From: davidc@montagar.com (David L. Cathey)
Newsgroups: tx.politics
Subject: Re: Football Failures at Bowie Force end of Season
Date: 20 Nov 92 15:40:20 GMT
Distribution: tx
Organization: Montagar Software Concepts, Plano TX

In article <1992Nov19.012004.36177@watson.ibm.com>, johniac@austin.ibm.com (John Iacoletti) writes:
> David L. Cathey (davidc@montagar.com) wrote:
> : 	But they are not freeloading, since they are making an effort to
> : pass all classes enrolled.
> 
> Sure they are.  I don't like math and science, so I'm going to call people who
> want to learn math and science freeloaders.  That's what you're doing with
> people who want to learn football.

	Who says they want to learn math, science, english, etc...?  They may
like one, but not others.  But to get that diploma, there are basic skills
that must be attained.  Otherwise the diploma has no meaning.

> : The school is upholding its end of the "contract"
> : by providing classes to those the doing work in them.  You defend the concept
> : of certain students (namely Football players) should have exceptions to
> : this (Elitist).
> 
> Not just football players.  I don't think ANY student should take calculus
> if he doesn't want to learn calculus.

	You're trying to cloud the issue.  Calculus is not a required subject.

> :                                                      High School football isn't
> : competitive enough to get you in the door.  You need to be proven under more
> : challenging conditions: College Football.  Too bad you won't make the
> : entrance requirements.
> 
> Like I said, the system is rigged.  There's NOTHING in a college curriculum that
> a football player needs to play football better, unless he can major in
> football.

	Actually, they do, but is generally called something more like Physical
Education.

	And even on a more general level, you're wrong and obviously know
little about competive sports today.  Math, science, and biology have become
critically important today as a means of attaining peak performance in an
athlete.  Physics to understand how to move the body optimially.  Biology
and nutrition to keep the body fueled and healthy for the best performance.
Even psychology to keep that mental edge that is so critical for your
best performance.  The athlete has to be able to understand this and be able
to apply it or he will not be able to compete with those that do.

	I race bikes competitively in this region, and work out with other
athletes (runners, triathletes, etc) and the amount of cross over to the math
and sciences to maintain a competive level is amazing.

> : 	Well, you appearently don't think that the are intelligent enough to
> : do anything besides play football.
> 
> Sure I do.  I think they're intelligent enough to do whatever they want to do.
> Of course sometimes they listen to naysayers who tell them that their "odds"
> are terrible.

	If they are not displined enough to get the material to get a 
high school diploma, they lack the displine of a pro athlete.  Consider it
weed-out courses for those that just want to get by in a profession that
demands excellence.

> John Iacoletti       IBM AWS Austin       Internet: johniac@austin.ibm.com
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David L. Cathey		                |INET: davidc@montagar.com
Montagar Software Concepts              |UUCP: ...!montagar!davidc
P. O. Box 260772, Plano TX  75026-0772  |Fone: (214)-618-2117