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Quotes
Many college, university, and health officials have stepped forward to proclaim their support to end
alcohol marketing at college sporting events. Here are just a few
quotes that we have gathered so far. If you have found any good
quotes, please send us an email with the quote and the source of the quote.
We need to sever the tie between college
sports and drinking. Completely. Absolutely. And forever.
--Donna Shalala, Former Secretary, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services
Universities are often afraid to reveal that
they have a problem with alcohol, although everyone knows it anyway.
--Robert L. Carothers, President,
University of Rhode Island
Ask yourself this question: If aspirin were
the leading cause of death on college campuses, do you think chancellors,
presidents, and trustees would allow aspirin commercials on basketball and
football telecasts? They wouldn't, not for a minute.
--Dean Smith, former head basketball coach,
University of North Carolina, in A Coach's Life
...[I]n the fight against alcohol abuse and
underage drinking -- we have to know 'when to say when.' When we've
said enough. When we've done enough. When we've demanded enough.
Frankly, we're not there yet. Not even close.
--Donna Shalala, Former Secretary, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services
We need to understand that children start
following athletics at the age of nine or ten. These beer ads are
highly appealing to them. When beer companies say their ads aren't
directed at young people, I find it hard to believe. Do you think the
kids don't like the lizards on the Budweiser spots? How about the frog
that would get his tongue stuck on the beer can? Beer companies are in
business to make a profit, and these television commercials are designed to
help them sell beer.
--Dean Smith, former head basketball coach,
University of North Carolina, in A Coach's Life
It is particularly difficult for me to
understand beer commercials and malt liquor commercials appearing during
NCAA sports events. Most of the young people who participate in NCAA
athletics are under the legal drinking age, and since intercollegiate
athletes are supposed to represent positive values, the alcohol commercials
seem particularly inappropriate. Furthermore, having alcohol
commercials appear during televised college games is inconsistent with the
efforts colleges make to curb underage drinking. Rather than make
money from the beer commercials, universities have a unique opportunity to
minimize the exposure of young people to alcohol advertising and send a
clear message on the serious risks of underage and excessive drinking.
--Representative Tom Osborne (R-NE)
I've watched some of our games on TV and felt
like I was awash in beer.
--Andy Geiger, Athletic Director, Ohio
State University
The presidents of colleges have to have some
courage to step forward. You can't limit alcohol in college sports,
you have to get rid of it.
--Dean Smith, former head basketball coach,
University of North Carolina
That's just not the image I want to convey.
For years, I have brought in people to talk to my athletes about alcohol
abuse. It just seems contradictory for me to take money from the beer
industry.
--Rob Fournier, Athletic Director, Wayne State
University
I'm opposed to alcohol in college sports,
absolutely. But I don't blame the beer industry, it's the schools that
have to make that decision.
--Donna Shalala, President, University of
Miami
It's on the table for discussion. It's
hard to argue on the side of promoting drinking.
--Mike Tranghese, Big East Commissioner, in
reference to
reviewing the beer and college sports
connection
It's inconsistent to say you want to
discourage underage drinking and turn around and huckster the stuff on your
broadcasts.
--Andy Geiger, Athletic Director, Ohio State
University
The NCAA and its member colleges and
universities cannot have it both ways. It is a complete contradiction
for colleges and universities to continue to take money from beer companies
whose ads glamorize drinking and target a youthful audience, and then devote
time, energy, and resources in the fight to discourage the same students
from engaging in underage and binge drinking. Too often, college
personnel are confronted with alcohol-related consequences—poor academic and
disciplinary behavior, security concerns, assault, date rape, and death.
These terrible outcomes are not at all glamorous.
--Representative Tom Osborne (R-NE), March 25,
2004 Press Release
(PDF)
The NCAA and universities should not be in the
business of marketing a product that is the leading cause of death among
college students. Also, it should be noted that the alcohol
advertising does not leave the younger audiences untouched. Ten year
olds are rooting for their favorite teams, meanwhile, being subjected to the
promotion of alcohol use.
--Dean Smith, former head basketball coach,
University of North Carolina
As long as students continue to learn and grow
in an environment that allows the glamorization of alcohol use, colleges and
universities will continue to face an uphill battle in eliminating the
'drink to get drunk' mentality prevalent among nearly half of college
students. Something must be done, and a decision by the NCAA and
member organizations to stop airing alcohol ads is a great place to start.
--Representative Tom Osborne (R-NE), March 25,
2004 Press Release
(PDF)
Saturating young people with beer ads as a
part of the college sports experience is like adding gasoline to a raging
fire. It undermines the purposes and ideals of higher education and
promotes a mixed message to the students about alcohol.
--Dick Galiette, Executive Director,
National High School Athletic Coaches Association
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