Oregon State's Bob De Carolis
Oregon State athletic director Bob De Carolis is rumored to be a candidate for the same job at Indiana University. The Oregonian's John Canzano argues that Oregon State should do everything it can to keep him in Corvallis - and opens his argument with this story:
I was visiting with Oregon State athletic director Bob De Carolis between innings at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., a couple of summers ago when a Portland TV-news story became the topic.The piece featured a homeless teenager who was attending an area high school. The kid, then a junior, was a decent student, and involved in extracurricular activities. He was also sleeping in a motel room on Sandy Boulevard with four younger siblings and a couple of parents who just couldn't seem to get it together.
College was a pipe dream. The teen was more concerned with how many nights the family had left before the motel kicked them out, and where the family would get money for groceries, and how he'd become used to being hungry all the time.
De Carolis asked me to send him a copy of the story.
I figured he was just being polite.
A couple of weeks later, De Carolis called and asked again if I'd send the piece. He'd been thinking about the teen.
I eventually got it copied, and sent it over. And I only bring this up today because as Indiana University is apparently zeroing in on De Carolis as a possible athletic director candidate, that once-homeless kid is currently a freshman living in a dorm on campus in Corvallis, where he's on scholarship.
De Carolis did that.
Discuss.
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Oct. 20, 2008
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Oct 20, '08
What? The homeless kid didn't do any of it, like work hard and get good grades?
Lefties are so disrespectful and disempowering.
Oct 20, '08
Unbelievable that someone could take such an inspirational message and inject divisive politics into it. Please Anonymous, sew your hatred elsewhere.
11:25 a.m.
Oct 20, '08
This makes me proud to be an OSU fan and father of an OSU student. However, I was also blown away by the fact that he is paid $275,000 and it is considered low in comparison to his peers. Can anyone name an OSU professor who is paid that much? We have destroyed our public educational institutions with this sports frenzy and distortion of the academic environment. As much as De Carolis's actions please me, the fact that we pay so much for athletics vs. academics truly saddens me.
Oct 20, '08
Anonymous It's hard to pull your self up by your bootstraps when you have no boots. Sometimes WE ALL need a little help, even you.
Oct 20, '08
When I think back to where the Oregon State athletic department was 15 years ago to where it is today is really amazing. DeCarolis has been a big part of turning the university's image around, it's no longer a national joke (see Washington State's football team), and instead receives regular positive national notice through its sports programs. OSU has been extremely fortunate to have Mitch Barnhart followed by DeCarolis. If DeCarolis, leaves I worry about who would come next. A bad AD can do more damage to a university's reputation than the worst teacher or administrator. I really hope DeCarolis stays. We need more people like him in this state.
Oct 20, '08
John
I am not trying to be a snark, only trying to make a point. How many people would pay to go to a lecture of a Math professor at OSU versus a football game? You are in essence comparing apples and oranges.
1:13 p.m.
Oct 20, '08
MP,
Of course they are different. The issue is one of values. Why do we value sports more than academics in an educational institution that was created and partially funded by the taxpayers?
Professional sports was created to provide entertainment. Universities were created to provide education and a place to search for knowledge. Sports in universities was initiated to provide athletic exercise for the student body. Now major sports is just a farm team for the professionals and provides no exercise for 99.9% of the student body at large public universities.
Oct 20, '08
Well, a well run athletic department reflects positively on ALL of a University. It has been shown time and time again that the spill over helps in many areas, academic and other when a good athletic department brings in accolades.
For a recent look at the damage a poorly run department and a less than adequate AD can do to a major university one need look no farther than Barbara Hedges and the University of Washington.
Kudos to De Carolis and his walking the walk. He helped made a difference in a family. Go Beavers!
Oct 20, '08
As a computer professional, I'm only vaguely aware that UW even has an athletic department. However, their computer science department is widely respected -- much better than anything in Oregon -- and anyone should be honored to be accepted into their graduate program. OIT's, OSU's and PSU's computer science departments are in my opinion each pretty good, but they're not at the level of UW. U of O's isn't really serious. I too think Oregon should spend its time and energy on academics and leave the sports frenzy to the marketing world where it belongs.
Oct 20, '08
-- Anyway, I'm glad that Bob De Carolis is a nice guy who helps homeless teenagers, but do I care if he goes to work in Indiana instead of Oregon? No.
Oct 20, '08
In 1994, OSU's enrollment was 14,400, this year it's 21,400. That's 50 percent growth over 14 years. More kids getting educated, a more diverse student body, and a more diverse staff.
I don't think it's a stretch that a lot more teachers and other staffers have jobs today due to the success of OSU's sports programs. Not to mention construction workers and Corvallis business owners.
Oct 20, '08
Of course they are different. The issue is one of values. Why do we value sports more than academics in an educational institution that was created and partially funded by the taxpayers?
ahahhahahahhahah
Are you kidding? How much money was brought into campus from the math program? No seriously...
Does the OSU math department sell sweatshirts and those little window flags I see on Saturdays that say, "OSU Math Kicks It." I mean, cause I'd like to buy one...no really I'm not trying to be sarcastic.
Ahem: maybe I am.
I love this town. They'll scream about someone who is paid too much, doesn't represent PDX values (Rasheed Wallace), cry about bonds for stadiums (MLS to PDX)...but they manage to complain when the sports don't work out on their favor.
It's a fact that colleges up their admission with success on the sports stage. If you'd like to see what happens when a school doesn't support sports please see Reed College. I hear their Ultimate Frisbee team is pretty sweet when they don't get the schwag from their dealer. Boosters also don't give anything either. You think U of O would have a sweet library if it wasn't for Phil Knight and his support of the sports program?
Oct 21, '08