Brookfield Basics

On Tuesday October 17, Donna Shalala, President of the University of Miami and Ex-Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, held a press conference to address the aftermath of the Miami vs. Florida Inernational University football game played on October 14. She opened her statement with that famous line of Harry Truman's, saying "the buck stops here". Truman backed up those mighty words with his heartland-bred courage. Unfortunately for the state of American academics and athletics, Ms. Shalala lacks the fortitude of "Give 'em Hell Harry", and by her actions, made it clear that the buck does not even slow down at her office.

I will not comment in detail on the ugly incident that erupted in the middle of the game. Those of you that saw it don't need it recounted. For those who did not, the thin veneer of civilization that has long been peeling off the University of Miami's football program was pulled off in one violent jerk, exposing it for what it is: a collection of self-involved thugs, whose coaches long ago disgraced their responsibilities. My comments are being directed at Miami and Ms. Shalala because, while the actions of the players of FIU were equally inexcusable, that University's coach and Administrators reacted with courage and leaderhsip.

The entire tone of Ms. Shalala's conference was one of smug self-righteousness, as she took obvious pride in "refusing to throw our great kids under the bus", and in chiding the media for its "feeding frenzy".

YO - Donna! It's not about the media. It's about the student-athletes and WHAT THEY DID. Instead of assuming the mantle of leadership her high office would seemingly bestow, she instead chose to chastise anyone who would dare suggest that the punks her University trots out on to the field each week needed a punishment greater than the gratuitous one-game suspensions she dispensed to all but the most egregious offender. With her every word she demonstrated that any of us who might feel differently are simply unenlightened bumpkins, and that it was her job to get us to see a higher way, rather than tend to the obvious task of adequately disciplining those involved.

Five years ago I made a prediction to a good friend of mine. I suggested that within the period of the next TEN years, we would witness a death at a US sporting event, resulting from violence directly associated with the game itself. While I obviously hope to be proven wrong, the incident of October 14, and Ms. Shalala's pathetically inadequate response to it, give me no reason to retract that prediction.

We do not come to such a place in large, easily recognizable steps. We instead proceed down a slippery slope, where the descent into a coarse and violent culture occurs in small steps, over many years. And like the proverbial frog in the slowly heated pot of water, we become insensitive to our peril, until one day while staring blankly at our TV screens, we see violent thugs running around a football field, wantonly spreading mayhem and destruction in their wake. We ask ourselves, "how did we ever get to this point"? There are many reasons, but chief amongst them is an abysmal failure of leadership on the part of people WHO OUGHT TO KNOW BETTER.

Ms. Shalala may serve as the head of a prominent American University. And she may have worked ninety miles away from our community, serving as the head of the University of Wisconsin.

But in my view, she is no educator.