Mr. Imus:

It looks like a rough week for you. Three words have put you into the midst of a passionate national conversation. I am sure that you must have consulted with public relations specialists about how to survive this firestorm. Well, I have a three point plan that I think would be accepted by people who support you and people who rail against you.

First, there are ten women on the Rutgers Woman’s Basketball Team. Set up ten scholarships in their names for future student athletes at Rutgers. Further, set up a scholarship in the name of Coach Stringer for yet one more student athlete. Yes, it will be costly for you. However, you might keep your job, which you seems to like, and it is a tax deductible expense. Besides, the dollars are not a problem for you. Image, though, is a huge problem.

Second, volunteer to be a special junior manager for next year’s woman’s basketball team. I hear that Coach Stringer is a wonderful teacher and I think she will be patient with you. Through your year long contact with the team, you will witness what it takes to compete at one of the highest levels of amateur athletics. However, remember these are student athletes - with the emphasis on ‘student‘ first. That means juggling practice and games with classes, tests, term papers, exams, being homesick and so forth. It means going to classes with aches and pains and then - perhaps - going to the training facility for treatment. It means studying on buses or in hotel rooms, shared with at least one other team mate. And it reaches a point where being able to do laundry at a late night hour is a major accomplishment.

I will refrain from going on for chapters about this. However, Mr. Imus, it is an opportunity to see young women playing for the love of the game and for loyalty to their team mates and school. I could go on and on, with this one point alone. However, I will refrain and move onto point number three.

The third point is to write a book about this experience. You seem to have a ‘way with words’ and I am certain that your listening audience would be interested in your year with the team. Consider it your ‘George Plimpton Moment’. Mr. Plimpton called his book “Paper Lion”. Perhaps you can call yours “Scarlet Knight”. And the proceeds of the book could go to enriching further the full scholarships that you would have established (see the aforementioned point #1). In this way, you will ensure that the women’s athletic scholarships will continue for generations to come - in perpetuity.

Now you may think that these three steps are outrageous. They may be ‘unusual’. However, they are far less outrageous than your comments.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/

[tags]don imus, rutgers women’s basketball team, vivian stringer, students, athletes, book, catherine forsythe[/tags]