EDITORIAL
Monson case shows
juries can be flawed
American judicial tradition affords great respect for
juries. The idea of a dozen disparate individuals from
different walks of life coming together to do their civic
duty and render a legally binding decision ... it sends
chills down the patriot's spine.
But the jury that awarded former Oregon basketball
coach Don Monson $300,000 in damages last week proves
the system is not without its flaws.
In the world of Division I basketball, the firing of coach
es who don't get the job done is a common occurrence.
Do you ever wonder why the coaches of high-profile
teams look like they’re about to spontaneously combust
every time their players commit a minor mistake? It's
because they know they can be replaced. And thoy will
be, if the wins stop coming.
Monson enjoyed a period of decidedly lackluster sue
cess at Oregon, which may
or may not have been his
fault, When he was finally
removod from his head
coaching position (and sub
sequently reassigned with
in the athletic department),
it shouldn't have been a
surprise to anyone who fol
lows basketball.
But Monson's lawyer.
Harold Gfllis. argued that
Monson was entitled not
only to the salary that
remained on his contract
extension, but also the
income he would've
received as a side benefit of
his employment as basket
HMonson
couldn't pack 'em
in The Pit
anymore, then
the University
had a
responsibility to
replace him — for
the fans, the
players and the
other athletes.
ball coach — income from Nike, summer basketball
camps and the Oregon Sports Network.
Monson may have been counting on this extra income,
but it was not supported by his written contract with the
University. How then can the University bo held liable
for it?
OK. maybe it wasn't fair to take away Monson's head
coaching job. And maybe it was a Utile on the humili
ating side to be reassigned as golf coach. Well, cry me a
river.
The fundamental truth of major collegiate sports is this:
Winning is everything. Maybo that isn't fair, either, but
that doesn't make it any less true. Other sports depend
on the success of football and men's basketball to sub
sidize them. If Monson couldn't pack 'em in Tho Pit any
more. then the University had a responsibility to replace
him — for the fans, the players and the other athletes.
The jury in this case was obviously not familiar with
the realities of college basketball. Granted. Monson
deserved some compensation for his rather abrupt reas
signment {which no one should have realistically expect
ed him to accept), but $300,000 is excessive. Certain risks
are inherent in being a head baskotball coach at a major
university. Monson had to know that. The jury, howev
er, did not.
Oregon Daily
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LETTERS
Oaks choked
I'd like to comment on the
"Biblical Hull" letter {ODE, Oct.
11) First of ail, if David Oaks
was trying to offend me or any
other Christian, he failed miser
ably. What he did was betray his
own ignorance and prove to us
he has no idea what "rational
investigation" really is.
Ho says he is tolerant of reli
gions His proof7 "My ancestors
in Lithuania practiced a reli
gion,” he said This does not fol
low rationally Oaks'tolerance
has nothing to do with his
ancestors' actual beliefs Niet
zche's father was a Lutheran
pastor; it didn't follow that Niet
zche himself was religiously tol
erant.
Secondly, what he claims is a
"pile of bullshit" may be true or
may not he; those things are a
matter of faith. A religion's
claim of miracles is outside sci
entific investigation. What is
open to rational examination is
the religion's ethics and world
view. Look into those. (By the
way. Christ never claimed to Ihi
drinking his own blood. He
should get his story straight
liefore judging a religion )
1 agree that what happened to
lung Sook |ang is really a crime
— a barbarous subjection to s< i
entific method contrary to all
human dignity. Hut what does
that have to do with Christiani
ty? Oaks himself said she was
brought to "the psychiatric, sys
tem." not to a church.
Further, we all kill Mother
Earth by our wanton consump
tion. not just Christians.
It would be nice if Christians
did not become scapegoats for
evorylnxly's sins.
Matt Fox
Greek
Timber!
It is fascinating to note that
the ludicrous “Option 9" of Bill
Clinton’s is supposed to bail out
the timber workers and mill
owners, yet it never even men
tions the continued export of
raw logs.
This was the real reason
behind the starved mills, not
environmentalists creating the
shortage of logs. Now it turns
out there is only old-growth
ready to cut because they forgot
to replant 40 years ago! [ust
whose fault is this anyway?
Now the whole ecosystem of
ancient trees will have to suffer
and be used for lowly chips and
pulp as well as a little milled
lumber. With this low blow by
our "environmental president,”
enviro-screams will continue.
The cut Clinton wants is
based on the figures of the
insane slaughter of the lOHOs,
which put us into the shape we
are in now. This is "new
forestry science" at work. Every
one is dissatisfied. All this ener
gy and hope wasted over the last
few months of negotiations end
ing in the president's coercion
and blackmail of the environ
mental groups. Some caved in,
some on principal are resisting.
Hilde K. Cherry
Eugene
Superior way
The recent article about head
in parking (ODE, Oct 13) again
underscores the lack of planning
of the public safety department
here at the University.
1 could go on endlessly about
the banal tickets issued and the
debates that have transpired
between myself and various
security officers. That, however,
would be a waste of time. This
is a continuing problem that stu
dents. staff and faculty have had
with the misplaced obsession
that security has with painfully
trivial infractions of automobile
and bicycle laws.
These are the public safety
opinions: first, it is convenient
to monitor parking stickers. Sec
ond. it is safer to back out of a
space than pull out forward. The
logic is that it takes two lanes of
traffic to pull out forward.
These are the facts: First,
allow parking stickers to be on
the front or rear bumper. If you
park with the sticker toward the
curb, you get a ticket. Second, it
* f * r t r #-»*#•
II
is snft'r to pnrk head-out sin<-?
potential obstructions are signify
icantly more visible to the dri
ver.
In addition, it should require
the same amount of space to
make movements in and out of a
parking space. We make the
same movements — just in
reverse order.
Now that I have stated the
pninfullv obvious, 1 would like
you all to know that 1 do not
intend to change a safer way of
parking a car for reasons that
defy logic and understanding.
Mine is a superior way.
Lawrence Martin
Architecture"
Bad explanation
If you are not gay, this latter
may bore or disgust you. But
Monday's article (ODE. Oct. 11)
on National Coming Out Day
was written for you, once again,
in an attempt to explain gav
lifestyles to a straight popula
tion.
But that article, so condemn
ing and safe, bored and disgust
ed me and many homosexuals
on campus. Half of Page 9 was
devoted to an article supposed
ly representing pride and a unit
ed community.
What it became was a page of
no information. It had no strong
message of being gay and proud
Maybe the author was so safe
because she did try to be objec- j
live and non-offensive.
But I and several others were
offended and once again felt
patronized by people who think
they understand. I was
promised by the Emerald a clar
ification on several points in the
article. If it was done it must
have been small and buried
under ads and comics. So I
would like to apologize to my j
counterparts for talking with a
paper who sugnrcoated my
words and whose article put
very little power behind our
day.
I am a lesbian and proud of it
Rachel Dueker
Student