As a faculty person in a Div I school in California I can tell you that
you do not need to be Canadian to jump over a better student into college
(for free) .... athletic scholarships, special slots for athletes, etc,
are the rule of the game, and altho most parents don't think about it,
many tax dollars do go to marginal student-athletes over better prepared
students who are not athletes.  Fact of life.  So I am not sure we should
blame the Canadiens.  As long as American universities (with full Div I
programs) treat their athletic programs as a win-at-all-cost business ....
anyone can take advantage of it.
 
BTW  -- IMHO you can thank the lawmakers (at least in CA) in the state
capitol who continue funding for these programs out of taxpayer dollars.
Then again, I have a feeling the general populace of CA would be more
upset if they deleted the UCLA football team compared to getting rid of,
say, the Physics Dept.
 
Just a bit of "happiness" from a 25 year veteran of the professorial wars
who should be content teaching, writing and watching hockey, but sometimes
isn't .....
 
Tony Buffa
RPI '64
Physics Dept
Cal Poly SLO, Home of the worst Div I basketball team this year (perhaps
also the worst in Div II and maybe no better than mediocre Div III) ....
even with athletic scholarships!!
 
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On Thu, 26 Jan 1995, Dylan C Niska wrote:
 
> I'm new to the list, so please excuse my commenting on an issue that
> everyone seems pretty tired with: US players vs. foreign. Many have
> mentioned they don't care who they are watching at their respective
> school, Americans or Canadians.  I'm just curious how they would feel if
> their son lost a scholarship to a division I school because a Canadian got
> it first.  Your son loses a university education, while a Canadian player
> benifits from your tax dollar, which his family didn't contribute to.