Feinstein On Ivy 'Arrogance'

John Feinstein comments about the recent Wall Street Journal article headlined "Can the Ivy League Get Its Game Back?" in today's Washington Post:

The most remarkable part of the story was the arrogant and pretentious quotes from various Ivy League administrators. The prevailing sentiment was this: The Ivies aren't doing better because athletics are beneath them. Perhaps the most telling line of all came from Columbia Athletic Director M. Dianne Murphy. Asked why she opposed the Ivies having a conference basketball tournament the way every other Division I conference does, Murphy said: "It's another week of being out of class. In our league, that matters."

First of all, it isn't a week of being out of class. It might be two days if the tournament was held on a Friday-Saturday-Sunday. Or one day for two teams if it was held on a Saturday-Sunday-Monday. Clearly facts are not required when Ivy League administrators speak.

Then comes the second half of the quote: "In our league, that matters."

Oh, please.

For more, read the story here.

And football doesn't get a free pass as Feinstein writes:

It's even worse in football where the players have no chance to take part in postseason even if they go undefeated. There's no reason for this except for administrators saying, "It's beneath us." You better believe the players wouldn't think it was beneath them.

Green Alert Take: The Wall Street Journal article says that new Ivy League executive director Robin Harris is "planning to go on a listening tour among the schools after she comes aboard in July." She might want to do a little homework and listen to Feinstein before then. The fear, though, is that she'll listen to the Ivy presidents and not the athletes.