University of Virginia Library

Boot Gibson Campaign Revived

By Bill Fryer
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

As basketball season nears at the
University, stalwart supporters of the
annual campaign to remove Head Basketball
Coach Bill "Hoot" Gibson, who was
under fire last season following several
controversies involving members of the
team, have mobilized and launched their
line-up for the coming season.

Already two factions of students are
competing for the leadership in a "Boot
the Hoot" campaign. Yesterday orange
buttons with the black lettering "Boot
the Hoot" began appearing on the lapels
of sports minded Wahoos. Also posters
around the Grounds indicated that the
controversial buttons would soon be
available in greater quantities.

Coach Gibson suffered through his sixth
straight losing season last year, followed by a
player "revolt" which resulted in two players
being thrown off the squad. In addition, his
best returning player, Mike Wilkes, has decided
not to play this year.

Sources close to the situation say that the
coming season has already been given up for a
competitive loss, and that Coach Gibson's
tenure depends on his recruiting success this
year. The key recruit is said to be Tom
McMillan, 6'11 All American from Mansfield
High School in Pennsylvania, a town in which
Mr. Gibson once coached. If McMillan can be
induced to enroll here, the sources say, Coach
Gibson will remain.

Jerry Miller, an enterprising second-year
student, has thrown his hat in the ring for
leadership on the movement to oust Gibson by
being the first to actually provide the buttons,
for a quarter, to all interested students. He
noted that to break even it would be necessary
to sell at least 150 buttons, but he displayed
great confidence, predicting mushrooming sales.

Another faction has ordered buttons -
orange background with blue lettering -
through Robert H. Mincer, of Mincer's Pipe
Shop on the Corner. According to Mr. Mincer,
Bill Buck, Mike Ross, Ted McKean, and Peter
Drake, all fourth-year students, ordered the
little bombshells through him. The buttons
presumably would then be given to the four
students for distribution. But someone has
cried foul in this game of "button-ball."

The elusive shipment is now waiting, intact
but locked away, at Mincer's. According to Mr.
Mincer, Steve Secbo, Athletic Director at the
University, indicated some interest in the fate
of the buttons, asking him to reveal who
ordered them. Mincer's now has decided,
although denying pressure from Mr. Sebo, to
call time out, sending the buttons at least
temporarily to the showers.

During this break in the action, father and
son Mincer are plotting game strategy as to the
fate of the erstwhile buttons. It now appears
that Mr. Sebo has come to an agreement with
the four students to hold off on any
distribution at least until the season starts. If
they decide to keep the buttons out of
circulation, the Mincers will bear the $60-$70
cost themselves.

The Mincers are also faced by a demand
from the students that an indemnity of $250,
their estimated profit from the sale of the
buttons, be paid if the buttons are not released.
If not the students have threatened to sue for
breach of a verbal contract.