Re: >>>>RIT 2010 Offseason Thread-"You have to be a genius to go to RIT"
Re: >>>>RIT 2010 Offseason Thread-"You have to be a genius to go to RIT"
Thats why so many of them are taking Hotel Management and Packaging Science???
Point taken. However, I never asserted that they came here to get Micro-Electronic Engineering degrees. I just said they were here to get an education... and I'll add the qualifier that I did not previously... in addition to getting to play D-I hockey (which is prioritized over the other is another question). Just because they may not be (or want to be) as disciplined and dedicated academically as those of us with engineering degrees, does not mean that the education wasn't important (at least at some level) to them. And I know that those two majors (along with Business Administration) get bad raps, but they still are college degree programs majored in by many in the general student body. So they are getting an education, whatever you or anyone else may think of it.
As I said education is important but your spilting hairs with reality. With big time talent comes risk of getting bad eggs it happens and it already happen at RIT when it was a D-III program. An embarassing incident lead to a suspension for most of the 01-02 team. It happens, these are young men and they sometimes make rash decisions. The important thing is how the organization handles these situation, RIT has passed in every test of character to this point. I had very much respect for how Wilson handled that and am sure they can handle bigger talent.
Tangents aside... Where are you going with this?
I never once commented on the behavior of college hockey players. But as long as you brought it up...
Are you implying that the more talented an athlete is, the more trouble he/she will get into? I don't follow. All (okay, MOST) college students are young men (and women) who will make multiple bad decisions throughout their time in school. I'm not sure how the individual's athletic talent is related to how often he/she will get into trouble.
I, too respect the manner in which this staff has handled such situations, be it in D-III or D-I. As a side note, if I remember correctly, I think those players in the incident you mentioned were guys that weren't recruited by Coach Wilson, but by Coach Hoffberg, a coach whose tenure, rumor has it, was apparently known for recruiting less than choir-boy type players who weren't very concerned with academics. The best part of Coach Wilson's legacy here is his focus on quality individuals who excel at both academics and hockey, and the fortitude to discipline any who break the rules regardless of potential impact on the ice.
Are you related to Al Simone?
No. But I don't totally disagree with his view on what big-time athletics can do to the academic reputation of a university. That's not to say I'm not in support of the move to D-I, but if RIT were to try and go "big-time" and become a BC, Michigan, Minnesota, etc... I'd be worried... at least about the potential diminished perception of our school if nothing else. I'm not only proud to have been a fan of RIT Hockey for 25+ years, but I'm also proud that I have an undergraduate degree from RIT, I have a Graduate Certificate from RIT, and I am currently working on a Masters Degree from RIT. It would bother me if at some point in the future, our school was seen in the same light as the University of Miami, Fl (which may in reality be a fine school for all I know, but its reputation is mostly derived from what everyone knows about the athletics, football in particular). Of course that is an extreme case and even if RIT became an elite D-I hockey power, they wouldn't even scratch the surface of programs like Miami in reputation, but you get the point of what I mean.
We have move to D-I the object is to get better and attract better talent. If the threat that we may threaten your over liberal view of intercollegiate athletics than I suggest you head south to Geneseo....Wait!!! They've been hit with NCAA violations oh shot!!! Guess you have to go West to Brockport, ENJOY!!!!
You may be the first person to refer to a view of mine as "liberal" since I was an impressionable undergrad who almost fell for all the propaganda colleges spew at young skulls full of mush to try and indoctrinate them in the left-wing agenda. I got a chuckle out of it.
If you're attempting to imply that only crappy D-III teams could possibly be following all the rules and making their players go to class, I'd be willing to debate that with you another day (ahem...Duke just won another D-I national championship in one of the biggest corrupted college sports out there)
