Trump's Strange Alabama speech

[rubato]

College sports has become a toxic force in higher education. When they are caught engaging in corrupt behavior the University should close down the entire program rather than the mild rebuke and "go and sin no more (where someone can see you)". Football and basketball coaches should make no more than a full professor.

yrs,
rubato

[Burning Petard]

Follow the money. Those corrupt sports organizations bring in big bucks to the school.

snailgate

[Bicycle Bill]

Follow the money. Those corrupt sports organizations bring in big bucks to the school.

snailgate

Silly me — I thought universities were were founded to be centralized repositories of knowledge and sources of education and learning, not a batch of money mills that lived or died on their status and ranking as training grounds for overpaid jocks.

-"BB"-

[rubato]

There is a reason that so many of the most highly ranked academic and research institutions do not have division 1 programs in professional sports.


yrs,
rubato

[Econoline]

[Guinevere]

There is a reason that so many of the most highly ranked academic and research institutions do not have division 1 programs in professional sports.


yrs,
rubato

Or, have successful D1 programs but not give out athletic scholarships. I'd rather have championships in ice hockey and lacrosse over football any day.

[Big RR]

There are a number that meet either of those criteria (like the Ivy League), but most of the most prestigious state universities and a number of private ones (like Stanford) do, and some have been able to balance both and keep their academic standing. It just depends what the leadership of the university demands.

ETA: FWIW< I think the big schools use it to attract undergraduates (which I think it is most profitable part of the educational spectrum--100-200+ student lectures, grad students teaching recitation sections, etc.); face it, most high school students don't know much about colleges except local ones and the Ivys and a few others except through sports--UNC, for example, has a great faculty in a number of areas, but most people out of the southeast might never even look at it unless they knew someone who went there or watched their football or basketball. Ditto for Michigan, Wisconsin, etc.

[RayThom]

From today's Philly Inquirer...

[ex-khobar Andy]

There is a great piece in today's NYT.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/opin ... eft-region

The writer's father died in Afghanistan. She explains very clearly why she supports Kaepernick. Powerful.

[ex-khobar Andy]

Another NYT piece today about Roy Moore's primary win in Alabama has this pic:



The caption underneath reads

A Republican Roy Moore supporter stands for the national anthem during the runoff election for the Republican nomination for Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat in Montgomery, Alabama, on Tuesday.

Should I be offended because she has not removed her hat? I need help here. Who knew this stuff could be so complicated?

[Big RR]

And isn't making a hat or a scarf or pants look like a flag disrespect to the flag? And shouldn't she and her companion have their hands over their hearts so as to not show disrespect? and the flags should not be dipped in deference to the Moore sign, should they? The US flags should be flown above every other political symbol it is a a great disrespect to America.

This is an issue of critical importance to the well-being of America.

[Burning Petard]

Please note the picture at the top of the NY Times story linked above is a picture of a flag on the playing area of Soldiers Field, Chicago, before the start of a NFL game. The flag is disrespectfully treated in violation of federal law and to the cheers of most of the people present.

snailgate.

[Sue U]

There is a great piece in today's NYT.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/opin ... eft-region

The writer's father died in Afghanistan. She explains very clearly why she supports Kaepernick. Powerful.

Excellent op-ed.

[RayThom]

I'm not sure but I think I'm outraged.

[Big RR]

I agree, attendance has fallen off, but most stadiums are nearly sold out with season tickets, and people are not going to waste those tickets to protest someone kneeling or joining arms or whatever. Yes, there have been some boos at the game, but I have heard a lot of positive comments as well from people outside of the stadiums when questioned; and in any event, TV (where most of the NFL money is made) won't stop showing the games, and I'd bet most fans don't stop watching; for all the rhetoric I just think most people don't see it as that big a deal. They'll jump on the bandwagon and bluster a bit, but then they'll go get their beers before the game (during the national anthem) so they can be in their seat at kickoff.

Personally, the solidarity shown between owners and players has made me more likely to watch the games--far from being the overpaid whiners they are accused of being, these are people who bond together and stand up for each other.

[Econoline]

[ex-khobar Andy]

Per Snopes this is partially correct. He was awarded $1 as a result of a lawsuit by USFL against NFL; because it was an antitrust lawsuit this was tripled to $3 and interest added to make it $3.76. Trump of course claimed this as a victory (but you knew that). Pete Rozelle apparently told Trump that he would never be a NFL owner which is not quite the same as a lifetime ban. Nevertheless that might explain at least some of Trump's animosity to the NFL.

[RayThom]

Are you ready for some football?

[Econoline]