > > >>
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> > > 
> > > 
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