[NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats

[Dennis W. Brandt]

> I just looked through the list too and there are also none of those top 
> 100
> committed to Stanford, Vanderbilt, Duke, Rice, the ivy's or any of the 
> other
> schools that put academics ahead of football either.

First, those schools don't win often either.  In fact, they're worse than 
NU.  Second, I don't care what these schools do.  Quit using them as an 
excuse to fail.

> The kids on that top 100 list aren't interested in any of those schools
> because they are planning on a pro football career, not a career that 
> depends
> on what they learn in school.

Nonsense.  Of those 100, few will actually play in the NFL, and even fewer 
will make a lifetime living of it.  If you're good, the NFL will know it and 
give you the big contract no matter where you went to college.  I believe 
John Elway did play for Stanford.  Of this year's top 100 players, some of 
them have to be academically oriented.

> If you look compare the NU and Stanford lists, though, it looks like we 
> are
> both going for a lot of the same kids.  That's really my measure of 
> whether
> or not PF is doing a good job getting the word out.

Then your measuring stick is too short.

> The bottom line is that we don't need top 100 recruits to win.  ND gets 
> way
> more of them than we do every year and couldn't even muster a winning 
> record
> against the service academies.

Notre Dame is one example.  Have any others?  How about Michigan, Ohio 
State, LSU, Florida, USC, Texas, Auburn, etc., schools for which a four-loss 
season is a disappointment?  What is happening at Notre Dame is a recent 
mystery, not an explanation, and it sure shouldn't be an excuse for our 
failure.

> We are never going to be OSU or Michigan in this league, but we should 
> expect
> to go bowling 75% of the time (just missed it this year) and every four 
> years
> or so make a run at the BT Championship (next year should be one of those
> years).

If Northwestern had this attitude academically, it would be a junior 
college.  I cannot buy into this attitude of perpetual mediocrity.