Marquette Tribune Editorial: Stop Glorifying Athletes

[dgies9156]

1) Stop Glorifying Athletes? Uhh, you guys at Johnston Hall don't come out of the basement much, do you? Albert Pujols got $245 million BECAUSE WE GLORIFY ATHLETES. The entire State of Wisconsin is in collective depression this week BECAUSE WE GLORIFY ATHLETES. Let's face it, my high school district just spent more money on athletic facilities than they did on academic facilities BECAUSE WE GLORIFY ATHLETES and because all Illinois politicians are idiots.

2) The Marquette Tribune's motto is to "Promote Intelligent Involvement." This editorial certainly doesn't qualify, but thank God the Tribune is practice for journalists. I'd rather them making their mistakes on campus with a limited circulation daily than I would in real life, when it mattered for them and for the community they serve.

3) This is not the first time someone questioned the role of college basketball at MU. See, McGuire, Al, departure! Back in the mid-1970s, there were faculty members as I recall who were aggrivated that the University's highest paid employee was the college basketball coach. Ole Quentin Quade (remember him, old timers), started nickling and diming Al and the rest was, well, yikes!

This said, the Tribune raises some interesting points. Are university atheletics out of control? The NCAA BS says, "of course not," but we know better. How many athletes nationally could meet most universities normal admission standards? Are universities exploiting highly visible athletes without preparing them adequately for life? Legit questions.

Finally, let's face it, Marquette is what it is today because of basketball. We'd be a Carroll College or maybe Bradley without it. Many of the academic buildings built since 1965 are "Al Structures" that were built because of the visibility of the basketball program. Our student body is much more diverse when our basketball program is visible and good. People don't come to MU, I hope, because of basketball. But I do think it gets us looks we would not otherwise get.

[jsglow]

Wow.  Little late to this firestorm.

The Tribune editorial frankly couldn't be more short sighted or shallow.  I won't waste my bandwidth detailing my specific complaints.  Frankly, it strikes me as 'typical'.

I applaud the Paint Touches response.  Pretty much captures the rigor faced by D1 college basketball players and the type of guys that Buzz has brought in generally speaking.  And no doubt much has been done in the last year to get these guys to understand their responsibilities.

Lastly, I've personally known two very prominent MU players from back in the day.  To protect their privacy I will not mention their household names.  But absolutely understand that the average student couldn't survive under the demands they face without the special resources they are necessarily provided.

[MerrittsMustache]

I agree with what RJax has been saying. It's an interesting topic worthy of discussion, but it's a horribly written piece and the Xavier portion makes no sense with the rest of the article.

Even as a student, I found it odd that the basketball players had their own dorm/apt. It never bothered me, I just thought it was strange. A HS friend of mine went to Notre Dame and lived 2 doors down from Arnaz Battle in the dorms and became pretty good friends with him. There were a few other athletes (whose names are escaping me) living on the floor as well. He said that besides it being cool to see his buddy on SportsCenter, it was amazing how much time those guys put into their sports and even more amazing that, at the end of the day, those "glorified athletes" were goofy, immature college kids just like everyone else.

[spartan3186]

When viewing the page source it shows that they use Double Click which I believe allows you to set it up so that if you have any unsold ad space, Google AdSense can be used to take up what's left.  I don't think that this is one of those re-marketing ads that spartan is talking about.

Yeah I didn't really look into it that closely. Just going based on my eMarketing experience. I'm pretty sure that Google AdSense will deliver re-marketing ads though, so while its not necesarrily re-marketing, it could be.

[4everwarriors]

If the athletes didn't live at Humphrey, where would the Halloween parties take place?

[Warriors10]

Just wait til the NCAA allows them to be paid

This kid has a lot to learn about the world, logic, and especially writing.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I agree with what RJax has been saying. It's an interesting topic worthy of discussion, but it's a horribly written piece and the Xavier portion makes no sense with the rest of the article.

Even as a student, I found it odd that the basketball players had their own dorm/apt. It never bothered me, I just thought it was strange. A HS friend of mine went to Notre Dame and lived 2 doors down from Arnaz Battle in the dorms and became pretty good friends with him. There were a few other athletes (whose names are escaping me) living on the floor as well. He said that besides it being cool to see his buddy on SportsCenter, it was amazing how much time those guys put into their sports and even more amazing that, at the end of the day, those "glorified athletes" were goofy, immature college kids just like everyone else.

See, now this is the interesting part of the conversation.

I have no problem with how the basketball program currently operates. However, an argument could be made for trying to further integrate the players with the student body.

Example: Maybe as frosh., the players could live in McCormick. This is probably a terrible idea, but it would integrate the players with the student body. As it stands right now, the players live in humphey with each other for 4 years. There is nothing wrong with that, but they might like meeting and making friends in the standard dorms like everybody else... at least for Frosh. year.

There are certainly reasons why the coaching staff wants the players in humphey, and I understand and agree with that.

But, if I were writing an editorial, this is where I would start... Far more reasonable and interesting than bringing up the Cincy vs Xavier stuff.

[dgies9156]

Example: Maybe as frosh., the players could live in McCormick. This is probably a terrible idea, but it would integrate the players with the student body.

That's where they lived when I was there. The basketball players all did a turn at the giant beer can in the sky, just like we all did. They lived elsewhere as well, but I believe most of them started at the beer can or Schroeder.

One of the nice things about Marquette was that the basketball team DID live with the rest of us in the 1970s. We all got to know them and, candidly, like them as people as well as ballplayers.

Maybe one of the reasons We Were Marquette back then is that we shared the joy of the accomplishments of our friends.
It's not a terrible idea. 

[🏀]

This is 2012, not the 70s or 80s.

No recruit is going to think highly of Marquette when they are told they have to spend a year living in McCormick. No major programs have their recruits living in dorms anymore.

It's that simple, nothing else to discuss.

And quite frankly, if something isn't done with McCormick in the near future, no high school sophomore or freshman is going to want to live in that cess pool. That dorm is embarrassing.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

This is 2012, not the 70s or 80s.

No recruit is going to think highly of Marquette when they are told they have to spend a year living in McCormick. No major programs have their recruits living in dorms anymore.

It's that simple, nothing else to discuss.

And quite frankly, if something isn't done with McCormick in the near future, no high school sophomore or freshman is going to want to live in that cess pool. That dorm is embarrassing.

just read Basketbawlful or whatever that blog was called, and find out why athletes don't live in the dorms anymore.

[🏀]

just read Basketbawlful or whatever that blog was called, and find out why athletes don't live in the dorms anymore.

Fact.

[Dawson Rental]

"But it's perhaps because players are put on this glorified pedestal that situations such as this year's "Crosstown Shootout" between Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati happen on Dec. 10, 2011."

Perhaps?  You want to make wholesale changes in athletic department policies because of what you "think might be the case".  Maybe its time for to take Marquette Tribune editors off their pedestal.

"While there are of course many factors in play in this particular instance, we feel the sense of entitlement cultivated by college basketball programs –– especially programs structured in the way both Xavier's and Marquette's are, where basketball is the university's top athletic priority –– encourages behavior that is far outside the norm for regular students, or even regular student-athletes.

And while this example does not mean that Marquette players are exactly the same as Xavier players, we feel the conditions existing could potentially cultivate such problems somewhere down the line."

 1.  Logic 101.  "this example" not only "does not mean that Marquette players are exactly the same as Xavier players", if fails to say anything regarding Marquette players.  

 2. I am glad that the editors are able to tell us what they "feel".  However, if they want to impress me they will tell me what they can "show" or "prove".  Nor am I impressed with the idea that changes that the writer "feels" are likely to reduce the kind of conduct exhibited at Xavier should be adopted for Marquette athletes who the writer admits have not been shown to be "exactly the same".  

The Xavier Cincinnati fight was a goldmine of possible topics to write about concerning college athletics.  The Cincinnati coaches' post game press conference alone had some great angles.  And all the Tribune could come up with was this.  I'm sad to say that is really pathetic.

[ITS INDIANA!]

This is probably the dumbest article I've ever read from a university supported newspaper. Whoever wrote this should be terminated immediately.... NCAA is in the midst of implementing a stipend for athletes i.e. giving them some money for living and PLAYING BASKETBALL and our own newspaper comes out with an article about how they're 'put on a pedestal?'. Name one non-mens basketball student that generates millions of dollars over a 5 month period of time? Point-in-fact - these guys are not here to go to school... they're here to promote the school through their god-given basketball talents and provide entertainment, fun, and school pride all in one. In essence they are celebrities... Some of these guys are future NBA players (i.e. celebrities)... They play on NATIONAL TV every week.. THEY ARE CELEBRITIES. Most unintelligent piece of 'journalism' I think I have ever read, and embarrasses me as an alum to have something like that represented in our own newspaper. And makes our communications school look like even more of a disgrace than it really is... Pathetic.

[Goose]

I am afraid this article is far closer to what the brass think than any of us would like to believe. With the BE changing, the issues at PSU and Syracuse I fear MU will be taking different approach on basketball program moving forward. Everyone laughed at a post earlier this season that stated from Buzz "we need to enjoy this while we can, you never know how long it will last". In my heart I am afraid MU will make a major mistake in upcoming year or two and make us more like SLU than MU.

The politically correct crowd wants their cake and eat it. The basketball team generates so much money for the school it is unreal, yet there are those out there that believe kids across the country are dying to come to our business or engineering schools. Fact is without basketball program the past 40 years MU is not the place it is today.

[LA]

Example: Maybe as frosh., the players could live in McCormick.

yes to alleviate sexual assault and fight concerns let's put them in the campus center of sexual assaults and fighting.

I agree with most of what you said and ND's system is pretty cool. As far as I know though they are one of the very few high major D1 schools that still do this.

I have always equated it to the freshman that live in the honors dorm (the nicest on campus btw), the engineering floors at carpenter tower or the Evans scholar house....they just require a different atmosphere because they have a totally different focus than the average freshman on campus.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

yes to alleviate sexual assault and fight concerns let's put them in the campus center of sexual assaults and fighting.

I agree with most of what you said and ND's system is pretty cool. As far as I know though they are one of the very few high major D1 schools that still do this.

I have always equated it to the freshman that live in the honors dorm (the nicest on campus btw), the engineering floors at carpenter tower or the Evans scholar house....they just require a different atmosphere because they have a totally different focus than the average freshman on campus.

Yea, realistically, sticking the players in the dorms with the rest of the Skol chugging frosh. probably isn't the best idea. I like it (in theory), but in real life it might just be too risky especially given the media scrutiny these players are under.

One questionable Twit pic from somebody in the dorms, and it would be everywhere.

[TallTitan34]

I have always equated it to the freshman that live in the honors dorm (the nicest on campus btw), the engineering floors at carpenter tower or the Evans scholar house....they just require a different atmosphere because they have a totally different focus than the average freshman on campus.

Haha MarqPTM, Robmufan, and myself lived on the engineering floors at Carpenter. I'd guess it was closer to a normal dorm than the honors floors or Evans Scholar house. 

[LA]

Haha MarqPTM, Robmufan, and myself lived on the engineering floors at Carpenter. I'd guess it was closer to a normal dorm than the honors floors or Evans Scholar house. 

Oh I know, I had to live in tower sophomore year and those little pricks broke the elevator weekly. Getting to the 16th floor using the stairs sucked. I'm sure the honors dorms aren't all choir practice either but I get the logic.

[🏀]

Haha MarqPTM, Robmufan, and myself lived on the engineering floors at Carpenter. I'd guess it was closer to a normal dorm than the honors floors or Evans Scholar house. 

Please, please it was terrible. Don't reopen those scars again.

[Dr. Blackheart]

And quite frankly, if something isn't done with McCormick in the near future, no high school sophomore or freshman is going to want to live in that cess pool. That dorm is embarrassing.

Heard The Keg is gonna come down and a multi level rec plex is going up once the Catholic Knights is converted

[🏀]

Heard The Keg is gonna come down and a multi level rec plex is going up once the Catholic Knights is converted

Yeah, I've heard the same. It'll be a good move.

[jsglow]

Heard The Keg is gonna come down and a multi level rec plex is going up once the Catholic Knights is converted

Be a good plan.

[chapman]

Heard The Keg is gonna come down and a multi level rec plex is going up once the Catholic Knights is converted

Great move. 

[mviale]

Whenever I am asked about where I went to school, the conversation never starts or ends on the quality of education at MU. It is always about Basketball and maybe drinking age in the 1980's.

[wyzgy]

this had to have been a freshman journalism project from the quality or lack there of.  talk about trying to cover your arse and have it both ways yet not speak to any truth, all at the same time.  this my friends, is why journalism is a lost profession.  i hope this doesn't go much farther than 10th - 18th and clybourn-kilbourn streets.  let's just keep it our little secret for the tribune's sake