|
Web
Exclusives: From
the Cheap Seats
by Matt Golden '94 Earlier this fall, I tuned in to Monday Night Football, and after wading through ABC funny-man Dennis Miller's heavily scripted banter and obscure references, I was able to cull one interesting piece of information: The Minnesota Vikings were starting an Ivy Leaguer, Matt Birk (Harvard '98), on their offensive line that night. Now I knew that there were a couple of Ivy players - Jay Fiedler (Dartmouth '94) and our own Jason Garrett '89 - hanging around "The League," but I didn't know about Birk. My interest peaked as I watched Birk throttle opposing defensive linemen time and time again. The burly 300-pounder opened gaping holes for Viking runners and provided flawless protection for his QB. Birk was playing with the big boys (literally), and he clearly belonged. There used to, and may to some degree, still be a stigma against Ivy athletes - they're soft, pampered, and have too many options; they won't stick it out if things get tough - that made pursuing a professional sports career nearly impossible. As a high school senior way back in 1990, I had some professional aspirations of my own - in baseball, not football. And after choosing Princeton over Rutgers, Penn State, and William & Mary, a coach said to me, "You picked one of the best schools in the country, but baseball-wise you could have done better." Sure enough, the professional scouts who had been at several of my high school games disappeared as soon as I announced my decision to become a Tiger. After my senior season at Old Nassau, I begged and pleaded with every scout I knew, "Please give me a chance! All I want to do is play ball!" Thankfully, the St. Louis Cardinals came through and picked me - after seven college football and basketball players and a girl (none of whom even played college baseball) had already been selected - in the draft's 46th round. But things have changed. Graduating from one of the Ancient Eight doesn't preclude you from banging bodies, slapping a puck, flashing some leather, or dribbling a ball for a living. Nine Ivy Leaguers joined Birk on NFL rosters this season; Fiedler, the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, led his team to the second round of the playoffs; and Birk was recently selected to play in the Pro Bowl, the NFL's all-star game. In addition, there are 24 former Ivy Leaguers who are currently playing in Major League Baseball, the NBA, the WNBA, the MLS, and the NHL. Many more compete professionally at the minor league level, and several represented the U.S. in the 2000 Olympic Games last summer. Clearly, there is some serious ball being played in this league. And while the Ivies are still producing a few more bankers than linebackers, there are a growing number who are giving Wall Street the stiff-arm in favor of the playing field.
|
January
24 , 2001