FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[PolarCat]

I'm going to bow out of this topic after this post (some here are probably wishing I'd done that 48 hours ago), but...

I really don't care what the Mellon study says.  In the very limited sample size of my experience (my alma mater), both Hank Paulson and Jeff Immelt played football at Dartmouth.  You can't tell me that those two football players - who went on to be Chairman of Goldman Sachs / Secretary of the Treasury who pulled us out of the last financial crisis, and CEO of General Electric - were in any way shape or form "wanting in their academic credentials or performance."

I know I am preaching to the choir, but my experience is that kids who play intercollegiate sports in "serious" schools (as opposed to diploma mills) do at least as well in life as the non-athletes (myself included).

IMHO the anti-jock mentality is akin to the Flat Earthers: it's not only offensive, it's based on grossly erroneous assumptions about what experiences lead to success.

/Rant

[quicksilver]

Polarcat-I was characterizing how the Mellon report assessed the records of athletes and not saying that I agreed with how things were presented in that report. My point was that the fact that the report was commissioned and released and all but one NESCAC school turned over micro detail about the academic records of athletes to the authors should tell us that there is more than a little hostility in the NESCAC world to the athlete and that what goes on at Bowdoin is standard NESCAC fare. Likely the same thing can be said of the Ivies as I think that a similar report was done about Ivy athletes a few years ago,

[amh63]

A little late to this conversation...as....Polarcat withdraws.  My question to all posters is why all this talk of "anti" this or that.  College experience should be one where you work with, share courses with, and pursue life with classmates and schoolmates from all backgrounds, etc.   At least it was for me, a minority from D.C. who went up to N.E., to face some strange food...mint jelly on "lamb", scallops that you can use as squash balls.  Yes there were rich boys and poor boys...like me... that worked to have spending money.  Actually there  is a " band of brothers" among alums that worked in the dining halls...even rich jocks that had nothing better to do while training...truly.  We all suffered the profs who gave no one a break.  There was one kid, tall fellow with flaming red hair that dressed in riding boots, a wool cape and took his class notes in German, like DiVinci.  Even learned from him  In my days, as today, there are a noticeable number of famous profs and school staff that enjoy sports and follow their favorite teams/ sports.  Robert Frost's statue is placed facing the library and over looks the baseball field.  When he taught on a regular basis, I'm told that he was often in the stands with fellow profs watching the games.  When I return to watch MBB in LeFrak, I see a retired Dean of Student...we chat a bit and he ask about my kids..remembers them at Amherst.
I maybe looking at things through rosy classes....but it was Not a place fragmented by student groups that are Anti this or that..intolerant of schoolmates.
I believe it starts from the top...poor leadership. I see the Prez of the UVA  as another school prez who has no clue.
As to the Mellon document, I put it with the global warming doc....into the trash.  Agenda driven documents that tend to serve only the sponsors.  Follow the money.

[quicksilver]

amh63 -- Amherst is hardly immune from the standard anti-athletic mind set as we see in this letter from an Amherst professor to the Amherst student newspaper, decrying the failure of a college committee to examine the role of athletes in creating an environment where sexual assault has become a problem at Amherst. Amherst has been rocked over the past couple of years by claims of unpunished sexual assaults and an administration that is unsympathetic to the victims of sexual assault.  When you dig into the details of the two cases that were disclosed in various forums by the victims, the perpetrators appeared not to be athletes so it was most peculiar that this professor felt the need to insinuate that Amherst's sports environment was somehow to blame based on studies done involving athletes at other schools. Guilt by association even when the association seemed to be strictly academic rather than real . .

[amh63]

quicksilver....what is your point here...read your post and got lost.  Yes, on any faculty there are those that are hurt that their views are not heard.  Even know a number of alums that are fall into that pail.  One even wanted Amherst to divest its endownment of particular energy stocks.....another person that doesn't have a clue....as to what benefits the school, students in the long run.
Do not know your agenda, or really care.  Everyone can opine but this is a football board....I believe.

[quicksilver]

quicksilver....what is your point here...read your post and got lost.  Yes, on any faculty there are those that are hurt that their views are not heard.  Even know a number of alums that are fall into that pail.  One even wanted Amherst to divest its endownment of particular energy stocks.....another person that doesn't have a clue....as to what benefits the school, students in the long run.
Do not know your agenda, or really care.  Everyone can opine but this is a football board....I believe.

I'm responding to your implication that the Amherst faculty shares your outlook on the positive role of sports in college life. I generally share your view but know enough about faculty attitudes at both Bowdoin and Amherst through multiple family relationships to know that the NESCAC academic world is, at best, divided on this issue.  As to your snarky comments about my "agenda" and this being a football board, you are aware that your musings depart from the world of football more often than not . . . . 

[PolarCat]

Can't we all just get along?

I'm the guy who originally started down this track, so if anyone is guilty of changing the topic from football, it's me.  Since there were Bowdoin footballers present at "Cracksgiving", I did think the topic was at least tangentially related to NESCAC football.  And judging from the number of responses, I suspect most others agreed.

Besides, what else are we going to talk about at this time of year?  We've pretty much beaten the dead horse of coaching changes (or non-changes) to death, and unless someone has insight on which NESCAC schools got top-rated prospects to commit, we don't have much to chat about other than the weather, and what we're getting our wives for Christmas.

[quicksilver]

Point taken, polarcat. And on a fball note, most NESCAC sent out their ED acceptances in the past few says so there should be recruiting info available to those willing to mine the Internet , , 

[gridiron]

Me-thinks some are often a bit too defensive about their own Alma mater.

[polbear73]

I'll admit to that.

[JEFFFAN]

The battle between academics and athletics has only been around ... forever.   However, the increased visibility of NESCAC athletics over the past 15 years or so (maybe slightly longer) due to the ability to play in the NCAAs - and win them - has increased the pressure on these schools to be successful on the athletic fields.

[madzillagd]

A must see recruiting video

http://www.hudl.com/v/DhgQW

[PolarCat]

Must see is right.  Kid is a MONSTER.  I'd give you +20 for sharing if I could.

[All NESCAC]

Must see is right.  Kid is a MONSTER.  I'd give you +20 for sharing if I could.

Undoubtedly heading to a NESCAC school....very creative without the ball...LOL.

[polbear73]

Noah Nelson, a quarterback from Falmouth, Me committed to play at Bowdoin.