We received the following comment from “Leonard” on our post about new basketball coach, Craig Robinson.

Come on give me a break.

You OSU fans no[SIC] full well, that if every player graduates with a 4.0 and the basketball team doesn’t win a PAC-10 title or make it to an NCAA Tournament within the next 4 years you’ll all be ready to fire this guy.

JUST WIN COACH. In fact win…then get out of town before they don’t like you anymore

My real quibble with Leonard’s argument is that he is insistent on separating athletic and academic achievement. Look at the most successful coaches in the history of college basketball: John Wooden, Ralph Miller, Mike Krzyzewski and Bobby Knight. Would you really argue that it’s coincidental that those gentlemen also HEAVILY emphasize academics and graduation as key cogs in their programs?

I would argue the inverse of Leonard’s statement, that a combination of high academic and athletic achievement is crucial because a combination of both is the only way to ensure sustainable excellence.

Thanks for your comment, Leonard. The Blog would love hear your thoughts. Do you agree with Leonard that academics don’t and shouldn’t ultimately matter in collegiate athletics? Hit us up with your comments on this issue!
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On an OSU athletics related note: The OSU Gymnastics team brought home the NCAA West Regional Championship this weekend at Legendary Gill Coliseum.

From CSTV.com:

The Beavers put up a solid performance Saturday night at the NCAA West Regional Championship in Gill Coliseum. It marked the Beavers’ first regional victory since 1992. Competing against six other teams, Oregon State came out on top with a team score of 197.1. Coming in second, and also qualifying for Nationals was Michigan, posting a 196.375.

Referencing the conversation above, the OSU Gymnastics program is one of the top programs academically in the Pac-10.

GO BEAVS!

That’s all for now! Don’t forget to leave us your comments and discussion.

-jm