Tufts is a Division III school whose sports program will never rival Division I powerhouses like Duke, Michigan, or Florida State no matter how much some of us would like it to. Let's face it, if you wanted to paint your face and go crazy for every basketball game, you went to the wrong school. There are Cameron Crazies, but there may never be Medford Maniacs.
That doesn't mean we can't push our sports teams to build, though. Sports may always take a backseat at Tufts, but that doesn't mean we can't expect our Athletic Department to strive to put the best teams on the courts and make the fields as professional as possible.
It's with this attitude that a new column is born. Every week, this space will be dedicated to telling you the things the Athletic Department, the coaches, the players, and the Administration are doing right and those things that they are doing wrong. If a coach makes a great call, or the Athletic Department puts its funds into worthless programs, it will be printed here.
This column is a first of its kind - one dedicated solely to Tufts sports. And don't think that there isn't enough to talk about. Despite the fact that the Daily covers Tufts sports every day of the week, there are issues and decisions that we may write about but not comment on. That changes now.
Athletics at Tufts affects everyone. It's not just about the football or sailing teams. Varsity sports is just one aspect of the Athletic Department, and while these sports get the most coverage, they're not the only things that impact us as students. The Athletic Department is also in charge of club and intramural sports, though they get much less recognition. Throw in health and fitness issues, and now athletics at Tufts includes almost everyone.
These columns, like regular coverage in the Daily, will neither tear apart nor cheerlead for sports at Tufts. Tearing them down is unfair to the athletes that are competing merely for the love of the game, and cheerleading is the job of the Athletic Department. Rather, it is a tool to question decisions the Athletic Department makes. I do not intend to dump on players or coaches for moves made in games. Rather, this is meant to analyze events that occurred in big games.
For too long, the Athletic Department has had the freedom to act without scrutiny. Unlike the Senate or the administration, whose every moves are dissected to their fibers, the decision-makers in the sports world at Tufts have had free reign. This is not to say they've done a poor job; on the contrary, given the limited budget and attention it receives, the Athletic Department works hard to produce a quality product. However, it is time that certain actions are commented upon.
In the coming weeks, this column will discuss the job security of Tufts coaches, the lack of investment in intramural sports, and the new basketball court. In some way, these and other actions of the Athletic Department play a role, albeit a small one, in the grand scheme of things, in our campus lives. Maybe you're a Tufts athlete who can't schedule classes because of practice. Maybe you like to work out but can't get machines because the gym's too busy. Maybe you play intramural basketball like me and get fed up of playing only six, disorganized, referee-less regular season games. Either way, the decisions coming down from the Athletic Department affect you, which means that this column will as well.
And if I'm promising a column that affects you, it also means I want to hear from you. I don't pretend to know everything that is going on in the Athletic Department. If you have problems, compliments, or thoughts on any matter relating to sports at Tufts, send an email to jonjapha@hotmail.com. This is now your easiest way to get a matter heard and discussed.
This column is neither radical nor negative. Instead it is necessary and questioning. The Athletic Department needs someone to question the decisions it makes. It needs someone to ask questions, to analyze actions, and start a debate. Finally, the Athletic Department needs a compliment when one is due. Tufts sports are often times competitive, and almost always exciting, both commendable feats given the lack of funds and interest.
So what do I hope to accomplish by writing this? It's neither commendation nor notoriety. I know that there are problems in the world of Tufts sports that need to be fixed. I am not na??ve enough to believe that one column can do all the fixing. Rather, I hope that this column presents the debate to you. That's when the mending of problems can begin.
I'll miss some issues occasionally, but hopefully, every week you'll be able to find something in this space that makes you think twice about what's happening in the sports closest to home. We may never cheer for our teams during March Madness or the Orange Bowl, but that doesn't mean we can't expect greatness. Most of us here are either sports fans, athletes, interested in fitness, or a combination of the three, and we deserve to know what Tufts is doing to cater to those needs.
From now on, we will.
