EDITORIAL
Dumb idea doesn’t
equal crime in case
Is stupidity a crime? That apparently is the case former
Oregon’s men's basketball coach Don Monson is trying
to make in his lawsuit against the University Monson
argues that being re-assigned to be men’s golf coach and
then compliance coordinator for NCAA rules and regu
lations was a breach of contract because, essentially, it
was a dumb idea that made no sense.
Monson is seeking $425,788 in damages — $204,722
in direct wages and benefits and $221,066 in lost income
from outside contracts _
T ho later income is no! a
valid issue because the Uni
versity bears no responsi
bility for what is by its very
name an "outside contract."
To say otherwise would log
ically mean that the Chica
go Bulls would be respon
sible for Michael Jordan’s
contract with Nike.
Becoming Oregon's head
basketball coach provides
an opportunity for television
and shoe contracts. The
University made Monson
aware of this when ho was
The University
probably would
have been better
off assigning
Monson to a real
position for
which he was
qualified or
negotiated a
contract
settlement.
hi rod in 1983, but as an .—
opportunity for additional
out suit* income not as a guarantee Nowhere in Mon
son’s contract did the University promise any outside
income.
Monson is also suing the t Jniversity lor lost wages and
benefits from his coaching contract. The University coun
ters that it re assigned Monson to other positions in the
University, first as men’s golf coach and then as NCAA
compliance officer Monson apparonth didn't have much
enthusiasm for these assignments because he never
showed up. It is understandable that Monson, who had
been a basketball coac h for J4 years, wouldn't want to be
a golf coach. It was an absurd idea ior Monson to become
head coach and instructor of a sport with which he has
no coaching or instructing experience.
However, Monson‘s contract, which he signed, said,
"The position as offered is subject to ... State adminis
trative rules." Oregon Administrative Rules say "per
sonnel may be transferred or reassigned within an insti
tution in accordance with the staff needs of the institution
or other units." Did the University honor its contract oblig
ations with Monson? Yes.
The University probably would have boon better off
assigning Monson to a real position for which he was
qualified or negotiated a contract settlement. Or look
ing farther bac k, the University shouldn’t have extended
Monson’s contract during a disappointing season when
that was the reason he was fired just two months later.
However, the University had every right to sign Mon
son and then make him Oregon's golf coach. It doesn't
mattor from a loga! standpoint whether Monson would
have been a qualified golf coach or NCAA compliance
officor. The University is not required to cio a good job or
mako sound decisions. Where would government bo if
public institutions were held to such a hiRh standard?
The University, and the athletic department in par
ticular. may have treated Monson poorly — but within
the contraci. Monson understood, or should have under
stood. the contract when he signod it. Ignorance of the
law is no defense, but ignorance isn’t a crime either.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
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OPINION
Twenty-eight ways to say failure
Write
Angles
De n Pete's
0
My handy-dandy Roget s The
saurus has a full page of syn
onyms fortho word "failure," and
1 plan to us« a whole bunch of
tint to describe what happened
in the Oregon House of Repre
sentatives las! week.
They 'll la- the ones in italics.
Oh, by the way. for those of
you who haven't been paying
attention to state politics. Friday
wasn't what you could call a
good day to be a legislator
First off. the governor bodys
lams your operating budget bill,
telling lawmakers to take a big
ger bite off of their own funding
before slicing other state budgets
Scmwtip No. t.
Then came the grand master of
fiascos, the collapse of House Hill
2500 — the accompaniment bill
to the recently passed sales t„ s
measure
Here's the scene. The House
approves HJK 10 and sends it to
the Senate HJR 10 would, pend
ing voter approval in November,
create a constitutional amend
ment detailing a 5 percent sales
tax to raise more money.
OK. They pass H|R 10. All that
remains is to push the operating
bill (HH 2500) through the House,
wait out the Senate hearings,
hash out a compromise in the
conference committee and then,
most likely, watch the proposal
fall to ruin and grie/ at the hands
of the voters. After all, sales tax
measures are about as popular us
Mapplethorpe photos at an OCA
convention.
But at least they would have
tried, right? Legislators could
point to the foundered measure
and sav. "We did all we could."
If nothing else. a fm e-viving pla\
So what happens1’ They put
Hit 2500 on the floor, and it
bombed. Went down to a 34-26
defeat.
Like I said, (Kips Now. the Sen■
ate will have hearings on an all
hut worthless hill.
The debacle was a result of
both parties House leadership
not paying dose attention in the
caucus meetings The sales tax
was a compromise between the
parties And with HB 2500, both
parties assumed the other would
crack the whip and ensure a
majority
Well, heh hell, a funny thing
happened on the way to the vote
Nobody bothered to count heads
The 2f> ves votes came from I i
Republicans and 13 Domex rats
Kqual credit and equal blame all
around
Cmon folks This is the kind
of blooper we columnists live for
At least make us work to make
fun of you This is too easy —
like deer hunting with an Uzi
I see Friday's unsuccessful
effort as one of three things
• The House leadership want
ed the bill to fail, bringing it in
on tin* floor to wreck it Possible,
but unlikely, given their support
of the earlier measure. Too
Machiavellian even for Repub
licans
• Both sides violated the rule
of making sure you got enough
vexes before you bring something
to the floor legislative surprises
usually result in higher blood
pressure and constituent laugh
ter
• Obstinacy on the part of the
party caucuses, wanting the oth
er side to provide the majority for
Like I said, oops.
Now, the Senate
will have hearings
on an aii-but
worthless bill.
what will probably l>ean unpop
ular bill. If that's the cast?, in
searching to screw the other guy,
the parties mode n mess of
things
Personally. I go for option No
2 During a legislative session
that's gone on longer than the
Jurassic period, it's no wonder
lawmakers are wearv and prone
to errors . flops and floundering
Though I sympathize and sup
port the need for a sales tax, Capi
tol residents must realize such
proposals are like rolling the
stone of Sisyphus (I like this one),
pushing the rock up to the top of
the hill only to watch voters toss
it back down
So unless lawmakers ran puli
something off. the da\ s of pon
dering and pounding the dusk
over the sales tax have come to
nothing, ended in smoke and
gone bankrupt The House took
a wrong turn Friday, and when
the doors are finally closed on
this session, the success of such
things as the health care plan will
be forgotten in face of the obvi
ous malfunctions, rebuffs and
drubbings.
What a shame.
Don Peters is a columnist for
the Emerald.
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