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At UW-Whitewater, Far More Championship Rings Than Actual Athletes & Coaches

I wrote yesterday of Beverly Kopper’s remark that Richard Telfer’s only weakness was not having enough rings for all his championships.  Needless to say, Richard Telfer had no championships at UW-Whitewater: he wasn’t a coach or athlete.  When I first read Kopper’s remark months ago, it wouldn’t have occurred to me that non-athletes were – literally – building ring collections.

What a disappointment it is to read a Gannett Media investigative report that reveals that our local campus has spent over one-hundred thousand dollars on far more championship rings than the total of all her championship athletes and coaches.   See, from 12.11.15,  UW school pays $112,000 for sports rings @ Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team.

Reporter Keegan Kyle reveals that over two years, UW-Whitewater ordered 376 rings, but had only 230 rostered athletes on those teams.  Even accounting for understandably deserving coaches of those teams, that’s far too many rings.  (Irony of ironies, the only program that ordered fewer rings than rostered athletes was then-Coach Fader’s national runner-up program in 2014: just 4 rings for 25 on the roster.  Honest to goodness, Fader did the right thing in that instance, too.)

American schools are the envy – rightly – of all the world.

They are the envy of the world because they have high standards for achievement, properly accounted to those who have, in fact, achieved.

There’s something both sad and unjustified about Richard Telfer, then-chancellor of a Division III school composed of scholar-athletes, receiving (or UW-Whitewater doling out) championship rings for non-competitors. That some others may do this is an unsatisfying excuse: there’s no good reason to emulate the poor practices of others.

It’s not a violation of NCAA rules, but then it’s embarrassing in a more fundamental way: it’s a misunderstanding about the unique and precious accomplishments of athletes on the playing field, and the coaches who guide them there.

That’s something the former chancellor and I have in common, actually – neither one of us are national championship athletes, and so neither of us deserves a championship ring, let alone many.

Rings should be for players and coaches. The rest of us should be contented supporting those programs, and enjoying their successes, without receiving so singular a symbol of achievement.

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