The one really great thing that (retired Dartmouth President Jim Wright) left me was that from here on out, the football team only can get better. (Laughter) And Jim pointed that out to me. (Laughter) Jim said, "You know the biggest thing I am doing for you is having an 0-10 season, so anything you do, it's all yours buddy." (Laughter) So he's that thoughtful of a man, Jim Wright. (Laughter)Green Alert Take: It is clear Kim, a former high school quarterback, has done his homework. And it sounds as if he values winning. The quote, "I got something to prove," was hilarious, particularly with the way he said it.
You know, football is something that I've been passionate about since I was a very young kid. And Buddy (Teevens) is one of the great heroes in the Dartmouth tradition. And I am very excited about what we can do together.
I think a lot of freshmen and sophomores played last year. I think that putting a lot of freshmen and sophomores on the field is great for the next year.
Now, I plan on being at the first day of practice. And I plan on being out there and encouraging all the other students to be out there to cheer them on.
In my own experience ... . Let me just make a confession. In my senior year in high school we lost all our games, too. (Laughter) So, I got something to prove. (Laughter). But when I was a sophomore and junior we won some football games. I have to tell you, it was the greatest feeling of any sports experience ... to win a football game.
Also, because our most generous donors tell me, "You know, the only score they report in the New York Times is the football score. It doesn't matter that we did so well in baseball and women's basketball."
It's going to be something I pay attention to, but out of joy. I love working with young people. And I hope that we can find a way to execute and win a lot of football games. I can guarantee I'll pay attention to it.
It is open to debate exactly how much a football-friendly Ivy League president can do to help a struggling program win. There can be little debate that an Ivy League president who does not like football can have a negative impact on even the most successful programs. From this clip and from things I've heard around campus from people who have met the new president, I'd put Kim squarely in the "football-friendly" camp.
The guess here is that if President Kim had a do-over on his off-the-cuff remarks, he'd rephrase the bit about, "It doesn't matter that we did so well in baseball and women's basketball." Although I think we all know what he was saying about Dartmouth's two Ivy League championship sports, it's open to misinterpretation.
A blog poster has tossed up 15 of what he considers the funniest college football quotes here. John McKay was coach of the NFL's then-hapless Tampa Bay Bucs when he gave what I think is one of the funniest football quotes of all time. Asked how he felt about his team's execution, McKay cracked, "I'm all for it."
I received an email from someone with Online College Reviews with a link to a list of "10 Reasons an Ivy-League Degree is Overrated." You can discuss them among yourselves, but I'd still be more than happy if That Certain Hanover High School Senior-to-Be ends up at an Ivy League school.
Speaking of which, the Senior-to-Be has been away at camp all summer (except for a couple of quick trips home) as a counselor and the Sophomore-to-Be joined her yesterday for two weeks as a camper. It's gonna be pretty quiet around here.
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