Diary of a Mad Voter: Dan Rostad
We’re Fans, Not Scapegoats
By Dan Rostad, 11-23-07
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In Montana sports, nothing is bigger each year than the annual Montana State University Bobcats - University of Montana Grizzly football game. This year’s face-off was played last Saturday in Bozeman and my team lost. Again.
In the past couple years, both the Bobcats and Grizzly football teams have been plagued by player misconduct off the field, which has resulted in arrests and brought great shame and embarrassment to both football programs. The previous coach of the Bobcats lost his job, in part because of his players’ criminal actions.
Just before the big game this past weekend, Montana’s Governor Brian Schweitzer, said in an interview that we, the Bobcat and Grizzly boosters/fans are, in large part, responsible for the corrupt behavior of these football players. His rational for this accusation is that all of us Bobcat and Grizzly supporters demand our coaches find the players to a team that will continue to produce nothing but big wins.
For me that argument seems shallow and misguided. To suggest football fans are ultimately responsible for players off-field misdeeds is wrong. Why aren’t the coaches and athletic departments responsible for recruitment mistakes or for not leading their players with accountability for their academic, athletic and personal behavior?
It is like blaming voters for an elected politician’s illegal personal behavior and misdeeds.
Which begs the questions, “What role does the voter or the media play in keeping politicians honest and accountable? Do we bear any blame for our elected leaders’ morality faux pas?”
Well, I think there has always been the expectation of quality from our elected leaders and I don’t think we are wrong for having high expectations of those who serve us in all positions of leadership, whether that would be the local school board member or member of Congress.
It seems in this day and age that political players are all too quick to respond to a politicians immoral behavior with blame towards the system, the political party or the media, all of whom we would rather condemn than the actual person who perpetrated the crime or misdeed.
Whether it is our favorite college football team or our favorite political party, we deserve the best from our players and our politicians. And we should also look to our team’s coaches and our political party’s leaders to help put forth the best players and the best candidates.
It is wrong to continue to play the blame game. For Governor Schweitzer to place blame for the criminal behavior of a few rogue football players, even mildly referenced, onto the fans of the game is setting the wrong precedent. Their behavior is simply not our fault.
However, we can and should make our voices heard and heard loudl. We expect the cooperation of the team’s coaches and political party leaders, to help keep our players and politicians accountable and honest.
Editor’s note: Dan Rostad’s weekly blogs are part of a new feature on NewWest.Net/Politics called “Diary of a Mad Voter,” a group blog, published in partnership with the Denver Post’s Politics West intended give a glimpse into the hearts and minds of several independent-minded voters and thinkers in the Rocky Mountain West in the ‘08 election cycle. Check back this week at www.newwest.net/madvoter.
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Comments
My immediate reaction was to say that the governor's tongue lashing was typical for a politico to blame society for the actions of criminals. That reasoning sells in certain quaters. However, his blame game is about deflection of attention from himself. MSU and UM are state schools. Schweitzer is the CEO of the state and over the state higher education system.
These problems largely disappear when academic standards for admission and athletic participation are raised. As state CEO it is within his job description to lead and demand that such higher standards are put in place. He hasn't and, therefore, is responsible for the quality of students his lack of leadership brings to Montana. Wouldn't it be something for UM and MSU to become centers for academic excellence? It certainly won't happen waiting for the next car wreck that seems to be repeating itself.
Just my opinion.
Do you know that undergrads can pursue less expensive degrees at other Western Undergraduate Exchange schools?
Did you know that neither football program produces a net gain in revenue?
Do you understand the power and influence of wealthy athletic boosters and alumni, whose wishes have little to do with the realities of higher education?
As a student, taxpayer, and voter who supports few Gov. BS's big ideas I think he is right on target. Fans who support the ongoing corruption (lets not forget MSU's remodeled stadium!) have helped run this university system into the ground.
From the Kaimin: http://www.montanakaimin.com/index.php/sports/sports_article/um_ranks_near_top_in_athletic_program_profit/151
There are many accounting and funding issues in collegiate sports, but football programs tend to be profitable for both the institution, the city, and the region when the entire revenue stream is considered. The ad money alone from the scoreboard at the UM stadium generates something like 500-600 thousand per year as I recall reading.
Again, if the governor were to demand that academic standards be raised, the criminal element on the football teams largely disappears. The governor should be leading on this issue rather than finger pointing and handing out guilt. Just my opinion.
Ask a multi-lingual European who has a comprehensive world view, and seriously developed ideas about community about college sports in the US.
These semi-pro, heavily subsidized, punk producing college "programs" are a drag on our society--definitely on our educational systems from high school to college.
Anyway, universities like Berkley, Notre Dame, Stanford, USC, and UCLA which are noted centers for academic excellence and sports programs may not agree with you.