08-26-2020, 12:08 PM
While I don't agree with many of Ms. Li's characterizations or conclusions, I appreciate her willingness to speak out. When it comes to support for college athletics, the CardBoard is an echo chamber (one that I deeply value). But there are plenty of folks--I met some during my time at Stanford--whose attitudes about college athletics and Olympic sports range from apathetic to negative. That's how they roll. I don't really see the point in trying to tear down their narrative, though. I would rather, as many folks do here, point out the value of collegiate/Olympic sports--and Stanford's contributions--to society.
If there's one thing people have learned in Berkeley, it's that you can't put "Cal football" and "Rose Bowl" in the same sentence. The words just don't fit. You'd be better off linking "covered wagons" with "Mars travel." (Bruce Jenkins, Cal '70, SF Chronicle, Nov. 11, 2017)