[NU Sports] NU Attendance et al

[Dennis W. Brandt]

[NU Sports] NU Attendance et alThe reality is that the team is progressing.  Our recruiting classes have improved every year under Fitz without diluting our advantage - we attract kids who appreciate the value of a Northwestern degree.  We are also winning more consistently.
  I have stated several times here that Fitz IS improving the caliber of recruits.  I have also said here that he will need ten years or so to keep the pipeline flowing.  Ergo, I don't disagree.  I do, however, believe Fitz will be limited by academic standards, inadequate funding, and facilities that cannot match the winning programs.  Lacking that, he will be hard-pressed to bring in better talent, we will never be a Big Ten powerhouse, which recently hasn't meant a national powerhouse.

  The sort of football program that you crave is being built underneath your nose.  More patience and trust will yield the result on the field that you desire.

  See above answer.  But do not consider it possible to build a consistent winner without the talent that has traditionally avoided NU.  It must improve beyond averaging three stars.  While that in itself is a big improvement reflected in not losing games 62 - 7 anymore, it is not enough in the long run.

  I can't say how long it will take for the fans in Chicago to wake up to what is going on in Evanston.  

  When they can count on the Cats being as good as Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State year after year.  I do not - indeed they HAVE not - followed their roller coaster gridiron ride beyond Cinderella's coach reverting to vegetable status.

  As far as being Cinderella.  I think that is the best part of being a Northwestern fan.  We will always be the underdog and I don't mind.

  All nice and exciting but the wrong attitude to building a successful football program.  The concept that consistent quality football equates to "football factory" stems at least partly from snobbery.  (And don't tell me it doesn't exist at Northwestern.  I lived with it for four years.)  Why not offer phys-ed and sports management degrees at NU?  Does the school feel that jocks are inherently stupid and demean the university's good name?  Surely, the absence of these programs is part of the reason we fail to get some of the better recruits.