Nothing compares to spending an afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium watching Badger football. Whether a fan of the sport or not, most find the atmosphere enjoyable. Though the football program brings much to the university, there have been several incidents this year where just the opposite has occurred.
This year, star sophomore running back Anthony Davis was accused of assaulting a female student. After a one-game suspension, Davis took the field and resumed playing. In conjunction with allegations of a recent cheating scandal, the question of whether high profile athletes are held to a different standard than other students arises once again.
This question is nothing new and debate surrounding it will never stop. What must be brought up, however, is the harm that higher ups in the athletic department are doing to the UW by letting such behavior slide.
It is true that nothing generates pride, revenue and interest like a winning sports team, but it is also true that such a team will be remembered as much for their reputation as their production on the field.
Reference the University of Miami championship squads from the late 1980s to early '90s. Though their talent was extraordinary, those who remember watching them better remember their myriad fights, off the field violations and later NCAA sanctions. Are these the ranks Wisconsin aspires to join?
Wisconsin is better than many other programs in that is does publicize many of its mistakes as opposed to covering them up. Though coming forth with their errors is admirable, it means nothing if the errors in question are not corrected.
Athletes are no different than anyone else in that they make mistakes. Instead of letting those guilty of mistakes learn from their errors and move on, the athletic department has been handing out \Get out of jail free"" cards. Without punishment, how are these players expected to learn?
It is na??ve to think that the arrests and cheating scandals surrounding the men of the gridiron were handled with the players' interests in mind. The UW Athletic Department has shown only a selfish desire to keep their money-making football program intact and better able to generate more dollars. It is a paradox how Wisconsin educates these players so well in the classroom, but is so negligent when educating them in life.
Should the football team's expectations be met this coming season, UW may find itself in a public relations quagmire. Already under NCAA sanction, Wisconsin can ill afford to maintain the status quo, as further publicity only brings more scrutiny. With head football coach Barry Alvarez taking over as athletic director, Madison can only wonder whether change is on the horizon.
The university should remember when the next incident occurs that while glory is fleeting, bad reputations linger. There is no honor in a classless victory.
