DeOssie Isn't "The Ivy League's Only Prospect"

Bloomberg.com has a story about Brown's Zak DeOssie headlined, "NFL Scouting 'Meat Market' Tests Ivy League's Only Prospect." It's worthwhile reading although I've got a number of quibbles with the story, not the least of which is the headline. DeOssie may be the only Ivy Leaguer at the NFL Combine, but he's hardly the only prospect coming out of the league this year. I'm not going to toss out a list of names, but one that begs to be mentioned is Harvard tailback Clifton Dawson. ... From the story:

While the Ivy League produces "a scattering of one or two prospects every year,'' young men of DeOssie's size and talent often accept scholarships to premiere football colleges, said Gil Brandt, former director of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys.

"Guys that go to the Ivy League are people whose plans in life are to be ultra-successful in some other field besides football,'' Brandt said.

Having been around an awful lot of Ivy League football players, I'd agree with part of what Brandt says. Ivy League football players truly are interested in being "ultra-succcessful in some other field besides football." But hard as it may be for some people to believe, there are any number of players who come into the Ivy League devoted to the goal of going on to pro football. Those are the kids Buddy Teevens is trying to recruit to Dartmouth these days: Players who want to be ultra-successful in school/business and want to take their football careers as far as they can. I think Brandt is selling a lot of Ivy League student-athletes short.

The mascot issue is getting a lot of play not only at Dartmouth, but elsewhere. Locally, the Daily Dartmouth reports:

An open meeting about the College's position on athletic competition against schools that use Native American symbols drew students, faculty, administrators and alumni into a heated debate about potential new policies on Thursday.

Ironically, while a North Dakota columnist is suggesting the time has come for UND to give up the Fighting Sioux name, the University of Minnesota may be rethinking the policy that is supposed to keep the Gophers from scheduling teams with names like the Fighting Sioux according to this Star Tribune story.

The new FieldTurf and lights at Harvard Stadium have attracted a new tenant: a Major League Lacrosse team. It will be the first time a pro team has called Harvard's historic landmark home since the Boston Patriots played their 37 years ago according to this story in the Harvard Crimson.

With the Heps indoor track championships upon us, the Princetonian has a feature on Tiger sprinter/wide receiver Brian Shields.

Sports Illustrated chimes in on the possibility of the Ivy League starting a postseason tournament in basketball. Ivy football fans should be watching this issue closely because it would be an indication that the presidents are actually willing to listen to their athletic directors, coaches and athletes.

Speaking of basketball, the Dartmouth men's team will be trying to make history tonight at Leede Arena. With a win over Princeton a couple of weeks ago in New Jersey, the Big Green can complete its first season sweep of the perennial Ivy League powerhouse since the 1945-46 season ... if it can get by the Tigers this evening.