Protection of reputation should be top concern of UT officials (University of Texas)

Major college sports are a devil's bargain. Talented athletes performing under school colors are both highly enjoyable and a financial windfall for the universities.

But gifted athletes sometimes step into the national spotlight unready for the celebrity, the importance and the responsibility that come with top programs. How a university handles those situations is a mark of its quality and character.

The University of Texas has had far more successes than blemishes in its long tenure as a prominent university with nationally celebrated teams in many sports. And the last thing a Longhorns fan wants to see is the school's and the team's reputation tarnished by boorish, or worse, criminal, behavior.

That's why the arrests of three UT football players, including star running back Cedric Benson, in separate incidents over a span of days are alarming to those who appreciate the university and its athletes. Those arrests on misdemeanor charges could be a symptom of a festering problem that the athletic department shouldn't ignore.

Yes, Coach Mack Brown recruits good athletes and runs a good program. Yes, charges are not the same as convictions, and even athletes are innocent until proved guilty. And young men bubbling with testosterone will do stupid things they regret -- sometimes instantly, sometimes years later.

While the incidents involving Benson, Cedric Griffin and Matt Nordgren are hardly the stuff of the out-of-control University of Oklahoma football team of the 1980s, they are cause for concern. The athletic department must take the necessary steps to ensure that it's in control of its teams and its athletes.

UT and its sports department have national prominence. But as the recent situation with the basketball program at Baylor University has proved, the best-intentioned programs can quickly get out of hand with disastrous consequences.

A university's reputation is a fragile thing that can be easily shattered by unruly athletes and lax athletic department administration. For UT's leaders, it would be better to acknowledge what the public sees in the arrests than to try to spin them as insignificant and disparage those who point out the obvious.

An editorial cartoon by Ben Sargent in the American-Statesman on Thursday summed up the situation in an image. The cartoon depicted the UT coaches on the sidelines with a seedy-looking bail bondsman standing nearby. It was a powerful statement about the problems besetting this storied and beloved football team.

Some, including many in the UT athletics department, didn't like the cartoon. But good editorials make a point that can cause a wince even for those who agree with its point of view.

The American-Statesman is a supporter of and believer in the University of Texas and its athletic teams. But UT is not above being reminded of the delicacy of a reputation and the importance of ensuring that its athletic programs are outstanding examples of sportsmanship and respectability.

Here are three letters to the editor regarding the Ben Sergeant cartoon. UT fans can't take it when something unfavorable is written about them. I agree the jail bondsman is somewhat strong, and should have been replaced with Defense Attorney.

Letter writers' names have been removed.

Readers react to Ben Sargent's cartoon, `UT sideline'; toll roads; fire safety; and more

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Tuesday, November 4, 2003

Jumping the gun

I have subscribed to the American-Statesman since 1976, and this is the first time I have written to protest something on the editorial page. However, the cartoon depicting the "UT sideline" was beyond the pale.

I think cartoonist Ben Sargent jumped the gun. I don't think anyone could argue that Coach Mack Brown has recruited top-flight players during his years here. He has gotten "knocked" recently for his players being too nice.

This cartoon affects all of the players, as well as the University of Texas. I don't think the Statesman could ever be accused of any favorable bias in not pointing out the perceived faults of the program. Like UT, the Statesman also has its detractors. Further, cartoons in such poor taste will certainly not help the feelings of those people who have been loyal subscribers.

Austin

Demeaning to UT

Ben Sargent's cartoon portraying the UT sideline personnel to include a bail bondsman was one that might be expected in a College Station or a Norman, Okla., newspaper, neither of which could be expected to treat the University of Texas with any respect. However, to include it as a part of the American-Statesman was in very poor taste.

The cartoon derives its "humor" from events that are not only painful but also unresolved. When a cartoonist must demean a university that strives for integrity among its athletes, he makes me question his own.

Austin

A cheap shot

Editorial cartoonist Ben Sargent took a cheap shot at the University of Texas regarding the three misdemeanor charges against three football players. He didn't present a clear picture of both sides of the stories. A bail bondsman was not needed in any of the situations.

You can be sure that our athletes will be properly sanctioned internally as well as within the judicial system.

Austin

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