Reply to Why would a school place athletics on an equal or even higher footing than academics?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]When did FDR play football?  He went to college around 1900. Besides he was far too handsome and too much of dandy to ever play college football. Maybe you're right but it seems unlikely to me.

Even if he did and even if Ike and Gerry Ford played for West Point and Michigan, the one thing being neglected here is the fact that athletics in those days were single season sports. The players arrived about two weeks before the seasons began and play about 10 football games, 20 basketball games, and about the same number of baseball games. There was no such thing as off-season training in the weight room. After the season was finished the students were off for the next nine months unless they played more than one sport.

Today, college athletes are expected to weight train and condition 12 months a year. Everyone needs to exercise, but from my perspective, unless the kid is so amazing he'll be able to receive a lucrative professional contract off which he'll be able to live comfortably for the rest of his life, well then I think the sacrifice is too great.

Sorry, it seems I have no horse in the race, but I am interested. [/quote]

FDR played football at Groton.  At 5' 3" 105 lbs he wasn't very intimidating or good.  His parents and the faculty worked hard to make sure he wasn't too "privileged."  Here's a picture of FDR and he Groton football team in 1899.

If the image does not work, try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FDR_with_Groton_football_team_Oct._1899.JPG

[img]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FDR_with_Groton_football_team_Oct._1899.JPG[/img][/quote]

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