Want to Try Out for College Sports? Forget It

The NY Times ^ | 21 September 2002 | BILL PENNINGTON

[SBeck]

"I hated the movie `Rudy,' " said Marilyn McNeil, athletic director of Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J., referring to the film about perhaps the most famous walk-on of all, Rudy Ruettiger of Notre Dame. Ruettiger endured years as a scrub on the practice squad until, as a senior concluding his career, he was allowed into a game for one play, and he sacked the quarterback.

"If you're not going to get your uniform dirty during games, you shouldn't be on the team," said McNeil, who is also the chairwoman of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's committee on women's athletics. "I believe there is still an opportunity for a walk-on to bloom on our teams, but there has to be a cutoff date for those who just want to hang around. We can't afford it. It's time to tell these students: `You've got other talents. Go write about sports at the school newspaper, join the debate team, or maybe you've got a nice voice and belong on the stage.'

What an absolutely hateful woman. She better pray to the Almighty that her resume never lands on my desk.

[SBeck]

You may contact the good Dotore McNeil at mmcneil@monmouth.edu

[muawiyah]

This old hag has absolutely no understanding of males. She should be banned from contact with any athletic programs of any kind.

[johnboy]

"For men, there is a social validation tied to being part of a college team," said Cheryl Marra, the associate athletic director at the University of Wisconsin. "If you're wearing a Rose Bowl ring, it will elicit a response. It is an accomplishment that is understood and respected by people across the desk in a job interview. It doesn't matter if you were player No. 120 on the team and never touched the football in that Rose Bowl. Being part of a championship women's gymnastics team probably doesn't have the same value. At least not yet."

this proves it. i am not a life form indiginous to this planet.

[johnboy]

At Wisconsin this year, there are 170 women on two rowing teams, a roster number that for Title IX purposes balances the football, baseball and men's basketball teams combined.

man ... i seen those movies with the galleys; i mean, 85 rowers per boat?!?

[SBeck]

For men, there is a social validation tied to being part of a college team

It also applies to other teams such as an SF ODA, a flight crew, or a construction team. Obviously, these women have no clue how strong male bonding is among the brotherhood.

As a side note, I am absolutely convinced that the emasculation of the Armed Forces began in 1976 with the introduction of female cadets at West Point.

[johnboy]

I am absolutely convinced that the emasculation of the Armed Forces began in 1976 with the introduction of female cadets at West Point.

well, it was a giant leap downward. i read a book ... early 80's, can't recall the title or author ... had a chapter about the incident at the punjung (sp?) tree in the korean dmz ... then there were some articles in the national review about the adequacy of the day care centers for the single mothers at west point.

ugh. excuse me, i have to go kill myself.

[SCHROLL]

You know it's kind of odd that women like her who push for equality in women's athletics are the first to scream bloody murder when some one suggests if they want equality women's programs should pay for themselves.

[prov1813man]

How true. I have met and spent time with Rudy, who speaks nationally and internationally. I would venture he has done more to encourage others in the fundamental values of dreaming, goal setting, perserverance, loyalty, team spirit and "keeping hope alive" than most,if not all, of the "athletic elite" of his time.

This woman is part of a culture that is obsessed with diminishing hope, so that all will be "equal in their despair", comatose cows, ready for the milking.

[Angel]

Title IX has been a big problem. There are many scholarships for women that go unclaimed. As a percentage, less women are interested in sports. If you took football out of the numbers requirements, and just balanced the rest of the sports it would be equitable for everyone. As a woman, I would love to have the law changed.

[PhiKapMom]

Not that it makes at any difference to the writer of this article but here at the University of Oklahoma our starting kicker is a walk-on Freshman from Carrolton, TX, and our deep snaper starter is a walk-on from Norman who is also a Freshman.

As for Gymastics here at OU, there is a lot of competition for not many positions as they are one of the top programs in the NCAA but why let a little thing like that stand in the way of this article.

[LouD]

Repeal Title IX, (the Federalization of Penis Envy Act) and restore college athletics for all those who are interested, men and women.

The NOW hags have succeeded in killing off many men's sports, like wrestling and baseball, in the name of gender equity.

[The Great RJ]

I'm sorry, but I don't have much sympathy for college sports. For years many schools have maintained football and basketball factories where anyone warm and breathing who could carry a ball was admitted regardless of academic merit.

I personally saw some these "student athletes" turn out to be little more than street hoods who succeeded in neither their athletic or academic requirements. What is really tragic is that scholarships are being dished out to these players with only flash in the pan prospects, while more academically credible, but somewhat less athletically talented individuals are ignored.

[Enterprise]

I too have somewhat mixed emotions here. While I deplore the Penis Envy act - AKA TITLE IX,- I also deplore the recruiting of thugs onto major collegiate sports teams, while truly academic athletes can't get deserved scholarships or are excluded from being "walk-ons" because some thug got preference.

[jimkress]

This article is absolute bullsh*t. For example:

Quarterback Pat Dillingham (a walk-on, nonscholarship student at Notre Dame), playing for injured starter Carlyle Holiday, threw a short pass to Arnaz Battle, who ran 60 yards for a touchdown with 1:15 remaining as the 12th-ranked Fighting Irish rallied to beat Michigan State 21-17 Saturday.

Walk-ons are alive and well in college athletics, at every level of competition.

[pepsi_junkie]

Title IX applies to publically funded schools. I do not believe it has any impact on private schools such as the Ivy League schools or the Catholic universities such as Notre Dame. So the reference you make is not a good one here, I think.

[SandfleaCSC]

Yes, walk-ons are alive and well in college football and there is a special name reserved for them..."Live Tackling Dummies". They are the guys that the starters get to pound on during the week, the guys who carry the water-bucket, and the guys who watch their teammates play the games on the TV. Rarely will you ever see a walk-on play a skill position in NCAA Div 1...unless the game is hopelessly out of hand such as the Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech game that Rudy Rudiger played in.

I hate to be the one dissenting pessimist on here, but I've heard "Rudy" speak before and the man is a moron. He pestered the Notre Dame coaches into a walk-on spot, pestered his way into his one "play, pestered his way into TV interviews, and pestered his way into a movie. The Notre Dame coaches and players that were around him have stated time and time again that Rudy was possibly the most annoying and talentless human ever to step onto the field at South Bend. It's even been said that he was kept on as a joke and an inspiration to his teammates(as in "Shape up or else Rudy will be wearing your jersey).

[Electron Wizard]

Title IX applies to institutions that accept any sort of Federal funding, including student loans and research grants. This is almost impossible to do in this day and age.

[Electron Wizard]

Excuse me.
Meant to say it's almost impossible NOT to accept some form of federal funding, and then they have their hooks in you.

[Conservateacher]

Wrong!! What is bullsh*t is the FACT that a study I just read shows that over 200 male teams were ELIMINATED from 1992 -1997!!!! 20,000 YES, 20,000 male athletes disappeared during this time frame. Who was president during this period and did he have a liberal feminist lesbian as a head of the department that controlled this issue!
You can cite a few walk-ons but ....