Marquette Tribune Editorial: Stop Glorifying Athletes

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I'm not sure I understand what the writer(s) are going for.

If the MU student body takes the basketball players off the imaginary pedestal, it will prevent on-court issues? (Xavier/Cinn.)

Right?

[RJax55]

Except that the basketball players attend classes with the regular students and live in Humphrey Hall with students(rode the elevator a million times with Wade, etc when I was at MU).  Additionally, the basketball players aren't getting treated any differently than the other student athletes.  To call out the basketball team alone is merely an ax to grind.

I certainly don't have any issues with what the men's and women's teams receive.

But, they do receive benefits that the other teams don't. (And again, I don't have an issue with that). All I'm saying is that I think the overall topic, is a worthy discussion piece. Unfortunately, this editorial was very poorly done.

[dw3dw3dw3]

Besides all the nonsensical rambling about non-related items, the point of isolationism of the team brings up a questions that I don't know the answer to. My memory serves to think back in the early to mid 2000's big game attendance was much much higher. Students would be to the top of the 2nd level and the corners would be filled. Arguably we have the same sort of talent or greater now than during that era. Was TC/marketing just that much better back then getting students to the game? Or did people feel Dwyane, Dominic, Steve, etc... were more a part of the student body in some way that made them come out to support them more? Is anything structurally different with the way the players are moved around from classes to study halls to practices to games to fundraisers, etc.. now vs back then?

This should probably be a different thread about attendance, as in no way do I support the authors premise. However, while both Pitt and Ville were fun games to be at (Ville more so), my memory thinks that it could be even a wilder, crazier, more fun atmosphere. Cool half-time show though.

[GGGG]

The problem with this article is one of jumps in logic.  It seems to me that they have a problem with three things:

**"specialized, isolated housing" - while I agree it is specialized, I don't know what they mean by "isolated."  They live in a residence hall with other students right?

**"their own study space"

**"their own dining space"

But as mentioned, they go to class with the students, walk around campus like students do, meet the same graduation requirements, etc.

And none of this has anything to do with their "quasi-celebrity status."  They get that status because they play basketball on national television and in front of thousands of fans.  They are going to be isolated from the rest of campus in many ways simply because of that.  Would eating at the same residence hall or studying with them at the library change that?

It's the way the world works...

[Dr. Blackheart]

This just in:  The Jesuits are returning their car fleet to Bergey, citing a conflict of interest with their vows of poverty.

[Silkk the Shaka]

There is such a large segment of students that despise the men's basketball team players. I don't think they realize that without the money and publicity they generate this school would not be what it is today. I for one from the east coast would probably have not even known about Marquette without the basketball team. We also would have zero big time athletics without these teams. How many kids go to girl's soccer games even with how good that team has been in recent years?? The best part of this article was the fact that the student who wrote the article doesn't even have his/her name attached to it. It simply says staff.

I never understood this!!!  It's like they completely lack any perspective about the school.  Coming from the east myself, the biggest response I get out here when I say I went to MU is, "Oh yeah, you guys have a good basketball team."  My freshman year was '02-'03, and I remember being confused when people on my floor would say things like we suck, we're overrated, the team is Wade and a bunch of nobodies, Duke would kill us, etc.  Then they would root for some Big10 team or Duke or Kansas all year.  WTF is that all about???  MU hoops is the biggest thing we have going on at MU, and the program is hot right now.  The haters and the wide spread apathy always really confused me.

[RJax55]

I'm not sure I understand what the writer(s) are going for.

If the MU student body takes the basketball players off the imaginary pedestal, it will prevent on-court issues? (Xavier/Cinn.)

Right?

Who knows.

If they cut this editorial after paragraph 7, it would have been ok.

[Silkk the Shaka]

This just in:  The Jesuits are returning their car fleet to Bergey, citing a conflict of interest with their vows of poverty.

Nice.

[brewcity77]

I spent one day in the Trib offices before switching to a broadcast communication focus. I guess other than Paint Touches, nothing has really changed.

[PaintTouches]

I, like Mark, did not have a say and only read it this morning when Brewtown Andy pointed it out on Twitter. It sucked but I doubt your degree has been diminished.

As for Sultan's q's: the basketball teams are the only teams on campus that live in Humphrey since freshman year. Humphrey is not a residence hall but an apartment complex for upperclassmen, hence the isolated nature.

The study and dining space is not basketball specific and as such quite a grievous factual inaccuracy. 

I apologize on behalf of the current students, and Triuners, who in no way share in the sentiments expressed in the editorial.

[SnoopAHoop]

Envy is the art of counting the other fellow's blessings instead of your own.  ~Harold Coffin

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Who knows.

If they cut this editorial after paragraph 7, it would have been ok.

Yea, I actually think there could be an interesting discussion regarding hoops players interaction with the student body (personally, I think it is fine, but there is some room for discussion).

Unfortunately, this editorial is all over the map, and uses some twisted logic as "evidence" that there are potential issues with the current set-up.

Interesting topic, terrible execution.

[DJO's Pump Fake]

The best part is they won't list who wrote the article - just a generic "Tribune Staff" name and email.

What a bunch of cowards! (had other words to use obviously)

[🏀]

The best part is they won't list who wrote the article - just a generic "Tribune Staff" name and email.

What a bunch of cowards! (had other words to use obviously)

It's an editorial, it's written by the collective editorial board.

[RJax55]

Yea, I actually think there could be an interesting discussion regarding hoops players interaction with the student body (personally, I think it is fine, but there is some room for discussion).

Unfortunately, this editorial is all over the map, and uses some twisted logic as "evidence" that there are potential issues with the current set-up.

Interesting topic, terrible execution.

Agree. And because it was done so poorly, it killed (for all rational purposes) what could have been an interesting topic. That's poor journalism.

[DJO's Pump Fake]

It's an editorial, it's written by the collective editorial board.

Again, why not put your name by your work?  I don't care if it is 1 or 10 people's feelings, have the cajones to put your name at the bottom of your work

[warriorchick]

It is standard practice for newspapers not to have a byline on the primary editorial - just open up your Trib or Journal - Sentinel.  If it has an author, then it is usually either a column or an op/ed.

If you don't like the editorial staff, students are free to launch an alternative newspaper like they did when I was in school.  As I recall, the subject of their first editorial was "Bring Back Willy Wampum."  

[🏀]

Again, why not put your name by your work?  I don't care if it is 1 or 10 people's feelings, have the cajones to put your name at the bottom of your work

See warriorchick's reply.

[Ohbie]

I would be interested to know how many on the staff supported the article.  In my HS newspaper they would release the numbers for and against the articles opinion.

[warriorchick]

Again, why not put your name by your work?  I don't care if it is 1 or 10 people's feelings, have the cajones to put your name at the bottom of your work

I am sure names of the editorial board member is listed in the paper.  Those are your authors.

That being said, please don't be a douchebag by harrassing them personally.  I hope I really didn't have to say that.

[DJO's Pump Fake]

I just don't get why if you are going to put your name on the website anyway, why not just link it directly instead of making people hunt:

VIEWPOINTS
Viewpoints Editor: Kara Chiuchiarelli
Editorial Writer: Maria Tsikalas
Columnists: Bridget Gamble, Kelly White, Ian Yakob

http://marquettetribune.org/contact/

[🏀]

I just don't get why if you are going to put your name on the website anyway, why not just link it directly instead of making people hunt:

VIEWPOINTS
Viewpoints Editor: Kara Chiuchiarelli
Editorial Writer: Maria Tsikalas
Columnists: Bridget Gamble, Kelly White, Ian Yakob

http://marquettetribune.org/contact/

Newspapers have been doing this for hundreds of years, get over it.

[TallTitan34]

http://marquettetribune.org/contact/

Why the hell does the Marquette Tribune website have an ad for Notre Dame's College of Business???

[Steve Buscemi]

Why the hell does the Marquette Tribune website have an ad for Notre Dame's College of Business???

Wow.  Really?

[connie]

To sort of defend this... The article is an editorial, so it was written to foster discussion. And, the basic premise that separate facilities for the basketball teams causes them to be isolated from rest of the MU community, I think is a reasonable discussion topic.

Unfortunately, the references to the Xavier-Cincy brawl kill it.

Sorry, an editorial is opinion, and this one is ignorant and whiney.  As others have pointed out, there are numerous demands on the team that far exceed those of the regular student, and more than are placed on the ordinary student athlete.  Earlier references to programs like Buzz's Bunch just scrape the surface.  This was  nothing but a hit piece, and I can only wonder what life experience the editorial board has with the team to generate this drivel.