[NU Sports] Cofield

[NEONRye at aol.com]

Having only lived in Evanston for 4 years--three and a half decades ago--I  
can NEVER envision Chicago truly adopting NU as its "Home Town" team, although 
I  don't really claim to be fully qualified to assess the situation.  However, 
 it has always been my belief that NU hasn't totally found its niche, 
because,  inter alia, the main campus is in Evanston, the school is viewed as  
somewhat "elitist" and not a true Chicago institution (in the way that "Da  Bears", 
or even DePaul, are, and we haven't had enough success in FB  (save for the 
"Cinderalla" years of 1995-96) and ANY success in Hoops to  spark widespread 
public interest in Chicago.
 
But I hope that history proves me wrong--and that Fitz--the "Sout'  
Sider"--can change the perception of the University, so that North Siders, West  
Siders, and South Siders--Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans,  
African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Greek-Americans, and every other ethnic  
and/or religious group that comprises the wonderful "Melting Pot" of Chicago,  
embrace NU as their own, and so that youngsters in the fascinating Chicago  
neighborhoods that I studied as an earnest Sociology Major decide to wear Purple 
 and White, rather than Green and Gold, or Maize and Blue, etc.
 
Fitz represents our best hope for such a breakthrough, just as he embodies  
the school's best qualities for purposes of public relations and  recruiting.  
Let's hope he can pull it off.
 
Paul Levinson