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Good coming out of tragedy...I think.

According to an article in the Chronicle of Higher education, the Duke Lacrosse team rape scandal is causing a ripple through college sports. Some highlighted points below.

"A new lacrosse landscape. Several college lacrosse coaches predicted that Duke would permanently disband its lacrosse program. "

I think that's stupid. Why? Because it doesn't solve the problem of great big drunken (or worse, sober) bohunks in a group acting like savage animals. Sure, it punishes a few of them but really it's like putting a bandaid on a stab wound. You may not see it anymore but the problem is still festering and hemorraging below.

"No more free rides. Some legal experts predicted that the Duke investigation would lead more colleges to dismiss players who violate team rules."

*Sassy Pants scratches her head in confusion* Shouldn't they have been doing that in the first place? Isn't that what rules are for? Isn't there a consequence when the rules aren't followed? Of course not. These are American college athletes, second only in stature to our American heroes serving in Iraq. Strapping young lads sacrificing their bodies and souls for the good of our country and entertainment (the athletes, not the soldiers). Now before I get any hate mail saying I'm unpatriotic, I think our soldiers deserve to be held in high esteem regardless of whether I think the reason they are in harms way is justified or not. Unless of course they too act like savage animals (more savage than is required in a war) and then all bets are off. However, college athletes are so coddled and revered it's disgusting.

"Rooting out problems. The Duke scandal was a topic of conversation this week as 100 college officials gathered at Clemson University to discuss what causes athletes to act irresponsibly and how universities can prevent students from misbehaving."

Here, here! Let's get it all out on the table and do something about it. It's only been a few hundred, if not thousand, years.

"Looking inward. In light of what is happening at Duke, some college officials are starting to scrutinize their own programs."

As well they should. As well they should.

Comments

Anonymous said…
The wholly unspoken in all of this -- or should we say holy -- is the money. Duke is part of the Big East, and while lax might only be #4 in terms of sports revenue (behind men's hoops, men's football, and possibly women's hoops), you're talking millions upon millions of dollars for the school in licensing rights.

D-I NCAA teams -- especially those in major conferences -- take in so much money from sports that I'm almost disgusted I paid anything at all for my masters. The licensing rights to one basketball game on ESPN would have paid for the degrees of everyone in my program for about five years.

That money is the reason "student"-athletes tend to get passes on disciplinary action, particularly when they're good athletes.
I have yet to hear a reasonable argument for why people who are employed to kill other people should be held in high esteem. The saddest echo of Viet Nam is the simple fact that once again we are not the good guys.

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