[NU Sports] Who cares about bias?

[Dennis W. Brandt]

A frequent definition of rant:  I can't debate you, so I'll shoot the 
messenger.  Bang!  I'm not dead.

I "ranted" because we were utterly outmatched in every facet of the game, 
which should no longer be the case.  For twelve years we have had hopes that 
yesterday would have been consigned to far distant "yesterdays," yet here we 
are again.  Being a Big 10 football doormat is no longer acceptable to 
Northwestern football fans, and our football team has streaks of mud and 
cleat marks all over it today.  I very much fear we could be slipping back 
into those pathetic days of Mildcat-ism.

Funny how you hammered my argument and then made my case.  I agree with you. 
Either do the job correctly or get out.  Back-sliding cannot be permitted. 
If NU wants to play with the big boys, then it has to do what it must to 
compete.  I am not for dropping academic standards into the tank, but if it 
means bringing in a few on-the-bubble students and shepherding them through 
academically, then do it.  If we will not or cannot compete, save the money, 
play with the littler boys, and be content with it.  That hasn't exactly 
hurt Harvard and Yale.  But for God's sake quit humiliating Northwestern 
University with performances such as we saw yesterday.

No, Wofford did not play a Big Ten team yesterday.  Had you read the sports 
pages you would have seen that Wofford defeated Appalachian State.  Remember 
Appalachian State?  I believe they defeated Michigan, a pre-season pick to 
win the Big Ten and still in the running for that honor.  If Wofford can 
beat the team that beat Michigan, what does that say about Big Ten football?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Arthur Miller" <artmiller1 at hotmail.com>
To: "'Dennis W. Brandt'" <tbng at comcast.net>; <nwu-sports at romaine.tssi.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2007 8:16 AM
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] Who cares about bias?


Rants are boring, Dennis--and too easy after a day like yesterday.  So what
is your proposal?  Drop out of the Big Ten?  Throw more money into trying to
build a competitive program in the face of so many inherent disadvantages?

And what does Wofford have to do with the Big Ten?  Did they play a Big Ten
team yesterday?  Don't apply the Law of Transitivity; that doesn't work in
football.

Those watching the telecast yesterday heard the comment that the Buckeye
football team's annual budget exceeds the that of the entire NU athletic
department.  As if to reinforce the point, yesterday Ohio State announced a
raise for Thad Matta, so they are now paying their BASKETBALL coach $2.5M a
year.  Personally, I am starting to despair that we can ever be consistently
competitive in this conference.  Money is everything in this game, people,
and frankly we just don't have the numbers.




-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Dennis W. Brandt
Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2007 6:00 AM
To: nwu-sports at romaine.tssi.com
Subject: [NU Sports] Who cares about bias?


No one mentioned the game.  Perhaps that is because there was no game.
There was Thermopylae with wimpy Spartans; Pickett in need of a charge.  We
were unqualified to be on the same field as Ohio State.  Speed and quickness
they have; we don't.  Size and strength they have; we don't.  Athleticism
they have; we don't.  Depth they have; we don't.  It doesn't matter who is
making the in-game coaching decisions.  As I posted earlier this week,
recruiting charts show it's not going to change in the near future.  Tyrell
Sutton's absence was no factor even if he had been upbeat along the
sidelines.  (You were hang-dogging it, Tyrell.)  This was a disgraceful but
likely inevitable performance that points out the inadequate talent on the
NU football team (as if Duke, losers yesterday to Navy and allowing 46
points, hadn't done that already).  I fully expect the same treatment next
week.  Hart will run for 200+ yards in less than three quarters, and whoever
plays quarterback will humiliate our defense.  We will be lucky to score one
offensive touchdown against Michigan's first-string defense.  Again, I would
dearly love to be wrong, but I don't think I will be.

RECRUITING!!!!  RECRUITING!!!!  RECRUITING!!!!  But do we even have a chance
at the best players with our ancient, rarely filled stadium, losing
tradition, and academic requirements?

On an unrelated note, how 'bout them Wofford Terriers!  More reason to doubt
the quality of Big 10 football.


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