[Vision2020] Mike Price SI story

[johnmoss@moscow.com]

Dear Carl,

As in any democracy (which title the U.S. still clings to), a problem of this 
nature would seem to point directly back to the people.  How can we complain 
about over-payed coaches and players (professional sports), while at the same 
time handing over $20, $40, or more dollars to go watch a game?

Sports in our country have god status.  The players are idolized; the coaches 
are idolized.  And the fans "sacrifice" to go and worship them.  To what other 
event can you go to for multiple weeks in a row and find 70,000 screaming 
people?

We, the people, make up our nation.  We, the people, make up our government.  
We, the people, make up our government institutions.  We, the people, make up 
the crowds at the sporting events.

As far as I know, no U.S. citizen is being forcibly coerced to pay for football 
tickets.

It would seem you are correct in saying that college athletics are now more 
important than college academics.  At many government universities, the 
football coach is payed significantly more than the university president.

How do we return collegiate sports to a more sane level of prestige?  Probably 
around the same time we decide that attending a football game is not worth 10 
meals of food.

And if anyone comes back and says that the football game is worth that much to 
them, then I would hope I never hear them complaining that sports players get 
paid more than McDonald's employees.

Cheers,

John

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl Westberg carlwestberg846@hotmail.com 
Wed, 07 May 2003 11:13:46 -0700 

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The new issue of Sports Illustrated details the exploits of former long-time 
WSU coach Mike Price, now ex short-term Alabama coach.  It's rather sordid.  
One can argue that he broke no laws, that he just used incredibly bad 
judgment, and did not deserve to lose his job.  I don't know.  What is 
unsettling is how incredibly important a man who coaches a game has become 
in this country.  How is a coach worth a 10 million dollar, 7 year contract 
in a state like Alabama, where college football stadiums are being expanded 
while the education budget is being slashed?  Here in the northwest, Rick 
Neuheisel, the UW football coach, is the highest paid state employee.  I 
believe, but I'm not certain, that the Boise State football coach is the 
highest paid Idaho state employee.  I'm a major sports fan myself, but how 
did college athletics become, to many in this country, more important than 
college academics?  How do we return collegiate sports to a more sane level 
of prestige?                                                                 
                                                                             
                                                                             
                                                             Carl Westberg 
Jr.




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