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 PO CK)» J1V9 0«IGO*9’*CJ 1 he Oegon Mr fm«j« * published daily Monday though Irday during me school yea' and Tuesday and Thursday during Ihe summer by the Oegon Daily Emerald Publishing Co . Inc at the Urwersrty ol Oegon. Eugene. Oegon The f mew aid opeiales independently ot me University wrth offices al Suite 300 ol me Erb Memonal Union and is a member o! the Associated Press The Emerald d private property The unlawful remove or use ol papers • prosecut«t)le by law EdHor-tos-CMe*. JaAa Berg Managing Editor Editorial Editor Graphics Editor Fraalanca Editor Ca»»Y Anderson David Thom Je« Pasiay Tho< Waabotten Sport* Editor bln* »ra Editor!*! Editor -Ml P«*h«rdt Photo Editor Anthony F ornoy Suppt*m*nt» Editor K*»y Solo Night Editor: Rivers Janssen Associate Editor*: Scot Clemens. Student Government Activities. Rebecca Merrill Community Rivers Janssen Higher EducMron A&mrusIrshoo Hem* Staff: Dave Charbonneau. Meg Dedolph. Amy Devenpon. Maira I >ekl». Martin f ,sher. Lethe Gaiuano. Sarah Henderson. Ar* Messeidahl. Edward Ktoptensiem. Ym Lang Leong Tristii Noel Elnabeth R**nst|*rna, l it Salc.ccia. Scot! S*mon*on. Stephan** Ssaon. Susanna Siemens. Julie Swenson. M**) bjuali wew< Soa\£«o0v mt) lb JAV IT. — , wow SOH£6oOY tLS£ will WAVf To Oo ir. 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