Name:	lotowner -	Reply
Subject:	College Athletes
Date:	7/10/2010 8:25:05 AM

I have followed Tennessee Football since 1959. I'm fed up with the program at UT.  It appears to be a clone of our Federal Government.It appears that this program and many others recruit mainly criminals and use three criteria

• Runs fast, Hits hard, and wants to go to the NFL or NBA after the second year.

Should coaches also not consider if the "stud":

How many of these athletes can read and write? What about a criteria for being a good citizen?

Oh well! We would not have college football in 2010. We need more "Bear" Bryants who would bench a Joe Namath in a bowl game.

Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	didn't even go to Bama
Date:	7/10/2010 11:33:30 AM

It’s a convenient comment.  They say the same thing in Tennessee (hmmm… we even said that when we lived there).  The same line is spouted in Florida, Ohio, Louisiana, etc… you get my drift.  Folks don’t say that in Virginia, because UVA is too difficult to get into (academic standards) and the other Virginia schools don’t have names that identify with the state (uh… “Commonwealth”).

Fans are fans and every school has its detractors based solely on football or basketball.

That said, don’t we lament the inattention given to academics and citizenship?  Follow the money.  The alumni demand a winning team as a condition of contributions.  The athletic departments are towing the line and trying to supply winning teams.  Sports proficiency, aggressiveness, and completive attitude on the field take precedent over scholarship and citizenship, because those displays (the former) bring in the money from the alumni, apparel franchises, and the networks.

“Children, follow the money.”