Larry Winer reported: << When I made my original comments about my novel concept that American colleges should primarily be about educating Americans and secondarily providing athletic opportunities for Americans- I was besieged with indignant e-mail. >> I find it encouraging when anyone broaches the question of whether college athletics are justified in their current form. A serious and responsible discussion of "The Proper Role of Athletics in Higher Education" is something I've wanted to see for a long time. I have no realistic idea where one could find that. Testosterone-crazed sports boards don't offer much. I also doubt that any college president with a successful sports program and contributing alumni would touch that subject responsibly with a twelve-foot pole. I think it would be a good off-season discussion item for HOCKEY-L and I'd eagerly welcome the sharing of others' thoughts. I've tried organizing my own and merely discovered logic holier than swiss cheese. I don't know whether HOCKEY-L was intended for weighty philosophical issues, but I find it hard to address many typical HOCKEY-L issues (like the proper guidelines for NCAA tournament seedings or whether college sports is controlled by the NCAA or the NC$$) without enunciating what the basic objectives of college sports should be, as opposed to what they may be. Considering the intellect and sense of responsibility that are regularly evident on this list, HOCKEY-L may be the last great hope for purifying college sports and fighting crime in Gotham City. I have eager cyber-ears for thoughts expressed on the former. Bob Griebel Michigan '67 HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.