President Hoffman --
First, I'd like to say that you've done an excellent job rebuilding the University's image during your tenure. I was an undergrad in the early 90s, and I really thought the leadership at the time spent too much energy on meaningless political squabbles and not enough on raising the academic profile of the University internationally.
Second, I should come right and say that I'm a strong fan of Colorado football. I watch the games whenever I can out here in Seattle. If I still lived on the Front Range I'd have season tickets and would be in Folsom every home Saturday.
Finally, I believe in the value of my Colorado degree, and I don't like seeing events cast a shadow on the validity of my diploma.
With that said, I would like to address recent events involving the Colorado football program.
I thank you for finally muzzling Coach Barnett. From what has come to me through the national media and the Internet I was getting the impression that he had a foot-in-mouth fetish that he wanted to make sure the world knew about. He has consistently shot his mouth off and has been a detriment to the investigation and the University's appearance in the press. I know you have been the target of much vitriol in the last 48 hours from so-called "fans," but please know that most of us who consider ourselves friends of athletics and academics appreciate your and Chancellor Byyny's actions yesterday evening.
With the suspension issued, though, I would like to urge you to do something you should have done weeks ago -- Hire a PR specialist to manage the university's interactions with the media. There are too many people running around pontificating and telling quarter-truths to any open microphone they can find. Someone needs to be brought in to be the one-and-only media source. These nightmare scenarios are no longer won in courts of law or before ombudsmen, they are won in the court of public opinion. You're losing control of this situation and are reacting when you should be acting. Please bring someone in to handle the spin, for the sake of all of us who love this University.
I am a Colorado football fan, and I want what's best for the program. I don't know how much Gary Barnett knew and how much negligence he may be responsible for, but I urge you to not be hasty with sending him to the gallows. I ask you to make the decision to terminate his position with cold reason and knowledge of the facts rather than with the passion of the masses and the whole story left unknown. Please believe me when I'm saying that I'm not a fan of Barnett. While he has been a master motivator and has led the team to two division championships, he also has made poor decisions on and off the field, even before the current scandals. Still, I would rather the decision whether or not to retain him be one made based on as many facts as can revealed.
In April my wife is due to give birth to our first child, a daughter. When we found out that we were having a girl I said to someone, "Guess I'm getting a kicker and not a quarterback." Now, I worry about what that statement means. If Katie was my daughter and what happened to her was true, the police would still be looking for the bodies of the perpetrators and Barnett would have multiple impressions of my wedding ring permanently embossed on his face. I worry about sending her to Colorado for college in 18 years, even though that will be a generation from now and I remember the overwhelmingly positive experience I had in Boulder. President Hoffman, I don't want to tell her that she shouldn't even consider my alma mater because I'm worried about her safety or a hostile environment for women in sports. Please consider my comments in light of this. You and Chancellor Byyny have done an excellent job extolling the University's academic accomplishments. Please do not fail the Colorado faithful in this dark hour.
Thanks.
Dylan Wilbanks
BA, Environmental Conservation, 1994
Comments
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while i'm sure i'm nowhere near as up on this story as your are ;) i didn't read that this chick got raped because of the sports program... sounded like it was your standard date rape. and, as for being "abused" by the football team... i didn't read anything that sounded out of the ordinary for the animals that make up football teams... football is "marine corp meets hardened stupidity"... so what could you possibly expect? my dad played for U Michigan... i could see a womans perspective on the football team scene possibly being viewed as targeted at her because of her sex...
this always happens when men and women work together. when i worked in restaurants on the line (a very male dominated arena) we'd abuse the living shit out of each other every night... women didn't last long - they took it too personally. does this mean we all have to be polite and act all cautious everytime we mix? i think that'd be a shame.
whatever... rape is fucked up shit and should be taken seriously. but, people wanting to play in arenas outside the norm need to learn to play and not expect special treatment.
the skinny is i think this about two issues. rape and mixed sex activities. i didn't read that those two topics crossed paths in this instince.
Posted by: ben | February 19, 2004 02:05 PM
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I suggest reading up on everything that's gone on in Boulder. It's not pretty. Hell, it'll make your testasterone-filled sous chef days sound like a NOW convention.
Posted by: dw | February 19, 2004 07:36 PM
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Your comments rate a 9.5!
Several perspective points you missed are:
1) CU today has an earned reputation as the #1 party school in the country. Those parties are not of the Pepsi and scrabble variety. They are based on alcohol, sex and all too often drugs. That said Hoffman and Boulder DA Keenan are on thin ice calling the kettle black. Athletics and Barnett's program is probably the cleanest element of the CU/Peoples Republic of Boulder culture.
2) Barnett took over the program in 1999 following Tricky Ricky, the record holder for formal as well as uncharged NCAA violations. Just remember, a recruiter attracts character and morals like his own. Gary was brought in to clean up recruiting etc. However, he also assumed at least 80 of Ricky's recruits not all of whom you would want to date your daughter. Accordingly, despite Barnett's best efforts to immediately change the culture, no one should be surprised when Ms. Hnida was accosted by 5 players the first day of prctice.
3) Technically, Barnett's comments about Ms. Hnida was an answer to a question as to what the team thought about her presence, not what he thought about her being there. Nevertheless, when a reporter is present that has more interest in a story that a correct quote, he would have done better to shut up!
As for Ms. Hnida, she turned out to be marginal as a player at the D-1 level. However, as a high school player she established a reputation as a solid person with character and determination that played the game because she liked it, not because she was out to make a feminist point. Like most other quality high school players she didn't crack the starting line-up her Freshman year at Division-I. And, as a Freshman she was terrible but Barnett made the mistake of being brutally honest.
Posted by: Denver Magic | February 19, 2004 09:29 PM
