Penndemonium
PhD Student
Posts: 1905
Reg: 11-29-04
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02-05-24 09:18 PM - Post#362825
In response to Quakers03
I realize not everyone is in the same place on athletics and you're free to disagree. Keep in mind, I was a Penn athlete myself and care a ton about student-athletes. I just want to let them be student athletes who grow from their experiences, and I'm fed up with what the sports machine and militant fans have led us to.
Some examples of things that are crazy in university athletics right now... Pac10 (a perfectly fine athletics conference) being disbanded. Power 3 athletes (such as women's volleyball) flying cross country because of football. Florida State threatening to leave the ACC (the very conference that started the conference carnage), Schools being investigated for NIL violations right now when it is the complete Wild West. All coaches now begging their alumni for NIL money. College admissions and access at such ridiculously low levels. Colleges valuing TV contracts more than student experience and professor quality. Kids being groomed from elementary school to focus on one sport to get into colleges. The fact that Ivy athletes will essentially be Division II or III for practical purposes instead of having a broad playing field of schools. The list goes on. Who knows what Dartmouth's Athlete's Union will mean for sports.
You can call it condescending, but you can't say I care about athletics less than anyone else. My measures of success have changed. Your point of view is far more prevalent on this board and nationally than mine. Donahue can stay or go in my book. I'd rather he go in terms of competitiveness, but I'm fine with him staying if he runs a great program internally. I am not close enough to the program to know. Miller and Allen had to go.
Since I feel like this is directed at me all I will say is good for you but I disagree. I spend good money every year on this team and it has always been a passion of mine. Not all of us are in the same place as you on college athletics so the idea that those of us who do care should stay silent is just so condescending. The coach gets paid a pretty good amount to do this, does he not? For talking about “better things to do” you sure have a lot to say on it.
If we say nothing then the program dies. We are almost there now. To some that may be fine but to others it’s not. If you think our complaints are a feeble effort that’s fine, but we have no other options.
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