As was widely reported, after a campus-wide study, the University of Alabama – Birmingham recently decided to discontinue its football program. The driving force behind their move was the NCAA’s recent approval of a measure to give more autonomy to the five powerhouse conferences (Big Ten, SEC, Pac-12, ACC and Big 12), allowing them […]
UAB Football Debate: A Local Decision with National Implications Read More »
“Why are you bashing football?” That’s a question I’ve been asked quite often, dating back the publication my book, Sports: The All-American Addiction in 2002. And the frequency of being asked that question has multiplied since the recent publication of “Ball or Bands: Football vs. Music as an Educational and Community Investment.” I’d like to
Death Blow to Amateurism or Unprecedented Opportunity for Higher Education? In an effort to quell the clamor for athletes to receive their “fair share” of the millions they generate, the NCAA recently approved a measure to give more autonomy to the five powerhouse conferences (Big Ten, SEC, Pac-12, ACC and Big 12), allowing them
Death Blow to Amateurism or Unprecedented Opportunity for Higher Education? Read More »
PUBLISHED IN PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER POSTED: Wednesday, February 4, 2015 View Online Article Here By John Gerdy Given that education reform was the biggest issue in the recent campaign, Gov. Wolf has a mandate. The question is, will he have the vision and courage to use it? School district fiscal realities often force program cuts.
Football vs. music: Which is better for students? Read More »
There is an old adage when it comes to salaries and sports. When someone claims, “This isn’t about the money,” you know darn well it’s about the money. But this is one of those rare cases where it really isn’t about the money. It’s about so much more than that. There has been a lot
Jim Harbaugh’s Salary: It’s About So Much More Than the Money Read More »
As the baby-boomer generation scoots beyond “middle age” towards the status of “elderly”, we are hearing and reading more about health related issues, both personal and public. Everyone, it seems is concerned with improving health by doing the types of things that can lead to a longer, more productive and vibrant life. There are many
Fewer Shrinks, Regimens and Pills, More Singin’, Strummin’ and Jammin’ Read More »
Cheer UAB’s courageous leadership in exiting football: guest opinion uab By John Gerdy, Published December 6, 2014 in Birmingham News – See Online Article Here As the entire city now knows, after a campus-wide study, UAB made the decision to discontinue its football program. President Ray Watts and the university’s board and leadership team should
A New Word for the English Language Each year, Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary identifies “new” words to be added to their dictionary. This year, for example, “hashtag”, ‘selfie”, “fracking” and “crowdfunding”, among others, were added. Such words are recognized as being “official” as a result of them becoming commonly used and recognized. Generally, they begin
Getting Started: My first “Blog” To “blog” or not to “blog”, that is the question. Of course, that begs the question, “What exactly is blogging?” There are others who are better equipped to answer that, but from what I can tell, it’s just writing about various topics on a semi-regular basis. By that definition, I’ve
