tamara swenson
L double play
Emerald photo
Bill Ballester
You’ve burned the midnight oil and cracked
more books than you care to remember. The
work is done. The papers are in. So now
you take a refresher course. The subject: ice
cold Dos Equis beer. The Uncommon Import
Study a frosty glass. You’ll learn it has a
It’s been nearly a week since
the athletic department hatchet
job. Athletics started the day
with 20 sports, 10 men’s and 10
women’s, but long before noon
the number had dropped
dramatically.
Men’s baseball and
gymnastics, women’s golf and
soccer were on their way out.
Two administrative positions
were eliminated. Salaries were
sliced. But, as ordered, the ath
letic department had cut nearly
$1 million from its budget.
No one is pleased with the
reduction in the budget,
especially elimination of sports,
but it exists. And at this point,
little can be done to change the
entire package.
However, the fight isn’t over
yet.
Men’s gymnastics coach Bill
Ballester has sounded the call
to battle. “I hate to see the
University set this kind of
precedent. These kids have
proved themselves as the top in
the nation, they’re good
students and good athletes.
And we cut their program as a
reward.”
After five years in the top five
nationally, Oregon’s gymnastics
program is defunct. "I’m not
fighting it for me,” Ballester
said. “I'm fighting for these
kids."
But it will have to be a short,
quick fight.
Monday, Ballester began the
long and arduous process of
finding schools for the
gymnasts. ‘‘These kids don’t
have the weeks it may take to
find funding to keep the pro
gram.” But he is sure the fund
ing is there.
The gymnastics team spent
REFRESHER COURSE.
rich, amber color unlike any beer. Now test
that big, bold flavor. You’ve got to admit,
Dos Equis is in a class all by itself.
mmm
DOS EQUIS
1W UNCOMMON MPORl
Amber and Special Lager
$51,995 this season, with an
other chunk going to Ballester’s
salary. Nearly $30,000 of the
teams expenditures were for
grants-in-aid. The University
has promised to honor those
scholarships because of a
“moral obligation” for one more
year — if the gymnasts choose
to stay at Oregon.
Ballester would like to ensure
that they do stay. And that there
is a program for them to com
pete in.
So $30,000 is already bud
geted next year to cover a
defunct program.
Ballester has offered to coach
without a salary next year,
provided the University will let
him earn money promoting
gymnastic events. The athletic
department could set what it
thinks is a reasonable amount
for gate receipts and let Balles
ter keep the rest.
Chancy. Foolhardy. But wor
kable.
The University is committed to
the scholarships, and Ballester
is willing to work for next to
nothing — so only $20,000 dol
lars has to be raised.
University Pres. Paul Olum
said he is willing to recognize
the program if it can fund itself.
Off hand, I don’t know anyone
with $20,000 they need to give
away to a tax-deductible insti
tution, but the money exists
somewhere.
“With $20,000 we would con
tinue to be a great gymnastics
program," said Ballester. "We
can make that money go a long
way." But Ballester isn’t willing
to wait a long time. The
gymnastics world continues,
while Oregon athletes search
for a new home.
Over the past 10 years, more
than $500,000 have been
poured into gymnastics to make
it a national-caliber program.
Cutting any sport is unwel
come. But cutting a
national-caliber program for
want of $20,000 is deplorable.
“We’ve already accom
plished what they want the other
programs to do," said Ballester.
“We’re the most successful
program on campus.” The
Ducks have a 132-20 win-loss
record under Ballester, the best
percentage of any current
Oregon coach.
Certainly the money exists
somewhere.
Hours 11:00-6:00
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with purchase of
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or $2.00 Hamburger order.
Ya’all Come On Now!
Say you heard it
in the Emerald