1/28/2010

Duquesne blows it

How is it that an institution of educated individuals can be so clueless about handling difficult athletic situations? Duquesne University decided to cut four men's athletic programs, including wrestling, then tried to call it a retrenching.
Please try not to insult our intelligence when dealing with such unpleasant moves. Wrestling fans, in particular, are not falling for this crap because they've seen it happen before.
This was nothing more than an effort to come into compliance with Title IX, the civil rights legislation that requires an equal footing for men and women who participate in college athletics. Unfortunately, no one won with Duquesne's situation.
Male athletes were dealt a blow with the loss of swimming, baseball, golf and wrestling. Those athletes will most likely transfer to other programs after this school year. The coaches have little choice but to leave, too.
Women gain nothing other than a slight increase in funding from the revenue saved by cutting the men's sports. It's not a great day for Title IX advocates because the university's sleight of hand does not benefit women or women's programs.
Ah, but here's the rub. Duquesne has dramatically increased the percentage of women participating in athletics without the school having to add any programs. That's because there are fewer male athletes. Let's pop the cork on that, huh?
It's addition through subtraction, and that's not the intent of the legislation.
Of course, Duquesne handled this poorly, using a press release to make the announcement. How cold. If the university is going to squash the dreams of a hundred athletes, it could at least try be more compassionate. Put a live person in front of the microphone for a little gruel and sympathy.
Again, you are dealing with academicians, not public relation experts. They rarely get it right. Their reaction was to say nothing.
Athletic director Greg Amodio should have made himself available to the press, the athletes who were getting their dreams destroyed and the coaches whose careers were disintegrating. When he finally did comment, it was two days after a chorus of criticism streamed down from the media.
Just once, I would to see an administrator come out and say what everyone knows. "Look, we don't like cutting these programs but we want to help our other programs survive and we want to be in compliance with Title IX because we feel it's important."
That would be the smart thing to do.
And that's exactly why it would never occur to Duquesne's administration that this would be the best way to handle this.

39 Comments:

Anonymous Tony said...

It is a real shame that Duquesne has done this. I remember when Cal U dropped their wrestling program in 1995. It is a lose lose situation when it happens.

Friday, January 29, 2010 12:15:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Joe, did you wrestle a match in your life? I'm starting to question your abilities in your Newspaper job. Maybe the O-R blew in when they hired you. I mean, you have been very critical of the wpial for their team tournament now you're criticizing the president and board of directors at a major university for a financial decision that you have no idea about.

Friday, January 29, 2010 12:30:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think the above post is a joke.
Has to be.
This team tourney is stupid. Take FC for example. It is going to be 5 weeks between sleepy Guidi's last match and indv. sections. Is that good?

Friday, January 29, 2010 12:31:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Financial Decisions of a University: I can tell you a story that is absolutely true about Indiana State University - 1986. Yes, where the Great Bruce Baumgartner wrestled in college. They cut the program that year. Many people were upset when it was found out that the entire wrestling budget was 50% less in total cost to a single trip the University President and his entourage took to China that year. I am sure that trip was very valuable to the university. There are numerous ways to cut costs at colleges. Too bad the first place to look is the student benefits instead of the faculty’s.

Friday, January 29, 2010 3:37:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's not the team tourny that's bad. It's the fact these schools arn't allowed to schedual matches up until sections. They should have a non-invited team tourney for the teams who don't make the team tourny we could call it the NITT(just joking). Seriously, this is what I was saying about wrestling being a dying sport in an earlier post. Schools need to make money from the sport to sustain it and when you take out the team factor and make it individualized then the schools are no longer going to want to carry the programs. When Cal U lost their program I feel it hurt that area for wrestling. We need to get people interested in wrestling again and soon.

Saturday, January 30, 2010 2:48:00 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

We always hear about dying wrestling programs and we always come up with plenty of reasons why the programs are fading away. My thoughts are that kids may not be interested in wrestling because it's just too much hard work. Many kids are just too lazy to compete. They become spoiled at a very young age because if they whine a little, mommy and daddy will buy them that car, video game, cell phone, etc. Why go out and bleed, sweat and generally work their butt off when they already have everything they will ever want or need and all they ever have to do to get it is pout a little. Sure beats working.

hvk82abn

Saturday, January 30, 2010 10:10:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with Vince. Our entire society in general is lazy and fat.

Saturday, January 30, 2010 12:27:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

how do we get a slap at guidi on an article about duquesne?

Monday, February 01, 2010 8:15:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I heard Guidi is the newest member of the Jersey Shore cast. He would calm them down and put them to sleep. Not good for the show in my opinion.


Thoughts?

Monday, February 01, 2010 10:02:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

my thoughts are you are an idiot! Why come on here and trash a kid. Sam is a very accomplished wrestler, top ranked in the wpial at 160 and all you can say about him is he puts you to sleep! He's one of my boys, always will be so back off!

Monday, February 01, 2010 2:00:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

that jersey shore show guy is a real wack job. he really has it out for sam. why?

Monday, February 01, 2010 2:26:00 PM  
Anonymous valerie said...

It's really sad when some "academicians" get involved in sports because they sound so darn smart... (Did anyone notice that Columbia and Harvard grad Obama could hardly get the baseball over the plate in the opener, I could'nt imagine him getting a hit in football even though he's probably the size of Plexico Burris) proving my point about some members of the academic community, they want power because their jealous of the men they wish they could be. However this is not the rule, as we are all aware that their are some of the most intelligent sports driven individuals in the world both on and around the field. For the feminists that more than likely drafted Title IX, maybe they should impose their sanctions on the men in the taliban....

Monday, February 01, 2010 2:26:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I bet Guiddi has a serious fist pump...I would love to see him 'beat up... the beat'.

Monday, February 01, 2010 3:17:00 PM  
Blogger Greg said...

Joe, I think this is a very well written article. People are afraid to stand up to the BS Title IX. It is slowly ruining wrestling all across america

Monday, February 01, 2010 4:34:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Instead of Sammy the Bull we can call him Sambien.

Sambien Guidi.
He is better than a sleeping pill.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010 1:49:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Instead of anonymous against sam wil call you soft sissy sucker sucking sammys ass. man he must have really beat your butt really bad. or just one pointed you to "sleep" as you say. either way you were beaten. take your whoppins like a man soft sissy guy.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010 2:14:00 PM  
Anonymous soft sucker Sambien said...

Didn't he quit football?

Tuesday, February 02, 2010 3:35:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I defended Sam earlier but I have to admit the "Sambien" thing was funny. Seriously though, you need to stop this stuff on Sam. He's a good kid. Yes he quit football but that doesn't make him less of a man.

Wednesday, February 03, 2010 7:38:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

He's 5' 6" 160lbs and wrestling is his future. I know 215 pounders and heavyweights who don't play football. as far as less of a man he's still a kid so lay off with all this sleepy crap and sambien bull.

Wednesday, February 03, 2010 9:17:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sammy is 5 foot 6.
The newest member of the Jersey Shore cast and he has a new nickname.
What a week for Sammy.

'The city never sleeps better slip you a Sambien'

Wednesday, February 03, 2010 3:31:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Primrose to Midway got you feeling like a Champion, in the city that never sleeps better slip you a Sambien"

Jay Z remake---

Wednesday, February 03, 2010 3:51:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, Sambien is great! I was having trouble sleeping, and I watched one of Sambien's matches and bam! I was asleep in no time. I hear that they are going to start sending tapes of his matches to all of the daycare's in the area to help the kids to fall asleep. They better watch though, it might put some of the employees asleep as well.

Bart Simpson

Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:04:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would seriously love to see Sam put you to sleep! It's getting over the top now.

Seriously, put you name on here and I'm sure the match can be arranged--if you have the guts, you coward who hides behind a computer screen!

Thursday, February 04, 2010 8:43:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sam already beat this guys kid and yes it was a close match but thats how the match went. I know this guy and he does this crap all the time. I am going to out this sambien guy and post his real name.
check back after he posts again .

Thursday, February 04, 2010 2:31:00 PM  
Blogger Greg said...

Why did this comment section change to something totally irrelevant? Why not get back to the Title IX issue

Thursday, February 04, 2010 2:44:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you can post my name on here, my son will wrestle Guidi and Keifer at the same time and I will wrestle their fathers at the same time, and both, my son and I will win. I'm sure I will catch a nice nap before I wrestle though, while Guidi lulls me to sleep.




Bart Simpson

Thursday, February 04, 2010 9:17:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

wow, this guy is a real tool. PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE post your name. I know both of their fathers. You would be in for a long 20 seconds bud!

Friday, February 05, 2010 9:22:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

we are talking about duquesne!!! nobody cares about sam guidi or anyone that has a problem with him. this is about duquesne wrestling! post your comments somewhere else.

Friday, February 05, 2010 9:50:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ah hey, no one has mentioned Duquesne wrestling since the first couple posts brainiac. Blogs take on a life of their own--deal with it. Take your crying and complaining somewhere else if you don't like it.

Friday, February 05, 2010 10:29:00 AM  
Blogger Greg said...

well if your not going to stick to the theme of the post why don't you take your baby fight someplace else and let people who actually care about the sport discuss the topic that was meant to be discussed.

Friday, February 05, 2010 10:35:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Excuse me there Gregory but I wasn't talking to you. And in case you haven't noticed, we are talking about the sport and defending a kid that some idiot is trashing on here. I'm not about to let that happen without defending him. Go back to your job now. The fries are burning!

Friday, February 05, 2010 12:33:00 PM  
Anonymous satoryo said...

At least he has a job, you seem to have extensive amounts of time on your hands.

Friday, February 05, 2010 12:38:00 PM  
Blogger Greg said...

hahah thank you.. I was just about to write the same thing....I will go back to using my college degree.....Thanks....way to be anonymous

Friday, February 05, 2010 12:40:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bart Simpson,

You don't know how to wrestle you idiot so why say that. You never wrestled a day in your life. Your kid is 10 times better than you. He's a good wrestler but you stink.

Friday, February 05, 2010 1:28:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I heard The Sambien Guiddi was going to wrestle The Situation on the next season of the Jersey Shore.....
It would probably be a 1-0 rideout victory. There would be some serious tie - ups but The Sambien would take top in the rideout and lay on the sleeping Situation.
This is fun...

Friday, February 05, 2010 1:58:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

sam always takes top in the rideout. you have two choices get out for the win or stay ridden for the loss. as we can see from your posts we know you stayed ridden and was put to sleep by sam the sambien.

You are right.. This is fun...

Friday, February 05, 2010 3:26:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh now I know who you are Gregory! Ya, you're the guy named Gregory that graduated from college! Way to be notorious, idiot!

Friday, February 05, 2010 5:45:00 PM  
Blogger Greg said...

not sure why your calling me an idiot, I was just trying to point out that this is an article on Title IX and people seem to want to use it as a forum for a completely different subject.....Glad to know you think my name is Gregory...not sure where you got that one from....

Friday, February 05, 2010 5:48:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

wrestling is a lost sport and its being replaced with ufc and mma. duquesne will now put money into football and basketball. who cares about wrestling anyway.

Monday, February 08, 2010 10:29:00 AM  

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