Between The Horns
An editorial by Secret Agent #70

7/3/2003

OK, I've been sitting back watching this stuff unfold for about 6 months now and I think it's time somebody said something that I know is crossing the minds of everybody. Why is it that the MU Men's track team got cut? I'm sure the folks in Toledo are asking the same thing about their swim team. Well, let's put it like this. Hmmmmm, er uh - - - MONEY. M-O-N-E-Y is why it got cut and it ain't nothin' bout lack of funds.

Look you can talk Title IV and state funding to me all you want but the bottom line is this:

Big Green, Pathway to Prominence, bi-monthly fundraisers for (pick your sport here) have all been contribututors to the MU General Ledger. When it comes right down to it somebody either had a personal vendetta against track (or someone who supported Men's Track) or someone got greedy whether it be inside the MU walls or outside..... orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. There was an extreme need for money in another area of the college. Could it have been the Education department? Nah, my guess is that there will be extreme amounts of money involved with buying out TV contracts when this whole ACC, Big East, CUSA, MAC thing finally runs out of dominoes.

So for all those folks that are gripin' bout olympic sports being cut - there's a faction out there that supports you. However, I think some of those faction members are seeing some $$$ right now. Personally, I think that if we move into the Mid American US East conference all sports should go and all sports should be represented including MU Men's track (and yes Toledo's swim team - yeah, Toledo sucks, but they're still getting the short end on this one regardless of where they wind up in this mess).

Now for the matter at hand. I would anticipate that most all Marshall fans are sick of hearing WVU cry about Miami leaving. If Marshall leaves the MAC East and takes all the TV contracts with them - there will be some crying in Oxford as well.

But keep this in between your horns:

Which is more important: TV contracts, exposure and money - or the disappointment of all those kids that signed on at MAC schools to get the national exposure only to find out that all the teams are leaving. How bout all those 18 year olds that just signed with WVU only to find out they'll never face Mimai of Florida or Virginia Tech. Four years from now there will be another Amos Zereoue that never gets a sniff at the NFL. This is where the disappointment oughta' be.

Reporting Live From Huntington.

Secret Agent #70

Go Herd