Man I haven't posted on here since I graduated in '06, but I feel under the circumstance I need to say something. There used to be a saying that one of the coaches used to scream out at the beginning of every practice, "It's a great day to be a tiger". However, it seem right now it's a very sad day to be a tiger. I'm completely sadden my the termination of coach Widolff for he was like a father figure to ever single man that came across his gridiron! He was a mentor and most of all a friend, but to me he was the reason I was able to graduate from OXY being there for me my senior year when times got hard. Unfortunately, at this point there is no word on what the alleged recruiting violations are because OXY is hiding behind the "iron curtian" that it's a private college. Currently there are about 125 alumni on a facebook mass message talking back and forth about calling everyone from the guy that does the gardening to the president voicing their outrage about the current situation. Everyone feels the same way, that the college reacted quick to the draw in terminating Widolff before the NCAA had concluded its investigation.
As far as the discussion regarding the new AD Jaime Hoffman having it out for Widolff I think this is very possible. I heard via an e-mail sent to the president from the parent of a current football player that four years ago in a parents of student athletes meeting that Jaime H. the AD spoke and was quoted in saying that OXY athletics, "wasn't all about the football program, although some people think it is!" if this is true then this outrageous. It appears that this was the start of a ripple effect that continued to this week, in which Widolff was terminated. While football is a very strong program we all know that it is not everything. We as a team during my 4 years would frequently go to many of the other teams games and in 2005 we started the "black hole" in which we all would wear ref jersey and attend the basketball games. Anyone who was there would remember us. We showed our support for OXY athletics as a whole. In wake of the 2010 investigation where Widolff was suspended for 6 weeks for violating NCAA policy, which I must say he self reported. The violations then were that Widolff had paid a student athlete $80 to fix his computer and, also, that there a couple players had an offseason practice facilitated by the coach. Concluding the investigation the NCAA said, "The rule violations for which Occidental College head football coach Dale Widolff was suspended should be classified as secondary and will result in no sanctions from the NCAA."
It appears from all the responses that there is no way that the college will even consider bring Widolff back to OXY. However, while the push to voice our distaste has not stopped we have also started heading smaller groups. the first is a push the school to hire Eric bergstrom the current Interm HC. Bergstrom has been with the program since I was playing at OXY and knows the program and it's history very well. The majority of recent OXY alumni beleive that he will best serve to keep the rich OXY history alive. The second is to finish what Widolff had started and tht is to try and get Andy Collin's jersey number retired at OXY in wake of his death at the end of last year. This was somethign very important to Widolff, as well as, many of the OXY alums who had played with him myself included. I appriciate you guys listening to be ramble on.... CHEERS!
As far as the discussion regarding the new AD Jaime Hoffman having it out for Widolff I think this is very possible. I heard via an e-mail sent to the president from the parent of a current football player that four years ago in a parents of student athletes meeting that Jaime H. the AD spoke and was quoted in saying that OXY athletics, "wasn't all about the football program, although some people think it is!" if this is true then this outrageous. It appears that this was the start of a ripple effect that continued to this week, in which Widolff was terminated. While football is a very strong program we all know that it is not everything. We as a team during my 4 years would frequently go to many of the other teams games and in 2005 we started the "black hole" in which we all would wear ref jersey and attend the basketball games. Anyone who was there would remember us. We showed our support for OXY athletics as a whole. In wake of the 2010 investigation where Widolff was suspended for 6 weeks for violating NCAA policy, which I must say he self reported. The violations then were that Widolff had paid a student athlete $80 to fix his computer and, also, that there a couple players had an offseason practice facilitated by the coach. Concluding the investigation the NCAA said, "The rule violations for which Occidental College head football coach Dale Widolff was suspended should be classified as secondary and will result in no sanctions from the NCAA."
It appears from all the responses that there is no way that the college will even consider bring Widolff back to OXY. However, while the push to voice our distaste has not stopped we have also started heading smaller groups. the first is a push the school to hire Eric bergstrom the current Interm HC. Bergstrom has been with the program since I was playing at OXY and knows the program and it's history very well. The majority of recent OXY alumni beleive that he will best serve to keep the rich OXY history alive. The second is to finish what Widolff had started and tht is to try and get Andy Collin's jersey number retired at OXY in wake of his death at the end of last year. This was somethign very important to Widolff, as well as, many of the OXY alums who had played with him myself included. I appriciate you guys listening to be ramble on.... CHEERS!
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... sorry couldn't hold that in any longer.