Letter of the day: Maybe homegrown Gophers would be a bit more golden

Last update: November 13, 2009 - 5:17 PM

One way to correct the "troubling pattern" syndrome that seemingly afflicts many of the male sports programs at the University of Minnesota would be a return to the good old days. Remember when: • The U of M was a national football power under Bernie Bierman? • The kids who played for Bernie came from Minnesota and towns like Gonvick? • We didn't find a need to recruit football and basketball players from Florida, Texas, California and Pennsylvania -- not to mention Europe, South America and other assorted spots? • The sports pages didn't look like a police blotter every week? • Most "student-athletes" -- now there's a world-class oxymoron -- actually graduated? How about trying a program like "the good old days" and recognizing these facts of life: • The Gopher football and basketball teams are largely "losers" anyhow despite all the money spent on recruiters/recruiting/bail money and lawyers! • Minnesota is a land-grant university. It belongs to Minnesotans. If there are "athletic" scholarships available, why not give them to Minnesota athletes? The current approach isn't working, as your Nov. 8 editorial points out. Trying an approach that DID work earlier in time seems appropriate.

ROY K. ERICKSON, EDINA

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