MN Daily Letter to Editor: New athletic facilities plan is wrong for the University

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New athletic facilities plan is wrong for the University
By Willard Shapira, University alumnus

July 17, 2013

University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler and athletics director Norwood Teague are totally distorting the mission of our beloved university with their wrong-headed plan to raise millions from the private sector to expand the facilities of the Department of Athletics.

Athletics have absolutely no connection to the purpose of the University (education) and would take away from private donations to vital education projects.

I also refuse to believe our sell-out governor will not, at some point, find a way to get state money involved, just as he did for a Vikings stadium.

What difference does it make to anyone whether the University not only wins or loses but even competes at any level in intercollegiate athletics except those whose careers depend on sports?

Our teams not only lose more than they win but have brought scandal and shame upon the University by the misbehavior of our “student athletes.”

I suggest students, faculty and others who back education over big-time sports publicly condemn this plan, call for Kaler and Teague to withdraw it, urge prospective donors to sports expansion to rethink their plans and to publicly call upon Gov. Mark Dayton and the Legislature to stop this plan in its tracks.

http://www.mndaily.com/opinion/lett...new-athletic-facilities-plan-wrong-university

Go Gophers!!
 




Isn't this dude like, 90? Not to be course... but, pack some crackers and go crawl into a hole til the end comes.
 


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Can a MN Daily letter to the Editor qualify for a nomination for a dpodoll award?
 

But it's perfectly OK for the academic and business sides of the U to have vice-presidents running around left and right, hauling down 6-figure salaries for doing ............what?
 





Oh good ole Willard.

He peaked in 2007 when he coined Ski-U-Bah to prove his point.
 

highwayman said:
So, we should stop the "wasteful" spending of willing donations and ticket revenues, but not stop at red lights?
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To be fair, the law of using cameras to tag people running red lights was found unconstitutional, and the practice stopped.

But I'm not above a little childish piling on.
 

Living in Florida (away from MN) - What many do not realize is that the UofM will be first known by their athletic teams. My friends here in Florida talk about the U of Wisconsin often, (of course Michigan and Ohio State are well known as great Universities), our U seldom. ( I have a number of times been asked when talking about the UofM, been asked "where or what city is the UofM located?)The only exception is some Canadian winter friends who talk about the U of Mn because of our hockey team. By the way they all know Lou Nanie. (sp)
 



The short sight Willard does cannot see the benefit athletics have for every University. Athletics it has been said are the front porch of the U. Curb Appeal. And as Rog noted it puts you on the map. For anyone to ask where the U of Minnesota is located, destroys Willard's call. You can attract more quality students, alumni and corporate money if the teams are winning on TV. If they are the conference champion. Willard needs to see the big picture, not his portrait. He is short sighted, and he has become a one trick pony. Why the Daily publishes this, is beyond me. Unless the editor thinks anything contrary is good. But if he thinks as Willard does, why doesn't he launch the attack himself? The editor is using Willard's skirt and hiding behind it.
 


A guy like this lives under rock. Has never been blown or layed. Buys all his livables at Wal Mart.
 



Rog said:
Living in Florida (away from MN) - What many do not realize is that the UofM will be first known by their athletic teams. My friends here in Florida talk about the U of Wisconsin often, (of course Michigan and Ohio State are well known as great Universities), our U seldom. ( I have a number of times been asked when talking about the UofM, been asked "where or what city is the UofM located?)The only exception is some Canadian winter friends who talk about the U of Mn because of our hockey team. By the way they all know Lou Nanie. (sp)
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No offense, but why would the U care if your friends in Florida talk about them or not? Yes, sports are the "front porch", so to speak, but it's mostly window dressing, and unless they are planning on sending their kids to a public school halfway across the country, I don't see the point in their opinion or awareness of the U.
 


I might ask Willard to accompany me to the Badger game.
 

Gopherprof said:
No offense, but why would the U care if your friends in Florida talk about them or not? Yes, sports are the "front porch", so to speak, but it's mostly window dressing, and unless they are planning on sending their kids to a public school halfway across the country, I don't see the point in their opinion or awareness of the U.
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Perhaps they. or others in Florida, might be interested in hiring a Minnesota grad. Knowing about the University, and having a favorable impression of it, might help in that regard.
 

I went on line and left my comment on the Daily site: Thank you Mr. Shapira for once again telling us how much you hate athletics. I'm an alumnus as well, an I've given to both the school of my major field of study (Music Education) as well as the Athletic Department. For me, the athletic events have been a great way for us to re-connect with our University as well as giving our student-athletes an opportunity to stay in our State rather than go to one of our neighboring schools to learn and participate. In fact, the only reason I ever attended the U was because my dear old Dad brought me to my first Gopher football game in the fall of 1960. It was the beginning of a love affair that continues this day with the University of Minnesota. Here's a bulletin for you, if you don't like athletics, fine, don't go to any games and don't contribute, but please don't impose your wishes on me or the thousands of others who take pride in Gopher Sports. Athletics and academics can and should coexist here at the U just like they do at other Big10 schools.
 

vagopher said:
Perhaps they. or others in Florida, might be interested in hiring a Minnesota grad. Knowing about the University, and having a favorable impression of it, might help in that regard.
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If a business hires someone because they come from a school with a good football team, capitalism is in a whole lot more trouble than I thought.
 


Universities should strive to be their best at everything they do. There are many residents with ties to our U in Florida and all over who will support success. Notre Dame and Stanford are pretty good private examples. Look at the increase in research dollars tied to schools with recognized athletic programs. Although they're captalists. Capitalism is in trouble and is the source of all that is failing in society. What a tiring message sent from so many teaching at our U.
 

Our biggest alumni bases are in the Naples, FL area and in the Phoenix area. Their only remaining connection to the U usually is in the form of athletics. Teague and some of the coaches have booster meetings in those areas often. Can you honestly tell me that a winning sports program, something they can watch from afar and be pround of, will not entice them to donate more to the school?
 

Gopherprof said:
If a business hires someone because they come from a school with a good football team, capitalism is in a whole lot more trouble than I thought.
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The point isn't that they would hire someone from a school just because it has a good football team. It's that the publicity that results from having a good football team increases public awareness of the school, including, hopefully, it's academic reputation.
 

vagopher said:
The point isn't that they would hire someone from a school just because it has a good football team. It's that the publicity that results from having a good football team increases public awareness of the school, including, hopefully, it's academic reputation.
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This.
 

Gopherprof said:
No offense, but why would the U care if your friends in Florida talk about them or not? Yes, sports are the "front porch", so to speak, but it's mostly window dressing, and unless they are planning on sending their kids to a public school halfway across the country, I don't see the point in their opinion or awareness of the U.
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I read Florida just as an example. He could be talking about anywhere -- even Minnesota. You really downplay the value of the "front porch." Someone else said "curb appeal." Whatever you call it, it increases the the perceived value. I consider this an investment in the U's overall marketing program. Good teams get you on national TV more -- usually with students looking like they're having a good time. We won't get many more Florida kids to consider us, but we'll get more Minnesotans and others from the Midwest. Not because our football team is good, but because the school is in their face more, and in a positive way ... even if it's football and not academics.

I went to Augsburg and have worked in St. Paul for 10 years. I hear St. Thomas alums bragging about their school all the time. You can't escape it. Even occasional Johnnies. I've never heard anybody say they went to Hamline, Macalester or Concordia. Not one. And not many Auggies, either. St. Thomas also recently exceeded a $500 million fundraising goal.

Why? Well, the front porch isn't the entire reason, but it's a big part of it.
 

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