University of Virginia Library

Athletic Newsletter Revealed

By Ted McKean

To start the new semester off
"with a bang" is the not uncommon
cry of the student who, for
one reason or another, was maligned
by the system in the previous
term. After reading the University
of Virginia Athletic News, it appears
that the News too wants to
thunder into second semester,
somewhat blunderingly, in order to
set a certain realm of facts straight.

For those unaware, the University
of Virginia Athletic News,
published for the most part monthly
by "Department of Athletics and
Virginia Student Aid Foundation,"
reports on the progress of various
Cavalier teams. Dedicated to glorifying
athletic feats and glossing
over athletic defeats, the News
points a rosy picture of Virginia
athletics. Its objective quite obviously
is to enlist alumni (monetary)
support for Virginia teams.

In his January issue, the editor
(who at all times remains nameless)
bit off rather too much than he
proved capable of change. For in
addition to cataloguing triumphs in
recruiting future Cavalier gridiron
greats, Mr. A ("A" for anonymous)
wallowed into the first formal
defense of basketball coach Bill
Gibson yet to come from the inner
sanctums of University Hall.

In the sense that the powers of
University Hall have finally (after
nearly a year) set out to defend Mr.
Gibson, commendations must certainly
be in order. For up to this
point, all us critics were simply
forced to see silence as a clean
admission of guilt. We were forced
to accept the fact that, despite his
rigging of captain's elections, his
broken promises to a number of
players concerning scholarships,
and his distinct lack of popularity
in the eyes of the majority of his
players past and present. Coach
Gibson nevertheless his
immediate superiors in University
Hall.

So, in picking up the January
issue of the News, we discover
"4-10 mark not indicative of play,"
and around this theme we see
developed the catharsis of Coach
Gibson. Mr. A. sees as threefold the
results of the "team rebellion"
against Coach Gibson last March:
"(1) a firm departmental stand
supporting Bill Gibson: (2) the
suspension, for disciplinary reasons,
of two starters (both juniors) from
the squad; (3) the planting of a
loyalty seed which has to manifest
itself in this year's squad."

For a superficial observer, such
as Mr. A., perhaps this answers all
the questions about the rebellion.
For any critic of Coach Gibson
with any perception the question of
the coach's fundamental dishonesty
in handling his players still remains.

Mr. A. expands his defense of
Coach Gibson through an attack on
The Cavalier Daily, in stating.
"Still, the student newspaper continued
picking at Gibson and
his policies, mostly unsubstantiated.
They helped a 'Boot
the Hoot' campaign this fall..."
Were Mr. A. to head the Cavalier
Daily since September, he might
not only discover that Mr. Gibson
has not been attacked by the paper,
but he might also discover that the
Cavalier Daily merely objectively
reported the campus as a matter
of student interest.

With his theme then somewhat
obscured. Mr. concludes by
saying. "It [the team] the
talent that abounds on other
foes. But its hustle and desire to
win is seldom exceeded" Perhaps
inadvertently, he has captured Virginia
basketball in its present state
under Coach Gibson. It is a team
that never gives up, as it has shown
repeatedly, yet its conference
record stands at 1-10.

Coach Gibson will be the first to
argue that the team is deficient in
talent. But whose fault is that but
his own He has had seven years to
establish a successful program.