Dear Editor,
I commend those who carried the goalposts and heaved the pipe into the Cumberland River. When this happens at Tennessee, the Cumberland is around the corner from the stadium, not three miles down Broadway. I wish it had been done in ’69, but then Alabama was not No. 1.
The participants are to be congratulated for their enthusiasm and energy, not castigated or penalized for some disciplinary infraction. If the university tries to identify them, will it use facial recognition software? Will they have a full hearing before a disciplinary board? Will the administration create some rump court or conduct Star Chamber proceedings?
There are so many ways for the administration to foul up: just declare a truce and let the malefactors be. The school should not dare to ask me for donations if they pursue the punishment course.
Just congratulate the hardy souls who executed the trek, and let it blowover. They could even give the sliced/diced goalpost to the team members, the marching band, the coaching staff and the cheerleaders. There are so many ways for this to be a great result.
A little reward and recognition for their hard work will go a long way to boosting enthusiasm.
Sincerely,
Larkin Matthews ‘70
bfrank • Oct 18, 2024 at 7:07 am CDT
Totally agree. The Administration should not be trying to figure out how to punish these students, but instead should be sharing in the exuberant joy that they felt and were expressing. A verbal scolding makes sense, pursuing actual punishments seems cold and cruel. And, yes, the absurd idea that the Administration is going to somehow identify and investigate who of the hundreds of students?? If it was a “bad” thing to do, why is the Administration slicing up the goal post and auctioning it off?