By Chris Estrada
When you have the blood of Texas running through you, there are certain facts about yourself that you come to grips with quickly. And since my father and everyone else on his side of the family hails from the western side of the Lone Star State, I have come to grips with several things during the course of my life.
I like chicken fried steaks and a cold Shiner Bock. I enjoy wide open spaces and the company of humble folks. And I enjoy looking up at the sky at night to see a blanket of stars that reminds me of my roots. But as a Texan, there’s one important thing that you hold dear above all else save for your family and your god. And that’s football.
I played the sport all through my childhood and into high school, and although I wasn’t the best player in the world, I loved playing anyway. There was always something special about strapping on your pads and helmet, going out there in front of cheering fans that supported you and doing the best you could to make them – and yourself – proud. But before I came to Northeastern, I had decided my playing days were up.
Fortunately, I had wanted to be a sports writer for a long time and so I had my way of sticking with the sport. After a few years here at The News, I finally got the chance to show my stuff in the middle of the 2006 football campaign. Since then, I’ve been the beat writer for NU football and it’s been a really fun job for me.
When it came out that the athletics department was going to get a stem-to-stern evaluation from new Athletics Director Peter Roby, people began to wonder if football would get the ax. While I have heard this rumor wafting around campus now and again for years, it began to really start stinking last fall. You may remember my article from Oct. 22, 2007, on student reaction to the possible cut of the program. And if you do remember it, you’ll know that only one of the people I interviewed was bothered by the situation. Everyone else said they could live without football at Northeastern. One of them said he didn’t give a “rat’s ass” – that part was edited out, by the way.
It was at that point I realized this was a serious problem. Not just the fact that an entire fabric of college life could be fading away (and my job along with it), but that the majority of people here didn’t seem to care at all. Granted, we’re not known for our sporting prowess. That wasn’t the reason most of us chose Northeastern for higher education. And maybe people felt emboldened by the fact that our neighbors on Comm. Ave. have been trucking along without football for a decade: If they can do it, we can too – if we must.
I’ll be honest. As a journalist and a follower of the sport, I was truly sick to my stomach about how indifferent my peers could be.
College football is a tradition. It makes students proud to be a part of our school and it helps us get to know people at least a little bit better through being united for our team. At the very least, the social impact cannot be denied. I venture to say a good chunk of us have met some friends at Parsons Field. I know I have.
So while it’s been reported that Roby has informally green-lit the 2008 season to NU alumni after two meetings of his Athletic Review Panel, I’m still very worried about the future of the program. While coach Rocky Hager and his players will continue to keep their heads down and focus on preparing for the upcoming year, will the students come through and show the administration that they too believe in Husky football? They didn’t lead the backlash against these rumors. The alumni did.
I am reminded of The News’ website comment written in response to my article on the Huskies’ loss to Richmond in Week 2 of the season. In this post, the writer talked about how the school is short-shifting the hockey program in favor of football for the sake of the alumni. In between making his valid case for more money for hockey, he said:
“It seems football continues to be funded because a handful of alumni played in it a long time ago… [President Joseph Aoun] needs to make some changes that will get Northeastern out of this old-order, WASPy mentality… and it’s not just concerning the football (but that’s a whole other story!).”
That poster is entitled to his opinion and so are those who feel the same way. And if Roby stays true to his words, I’ll gladly approve. But I believe that if the student body remains indifferent to this issue, the end of Northeastern football will come, sooner or later. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually. And I feel that would be a sad day for many of us.
However, unlike the official News editorial on this matter, I won’t tell you you have to go out there and fight for our team.
I leave that decision up to you.
Chris Estrada can be reached
