Welcome to a slightly less angry Corner. I have been asked if I intend to cease my watching of pro football in light of my last rant. It was a fair question, and the answer is no. And lest I seem the hypocrite, pray allow me to elucidate.
I do not have a problem with pro sports. They are as valid a form of entertainment as any other is. Football happens to be the only one that interests me, but I understand the appeal of others. Nor do I particularly object to collegiate athletics. Where my problem lies is when the latter is treated as the former. I object to the completely unreasonable imbalance, mainly financial, between sports and academia in the collegiate setting. I realize that at many schools the football and basketball teams bring a staggering amount of revenue to the school, but such is not the case at LC. And I won’t even get into the widespread pressure put on teachers to make sure their star athletes get good grades, regardless of their scholastic performance. (and yes, I have seen this even at FAU)
Both of my degrees came from Florida Atlantic University, but when the school announced that they were adding a football program suddenly there was talk that FAU would finally be ‘on the map’. The first football coach was given an enormous salary, and a car, at the same time our Theatre Dept. had to let the pregnant office assistant go because we didn’t have the money to pay her. When an institution as financially troubled as LC can field 10 people on the football coaching staff, but can’t find the meager amount of money I have been making for the last three years to keep someone in the theatre it disgusts and infuriates me. But that’s ok. The administration will learn fairly quickly how well things work in the auditorium, where chapels and graduations and various other events take place, without anyone knowledgeable around to work the equipment. Our maintenance people are very good at fixing a door, or replacing a blown circuit breaker, but they don’t know thing one about a wireless microphone.
And I’ll be too far away to help.
1 comment:
All I can say is, as long as Pro sports are popular & they make outrageous salaries, sports will dominate academics. Yes I know movie stars also have outrageous saleries. But the perception is it's easier for your kid to excel in sports (& make a career) than to do the same in the arts.
And hey, this is America. We know that it is better for kids to see adults enjoying violence & aggression, than a loving sexual act!
Post a Comment