To the Editor:
In a recent editorial in the April 4 issue of the Review you attempted to defend the "green haired boy" and degrade coach Mooney and our athletic program.
I would like to respond to your editorial by asking you to read your own articles first. In paragraph two of the article by Dave Bechhoefer, Daniel Romano is quoted as saying, "He gave me two choices, either wash it out or don't go. At that point I couldn't wash it out and was sick of the *%#@, so I did not go." Romano was given an opportunity to stay with the team and he Chose not to stay.
Romano, because of his choice, consequently missed 10 games on the Florida trip, and basically abandoned his teammates. He was, therefore, asked to leave the team for letting his team down.
In professional sports if a player misses a game by choice, he is fined by his team. If he walks out on his team, he is traded. If a violinist in the orchestra were to miss 10 performances, by choice, do you think he would be asked to stay with the orchestra? If you missed 10 Biology classes, by choice, would your professor be willing to look the other way and give you a grade? Life is about choices. Sometimes they are tough ones to make. In my opinion, this choice was an easy one for Romano. He knew about coach Mooney's appearance policy from the beginning of the year. He knew that dyeing his hair did not conform to the policy and I believe he did it so he would not have to go to Florida. In this case, Mr. Romano chose his own fate; he was given a chance to go with the team and he did not.
Coach Mooney, like all coaches here, has policies that athletes must adhere to in order to participate. Athletics is a privilege and not a right. Maybe if we can move toward some professionalism, as we are trying to do, our teams will start to win and gain respect.
Our school and our athletic programs certainly will not gain respect when students protesting this decision sit in the stands and verbally abuse the opponents and curse at the umpires. If we were not so concerned with being individuals and drawing attention to ourselves maybe our athletic teams would fare a lot better. When you go to work for a corporation, or for greenpeace, or wherever, you will not be recognized by the amount of waves you make or for your individual accomplishments. You will find recognition in the success of the company or the unit you belong to.
Athletics is about winning, but it is also about all those "mushy character building things" that you so quickly gloss over.
I agree with the phrase: Judge a person by the content of his character, not the color of his "hair". I believe that Mr. Romano's character is what should be questioned. And what better place to build character than on an athletic team. Ask some of the baseball players their view!!
Copyright © 1997, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 125, Number 20, April 11, 1997
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