Greg Gdowski wrote:
>
> What does the Hockey-L think of a Soph (Kariya)... taking off for the NHL
> and not completing their degree. Considering the current situation of
> other players and their eligibility what does this say about Maine...
 
I think it's great for Kariya, and has nothing to do with Maine. People
who think that athletes should pass on multi-million dollar contracts to
finish a couple of years of college to get a degree have lost their sense
of reality.
 
Let me put it this way -- if someone during my sophomore year had offered me a
multimillion dollar contract to do anything (that was legal), I would
have taken the money and left Bowdoin without hesitation.
 
Why should we ask any student-athlete to risk injury and risk losing the
millions of dollars just so we can continue to have this "ideal" of a
student-athlete? As most people realize, the ideal of the student-athlete
left Division I athletics a *long* time ago.
 
Does this mean that education is not important? No. Does this mean that
getting a college degree is not important? No. But if Kariya or anyone
else in his situation wants the education, then it will still be
available. Do you think that Maine will turn its back on Kariya if he
wants to return during the summer or after his NHL career? Of course not
-- institutions of higher education do everything possible to accommodate
millionaire alumni.
 
Remember the average NHL career is less than five years long. Hopefully
Kariya will have a longer and more successful career, but he has to take
the money now. Even if he is injured, his brain will still be able function.
 
If you want the ideal of the "student-athlete" you should look at Division
III -- and even at this level, you have to look closely...
 
 
 
Craig Cheslog
Bowdoin College
Sports Information Director