[NU Sports] 4th Quarter

[Dennis W. Brandt]

> What Barnett proved is that you CAN compete without having the best 
> athletes.

No, what Barnett proved is that ON A RARE OCCASION you can win without the 
best athletes if you have some talent in key areas, other teams don't take 
you seriously, and Jupiter aligns with Mars.  Motivation and innovation will 
carry you only so far.  Robert E. Lee used both techniques successfully for 
a while, but ultimately Grant's overwhelming power crushed him.  The spread 
offense is now as commonplace as a Stonewall Jackson flank march, and 
defenses are far better prepared.  Unless we obtain faster, better skilled 
athletes to run it (most importantly a speedy quarterback), it will no 
longer carry us.  And aren't you weary of watching NU defenses give up yard 
after yard?  Defensive lines that can't get near opposing quarterbacks?

> You appear fixated on four star recruits as the route to victory.

Fixated by obtaining talent?  You bet I am!  Four-star recruits might not be 
the answer, but Northwestern never has them to find out what they could do 
with them!  There is nothing wrong with the NU football team that more 
speed, quickness, athleticism, size, and strength would not cure.  And where 
is it written that coaches can't motivate good athletes as well as average 
ones?

> For UoM and OSU. . .[it] means graduating fewer kids, having a lot more
> leave early for the NFL, and providing some only the appearance of an
> education rather than the substance of one.

Tell that to Joe Paterno, whose players graduate on a par with Northwestern 
and almost always win all their pre-season games.  Would I object to players 
leaving early for the NFL?  If we had that "problem," it would mean we would 
have quality players and be winning a lot more games.  If you want a purely 
academic school, fine.  I understand the argument, but then leave Big 10 
athletics behind.  I do not think, however, that athletics and academics are 
inconsistent with each other.  Penn State certainly has proven that.

> If you really would like to remake NU in the image of UoM or OSU, I 
> suggest a
> much easier path.  Just start rooting for them.

I didn't graduate from UoM or OSU and don't care about either one.  You seem 
trapped in 1995 with a "Hoosiers" mentality.  Yes, '95 was fabulous.  Yes, 
it's great when David slays Goliath.  But it's time to move forward.  Time 
to take the next step.  And in all due respect, you're coming off very much 
like an elitist who don't want no stinkin', dumb athletes on his team. 


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