In its attempt to become a "legitimate" athletic university, Fresno State has always cut corners.
I know about this inferiority complex because I grew up in the Central San Joaquin Valley. I watched as the Red Wavers puffed up their chests when the Bulldogs beat USC in the Freedom Bowl of 1992, and I watched when Melvin Ely led Fresno State to the second round of March Madness in 2001.
For a slow-moving region of the Golden State, collegiate sports are a very big deal.
Problem is, Fresno State has made success on the courts and on the fields too much of a priority, certainly much bigger than what takes place in the classroom.
As a result, we've had pleasant experiences with point shaving, illegal "tutoring" of athletes, unlawful wielding of a samurai sword, drug dealing, and oh yeah, murder. Most of the problems in the last decade have stemmed from the basketball program (they didn't call Jerry Tarkanian Tark the Shark for nothing), but in 2005 the women's basketball team was introduced to controversy as well.
The football program, which coach Pat Hill has managed to respectability, sports a graduation rate of just over half, but at least it hasn't produced any felons in a while.
The embarrassment continued earlier this week, when former volleyball coach Nancy Vivas was awarded $5.85 million in a discrimination suit. Vivas claimed that she was discriminated against for her sexual orientation and that her women's teams did not receive treatment equal to what the men's teams were given.
And so we find Fresno State even further away from being a legitimate university than it ever was. More than a decade after Tarkanian was hired and this whole mess began, the Bulldogs' shortcut to success has turned out to be a very long road to travel.
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4 comments:
I always question these discrimination cases. They seem to judge for guilt most of the time, and yet it's all about interpretation. A lot of women said there wasn't any -- in fact, some of them said one particular instance of "creating a hostile work environment" was done by them as a joke. So, women are discriminating sexually against other women?
I think this is yet another bogus ruling from our messed-up court system.
I don't know. I take it as some sort of sign that the jury awarded her more money than she even ASKED for. Also, if Fresno State is involved, someone is probably guilty.
Samurai swords...ah the good 'ol days. At least they put out an exciting basketball team back then.
We're living in Visalia with our in-laws until August, when our house is ready. If you have some free time and want to get together when you're down here, email me at my hotmail account.
Regarding Sabean, I was pretty peeved at the time it happened, but I'm reconsidering my opinion. When I get my thoughts straight, I'll post on it.
Has anyone ever looked at the amount of money fresno state spends on it's football program and facilities compared to all the rest of the programs. Have you seen their practice field? Where is the women's soccer practice field or softball?
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