Memorandum in Support of Football Scholarships at Colgate - Matt Kobelski '04
This memorandum is to serve as a vehement opposition to the letter written by R. Michael Smith in the Summer Colgate Scene. I could not disagree more with his argument and will take this time to address the support that the vastly growing community of Colgate Football Alumni have for the decision to allow scholarships.
Football Scholarships provide an avenue for some of the country’s best student-athletes to not only try to further their career in the sport, but allow them to receive a top-ranked education at the same time. By not having scholarships, Colgate was denying potential great student-athletes the opportunity for a great education simply based on their economic status. The decision to allow scholarships will provide an avenue for those who could not otherwise afford a top-ranked education
The opposition to R. Michael Smith’s letter is mainly derived from the fact that his argument is rather lackluster and seemingly all over the place in his “Four Reasons For Opposition”.
Mr. Smith’s first argument is that football is dangerous. The article was written opposing football scholarships, not football itself, but that appears to be his end game, as he goes on to say in his third reason that money should be given to lacrosse and hockey. If Mr. Smith truly believed that scholarships should not be afforded on the basis that football can lead to injuries, he would not have intended that money be provided to sports that provide the same injury risks. He states that it is “incompatible” with Colgate’s values as a liberal arts college, yet argues in favor of two sports that have the same risk of injury. Should we eliminate driving on Colgate’s Campus too, as there is a risk of car accidents?
The second argument is that the economics of football “make no sense”. This argument is, at best, weak, as Mr. Smith notes that “based on his observations” ticket sales generate little money, and “he doubts” TV revenue generates much income. This is not an argument based on fact unless Mr. Smith knows the actual numbers to generate this argument, and it is also missing the main point. Tickets and TV provide a forum where the Colgate Community can come together to watch their student athletes perform and excel. He states that Colgate will play Penn State and Syracuse with “no hopes of being competitive”. That is a direct slap in the face on a program that has time and time again proven they can compete with anyone. We are competitive athletes, not hopeless losers that will state “we shouldn’t play the game because on paper they are better than us”. It is a size of the fight in the dog, not the size of the dog in the fight argument. Indeed, I truly hope Mr. Smith is not in line to give motivational speeches any time soon.
The third point has been addressed already. Mr. Smith would like to give money to hockey, soccer and lacrosse. Two of the three sports here have similar injury risks, and none of the three sports are as respected on the national level as a football program. (I implore you to watch ABC on a Saturday in the fall). No offense to Peter Baum, but Nate Eachus making the Roster for the Kansas City Chiefs has generated more publicity than the country’s best lacrosse player. That states a lot in itself.
His fourth point left me incredibly dumbfounded, as he states football will go the way of boxing. Saturdays and Sundays in the fall prove entirely to the contrary and this little event called “The Super Bowl” generates the world’s largest TV audience. I do not have much more to say as the point I am trying to make here is completely clear-cut.
He wanted to spark a debate in the Colgate Community, but in order to debate, facts need to be presented that are not contrary (football creates an injury risk, so we should give money to lacrosse and hockey?) .
I wholeheartedly agree with Colgate’s decision to grant football scholarships. As a former student- athlete that played on a National Championship team in which no one gave us a chance to pass the first round of the playoffs, football has taught me more than I can fit in this memorandum. The ability to wake up at 5:00 AM, run sprints and work out, go to class all day, and then continue with practice, film and strategy, followed by studying before bed, is invaluable in the working world outside of football. College football prepares you to multitask, take on any schedule presented with ease, and the point that Mr. Smith made about “no hopes of competing against Penn State and Syracuse”, well, that thought would never cross my mind until the scoreboard sounds at the end of the game and those football players left their hearts on that field. We defeated Umass, who defeated Deleware (that we eventually lost to in the title game). The expression “Any Given Sunday” holds true for college also on Saturdays.
Please take a moment to rationalize an argument in a coherent sense before insulting the “80 years in the rearview mirror” of football players that have been successful off the field from Colgate Nationwide, and also denying potential great student-athletes the ability to attend Colgate and offer socio-economic diversity as well as an opportunity to a bright student-athlete who otherwise would not have this opportunity.
I would like to end by thanking you for your time,
Matt Kobelski, Class of 2004.
Football Scholarships provide an avenue for some of the country’s best student-athletes to not only try to further their career in the sport, but allow them to receive a top-ranked education at the same time. By not having scholarships, Colgate was denying potential great student-athletes the opportunity for a great education simply based on their economic status. The decision to allow scholarships will provide an avenue for those who could not otherwise afford a top-ranked education
The opposition to R. Michael Smith’s letter is mainly derived from the fact that his argument is rather lackluster and seemingly all over the place in his “Four Reasons For Opposition”.
Mr. Smith’s first argument is that football is dangerous. The article was written opposing football scholarships, not football itself, but that appears to be his end game, as he goes on to say in his third reason that money should be given to lacrosse and hockey. If Mr. Smith truly believed that scholarships should not be afforded on the basis that football can lead to injuries, he would not have intended that money be provided to sports that provide the same injury risks. He states that it is “incompatible” with Colgate’s values as a liberal arts college, yet argues in favor of two sports that have the same risk of injury. Should we eliminate driving on Colgate’s Campus too, as there is a risk of car accidents?
The second argument is that the economics of football “make no sense”. This argument is, at best, weak, as Mr. Smith notes that “based on his observations” ticket sales generate little money, and “he doubts” TV revenue generates much income. This is not an argument based on fact unless Mr. Smith knows the actual numbers to generate this argument, and it is also missing the main point. Tickets and TV provide a forum where the Colgate Community can come together to watch their student athletes perform and excel. He states that Colgate will play Penn State and Syracuse with “no hopes of being competitive”. That is a direct slap in the face on a program that has time and time again proven they can compete with anyone. We are competitive athletes, not hopeless losers that will state “we shouldn’t play the game because on paper they are better than us”. It is a size of the fight in the dog, not the size of the dog in the fight argument. Indeed, I truly hope Mr. Smith is not in line to give motivational speeches any time soon.
The third point has been addressed already. Mr. Smith would like to give money to hockey, soccer and lacrosse. Two of the three sports here have similar injury risks, and none of the three sports are as respected on the national level as a football program. (I implore you to watch ABC on a Saturday in the fall). No offense to Peter Baum, but Nate Eachus making the Roster for the Kansas City Chiefs has generated more publicity than the country’s best lacrosse player. That states a lot in itself.
His fourth point left me incredibly dumbfounded, as he states football will go the way of boxing. Saturdays and Sundays in the fall prove entirely to the contrary and this little event called “The Super Bowl” generates the world’s largest TV audience. I do not have much more to say as the point I am trying to make here is completely clear-cut.
He wanted to spark a debate in the Colgate Community, but in order to debate, facts need to be presented that are not contrary (football creates an injury risk, so we should give money to lacrosse and hockey?) .
I wholeheartedly agree with Colgate’s decision to grant football scholarships. As a former student- athlete that played on a National Championship team in which no one gave us a chance to pass the first round of the playoffs, football has taught me more than I can fit in this memorandum. The ability to wake up at 5:00 AM, run sprints and work out, go to class all day, and then continue with practice, film and strategy, followed by studying before bed, is invaluable in the working world outside of football. College football prepares you to multitask, take on any schedule presented with ease, and the point that Mr. Smith made about “no hopes of competing against Penn State and Syracuse”, well, that thought would never cross my mind until the scoreboard sounds at the end of the game and those football players left their hearts on that field. We defeated Umass, who defeated Deleware (that we eventually lost to in the title game). The expression “Any Given Sunday” holds true for college also on Saturdays.
Please take a moment to rationalize an argument in a coherent sense before insulting the “80 years in the rearview mirror” of football players that have been successful off the field from Colgate Nationwide, and also denying potential great student-athletes the ability to attend Colgate and offer socio-economic diversity as well as an opportunity to a bright student-athlete who otherwise would not have this opportunity.
I would like to end by thanking you for your time,
Matt Kobelski, Class of 2004.
Adding Football Scholarships is a victory for Colgate - John Frieser '04
I’d like to extend my sincerest gratitude and thanks to the Patriot League and Colgate University for making the decision to offer football scholarships to future hardworking student- athletes that call the gridiron home. This is a tremendous victory for the Colgate community at large, as it will only enhance Colgate’s place in the collegiate world as an institution that enables its students to strive towards, and achieve, the greatest degrees of success in the classroom and on the field. I’ve always been proud to be a Colgate graduate and I find myself even prouder at this moment, knowing that the football program will now have the tools to take the team we love to even more impressive heights. However, amongst my feelings of pride, I am disappointed that some members of the Colgate family feel that scholarships are the wrong decision, and should therefore be reconsidered (ex. last Colgate Scene edition’s letter entitled, “Opposes football scholarships decision”). As a result, I have felt compelled to stress the reasons why the addition of football scholarships is indeed a victory for Colgate, and nothing less.
Colgate prides itself in producing the best student-athletes in the business. This is the reason why I, as well as many of my teammates, turned down various Ivy and Patriot League schools to better ourselves in rural Hamilton. The Ivy League doesn’t allow its football players to maximize their teams’ potential because they don’t participate in the national playoffs like they do in other sports; Colgate does. We chose Colgate because we believed in Coach Biddle’s ability to lead (and we do to this day to an even greater extent), and because we wanted a stellar education without sacrificing our athletic dreams and goals. We came very close to achieving the ultimate reward in 2003 when we earned a berth in the national championship game against Delaware (Yes – it was on one of the ESPN channels, as with our other past playoff games, just like lacrosse from last season.). To say that we could never compete with the likes of Delaware is ludicrous. Yes, they imposed their will on us in ’03 but ask Western Illinois, UMass or Florida Atlantic (the latter two now both FBS conference schools) if we were competitive. The existence of football scholarships will give us the extra push we need to win the national championship some day. Look how close we came without them!
Secondly, the Colgate way ought to be strengthening its programs, not diminishing them. Coaches often tell their players they are getting better or getting worse, there’s no staying the same. By implementing football scholarships, we will be able to recruit in such a way that when we win the Patriot League and reach the national playoffs, as we have done many times, we’ll be able to win a higher percentage of those post-season match ups. What better way to celebrate our rich, 120-plus year football history than to make the national title our goal every year? Why wouldn’t we take the next step with a program that has had fourteen winning seasons out of the last sixteen under Coach Biddle? And yes, we too have had men named the best players in the country for our level (Walter Payton award winners Kenny Gamble and Jamaal Branch).
Thirdly, football scholarships will offer opportunity to those that may not otherwise be able to attend Colgate while also attracting highly qualified students. $50,000 a year is out of the question for many low and middle class families. Yes, some students have qualified for full financial aid in the past, but there’s a huge pool of hardworking families whose household income is high enough to keep them from receiving financial aid and could not dream of affording $200,000 for one child to go to college. Young adults in this situation deserve the chance to earn a Colgate degree, especially if they have a special talent that will positively contribute to the vibrancy of the campus community. Additionally, Colgate will be able to attract outstanding students because more recruits will choose Colgate over the Ivies since Colgate has differentiated itself with scholarships. Yes, there are many football players out there who graduate in the top 5 – 10% of their high school classes who also have the skills to excel on the field. Now we will be more competitive than ever in attracting them.
Furthermore, Colgate football contributes just as much, if not more, diversity to the campus as any other organization. Our players come from all races, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, and geographical regions. Scholarships will allow us to continue to attract student-athletes from all walks of life without sacrificing academic standards. Some kids just need to be given an opportunity to succeed. Personally, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get into Colgate on my own. While my grades were high, my SATs were lower than the minimum for entrance. Since I was able to attend, due to my football recruitment, I graduated in the top of my class and earned money for graduate school while putting in the extensive time commitment to football. This is only one example of thousands. Colgate football changed my life and the lives of my teammates. I’m no big shot at anything. Just a normal teacher and coach, husband and father, but I wouldn’t be the person I am without my Colgate experience. If I went to a community college and/or less expensive state school as many of peer did, I may still have the same job I have today, but I wouldn’t be the same person.
As far as the money arguments go, Colgate invests in people first. What’s more noble:
A school that supports its programs because it knows that millions of dollars will be coming right back to them – or a school who supports its programs knowing that revenue may not cover the costs but rather values them as a source of great school pride, and the knowledge that their student-athletes will go out into the workforce to contribute their talents and experiences to our society? The football program doesn’t have to generate millions of dollars to be valuable enough to deserve scholarships. Football teaches the qualities that we pride ourselves in as Americans; hard work, competitiveness, perseverance, mental and physical toughness, commitment, and accountability – as with many other sports.
Finally, I want to address the arguments relating to the dangers of playing football. Some say scholarships are a waste of money because football is doomed to a tragic fall from grace. Yes, there’s risk in football. No doubt of it. It’s a physical game. But you know what else is dangerous? Life. Last time I checked, we all eventually die from it. My point is that there isn’t anybody that plays football who does so against his will. They want to play and by doing so, they assume the risk. People get injured in automobile accidents all the time. Do we take away everyone’s car and close the roads down? No. We establish rules of the road, educate people on how to minimize their risk, and continue to improve technology in order to increase safety. It’s the exact same in football. The rules are constantly amended to increase safety, we teach our players to hit in a proper way, and technology is always advancing with regards to equipment. Are there guarantees against serious injury? No, but that’s true of just about anything. During my senior year, a Cornell lacrosse player was struck in the chest by a ball shot from an opposing player and was tragically killed. Does that mean that we should not value lacrosse? No, of course not, because the sport has value, as do all sports. Unfortunately, we can’t control all of the possible outcomes in life.
Some NFL players have gone on record to say that they wouldn’t allow their sons to play. First of all, I’ll believe it when I see it. Secondly, I bet the vast majority of those same players wouldn’t dream of going back in time and choosing to not play football. Thirdly, I know one former player who doesn’t regret allowing his sons to play: Archie Manning. I doubt that football will be “dead” in 25 years as has been suggested considering that it’s the most popular sport in America. Football can’t be compared to boxing. One is an individual, combat sport where hurting the other opponent is the goal. The other is a team sport where the only goal is to win the game. Boxing has merely been replaced by MMA. Football is irreplaceable.
In sum, I feel the best of Colgate football is still to come, and scholarships will only strengthen the football program, and our community’s continued greatness.
Go ‘Gate.
John Frieser ‘04 Endicott, NY
Colgate prides itself in producing the best student-athletes in the business. This is the reason why I, as well as many of my teammates, turned down various Ivy and Patriot League schools to better ourselves in rural Hamilton. The Ivy League doesn’t allow its football players to maximize their teams’ potential because they don’t participate in the national playoffs like they do in other sports; Colgate does. We chose Colgate because we believed in Coach Biddle’s ability to lead (and we do to this day to an even greater extent), and because we wanted a stellar education without sacrificing our athletic dreams and goals. We came very close to achieving the ultimate reward in 2003 when we earned a berth in the national championship game against Delaware (Yes – it was on one of the ESPN channels, as with our other past playoff games, just like lacrosse from last season.). To say that we could never compete with the likes of Delaware is ludicrous. Yes, they imposed their will on us in ’03 but ask Western Illinois, UMass or Florida Atlantic (the latter two now both FBS conference schools) if we were competitive. The existence of football scholarships will give us the extra push we need to win the national championship some day. Look how close we came without them!
Secondly, the Colgate way ought to be strengthening its programs, not diminishing them. Coaches often tell their players they are getting better or getting worse, there’s no staying the same. By implementing football scholarships, we will be able to recruit in such a way that when we win the Patriot League and reach the national playoffs, as we have done many times, we’ll be able to win a higher percentage of those post-season match ups. What better way to celebrate our rich, 120-plus year football history than to make the national title our goal every year? Why wouldn’t we take the next step with a program that has had fourteen winning seasons out of the last sixteen under Coach Biddle? And yes, we too have had men named the best players in the country for our level (Walter Payton award winners Kenny Gamble and Jamaal Branch).
Thirdly, football scholarships will offer opportunity to those that may not otherwise be able to attend Colgate while also attracting highly qualified students. $50,000 a year is out of the question for many low and middle class families. Yes, some students have qualified for full financial aid in the past, but there’s a huge pool of hardworking families whose household income is high enough to keep them from receiving financial aid and could not dream of affording $200,000 for one child to go to college. Young adults in this situation deserve the chance to earn a Colgate degree, especially if they have a special talent that will positively contribute to the vibrancy of the campus community. Additionally, Colgate will be able to attract outstanding students because more recruits will choose Colgate over the Ivies since Colgate has differentiated itself with scholarships. Yes, there are many football players out there who graduate in the top 5 – 10% of their high school classes who also have the skills to excel on the field. Now we will be more competitive than ever in attracting them.
Furthermore, Colgate football contributes just as much, if not more, diversity to the campus as any other organization. Our players come from all races, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, and geographical regions. Scholarships will allow us to continue to attract student-athletes from all walks of life without sacrificing academic standards. Some kids just need to be given an opportunity to succeed. Personally, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get into Colgate on my own. While my grades were high, my SATs were lower than the minimum for entrance. Since I was able to attend, due to my football recruitment, I graduated in the top of my class and earned money for graduate school while putting in the extensive time commitment to football. This is only one example of thousands. Colgate football changed my life and the lives of my teammates. I’m no big shot at anything. Just a normal teacher and coach, husband and father, but I wouldn’t be the person I am without my Colgate experience. If I went to a community college and/or less expensive state school as many of peer did, I may still have the same job I have today, but I wouldn’t be the same person.
As far as the money arguments go, Colgate invests in people first. What’s more noble:
A school that supports its programs because it knows that millions of dollars will be coming right back to them – or a school who supports its programs knowing that revenue may not cover the costs but rather values them as a source of great school pride, and the knowledge that their student-athletes will go out into the workforce to contribute their talents and experiences to our society? The football program doesn’t have to generate millions of dollars to be valuable enough to deserve scholarships. Football teaches the qualities that we pride ourselves in as Americans; hard work, competitiveness, perseverance, mental and physical toughness, commitment, and accountability – as with many other sports.
Finally, I want to address the arguments relating to the dangers of playing football. Some say scholarships are a waste of money because football is doomed to a tragic fall from grace. Yes, there’s risk in football. No doubt of it. It’s a physical game. But you know what else is dangerous? Life. Last time I checked, we all eventually die from it. My point is that there isn’t anybody that plays football who does so against his will. They want to play and by doing so, they assume the risk. People get injured in automobile accidents all the time. Do we take away everyone’s car and close the roads down? No. We establish rules of the road, educate people on how to minimize their risk, and continue to improve technology in order to increase safety. It’s the exact same in football. The rules are constantly amended to increase safety, we teach our players to hit in a proper way, and technology is always advancing with regards to equipment. Are there guarantees against serious injury? No, but that’s true of just about anything. During my senior year, a Cornell lacrosse player was struck in the chest by a ball shot from an opposing player and was tragically killed. Does that mean that we should not value lacrosse? No, of course not, because the sport has value, as do all sports. Unfortunately, we can’t control all of the possible outcomes in life.
Some NFL players have gone on record to say that they wouldn’t allow their sons to play. First of all, I’ll believe it when I see it. Secondly, I bet the vast majority of those same players wouldn’t dream of going back in time and choosing to not play football. Thirdly, I know one former player who doesn’t regret allowing his sons to play: Archie Manning. I doubt that football will be “dead” in 25 years as has been suggested considering that it’s the most popular sport in America. Football can’t be compared to boxing. One is an individual, combat sport where hurting the other opponent is the goal. The other is a team sport where the only goal is to win the game. Boxing has merely been replaced by MMA. Football is irreplaceable.
In sum, I feel the best of Colgate football is still to come, and scholarships will only strengthen the football program, and our community’s continued greatness.
Go ‘Gate.
John Frieser ‘04 Endicott, NY
