RUSportCuts.org
I just finished the framework for the RUSportCuts.org advocacy website. It desperately needs conent from the individual teams. It includes a discussion forum so that members of each community can come and talk about their efforts. I really hope that it gets some exposure. I have called out to the athletes to tell their communities about it so that we have a unified voice. I feel that a unified voice is really important in a campaign such as this.
September 23rd, 2006 at 6:37 pm
I was the manager of the RU Fencing Team from 1960 until 1990 and saw these threats many times over the years. It was entirely political and still is. The intention here is not to save money because our team and the other 5 cost peanuts compared to the entire Athletic Department budget. The intent is to make headlines by screaming that 6 sports were cut. The politicians are very careful not to attack any sport with representation on the Board or in Trenton. I hope you can organize enough interest in the alumni team members to complain about this decision. Fencers were always among the top academic students and many became lawyers, doctors, bankers, and professionals. The sport was one of the original sports of Rugets College and has been amongst the top collegiate Fencing teams for decades. The sport was in many years the only one to produce a good record as attempts were made to promote the athletic program to a more national level and produced disastrous season results. Rutgers always competed with the top of competition and turned in respectable results without massive infusions of scholarships or recruiting costs. Since I saw the team budget for about 20 of my 30 years, I know that more was spent on keeping the stadium turf green for summer football practice then was spent on all of our equipment and travels. The amount paid to any junior coachs was a joke so I repeat - its not money but politics and only politics will reverse this bogus decision.